When the temperature dropped inside the 50,000 square-foot RC Willey showroom in Las Vegas, employees had the new energy-efficient LED lights to thank. Unlike hot-burning halogen lights, the extremely efficient LED lights produce very little heat.
 
Within hours of the LED lighting installation, store employees noticed the showroom wasn’t as warm as before, according to MSi, the company that manufactured the LED lights. Management was able to raise the air conditioner thermostat settings by four degrees resulting in an estimated annual savings of $90,000 in cooling costs alone.
 
In all, 4,500 MSi iPAR LED lights replaced 90-Watt halogen spotlights. The new 10-Watt MSi LED lights will save RC Willey RC an estimated $182,000 in annual energy costs, according to MSi.
 
Additional savings are realized in the lower maintenance and replacement cost for LED lighting. The typical 90-Watt halogen light burning 12 hours a day will need to be replaced approximately every four months. The 10-Watt iPAR burning 12 hours a day can last up to 12 years. For RC Willey’s Vegas showroom that adds up to $21,000 annually they won’t have to spend replacing halogen bulbs.
 
“Many retailers are a little concerned about the initial investment of converting to LED lighting,” said Bruce Johnson, MSi managing partner. “But if they take the time to run the numbers, they’ll see that switching over produces a great return on their investment.”