Shoppers who step into the Oak Express furniture store in Yuma, Arizona might not realize that one of the remarkable things about the store is located high above the showroom floor. If shoppers look up, they might notice that approximately 250 of the lights shining on the furniture are Cree LED lights.

In summer 2010, approximately 250 of the energy-wasting 75-Watt halogen bulbs shining on the furniture were replaced with Cree LRP-38™ LED lights. The new energy-efficient LED lights are expected to save the store about 25 percent per month in energy costs, according to store manager Stuart Cozzens.
 
“Our showroom is looking great,” Cozzens said, “and we hope that the benefits of these new lights will really help our store.”
 
The LRP-38 LED lights are designed to last 50,000 hours, which means Cozzens can leave the lights on eight hours a day, seven days a week and they could last more than 17 years. That’s a huge improvement over the halogen lights that previously illuminated the showroom floor. Cozzens said that he had to change about 20 halogen bulbs every month before the switch.
 
“We are hoping that number will reduce greatly with these new bulbs,” Cozzens said.
 
Oak Express is part of the The Furniture Row Companies, one of the nation’s largest family-owned specialty home furnishings and bedding retailers. Officials with The Furniture Row Companies have announced plans to replace more than 80,000 energy-wasting halogen lights with Cree LRP-38 LED lights.
 
“We knew we wanted new lighting that addressed our goal of being environmental stewards, but we also wanted to remain fiscally responsible,” said Rod Schnurr, Furniture Row store planning coordinator. “We also knew that we couldn’t sacrifice the high quality of light needed to accentuate the wood grains and highlight the beauty of the fabrics – that’s what these Cree lights do.”
 
The first Furniture Row Shopping Center to install Cree LED lights saved $4,200 on monthly energy costs compared to the original lighting, Schnurr said. In addition to reduced energy consumption for lighting, the LRP-38 spotlights generate much lower heat output thereby saving on air conditioning costs. Furniture Row also anticipates significant maintenance savings given the much longer service life of the LED lights, which are designed for a 50,000-hour lifetime in open applications. Prior to the LED lighting upgrade, store employees spent an estimated 15 hours per week replacing burned out halogen bulbs.
 
“The LRP-38 spotlight is perfect for retail environments because it offers energy efficiency and longevity without compromising on the high quality light needed to properly illuminate merchandise,” said Craig Lofton, director of national accounts, Cree LED Lighting. “Lighting customers should sacrifice nothing in the pursuit of beautiful, energy-efficient light, and Furniture Row’s stores are exemplifying just that.”