August 9, 2012
Independence LED Contact:
Kimberlee Tonetti
Email: KTonetti@IndependenceLED.com
Tel: 484-588-5401
DAVIS & WARSHOW IS THE FIRST FACILITY IN AMERICA TO ACHIEVE NET-ZERO LIGHTING COSTS WITH LED TUBES AND THE LARGEST LED TUBE RETROFIT TO DATE.
(MASPETH, NY – August 9, 2012) – Davis & Warshow (dwny.com), an 87-year-old family-owned business and New York’s premier dealer of luxury kitchen and bath fixtures and plumbing materials, has converted its entire 209,000-square-foot Queens headquarters from fluorescent to LED lighting.
In making the switch, the company can now stake claim on having the largest single-facility LED tube installation with the most energy efficient lighting in watts per-square-foot in the U.S. Over 2 miles of American Made LED tubes have been installed in the facility, and now use only 3.75 watts per linear foot compared with 8.5 watts from fluorescent lighting.
Additionally, it is now the country’s first facility to achieve net-zero lighting costs with LED tubes, thanks to a rooftop solar array installed in 2011 that generates enough energy to offset the 200,000 annual kWh required to power the lighting. Both the installation of the solar array and the LED conversion are part of Davis & Warshow’s Practically Green program – a pragmatic, small-steps approach to going green that the company inaugurated in 2008.
See the LED Tube Videos, LED Tube Retrofit Photos, and the LED Tube Case Study for this groundbreaking project here: www.IndependenceLED.com/BootCamp
The company’s president, David Finkel, says “Our small steps are adding up to a giant leap in sustainability, and we are proof positive that even small companies like ours can make a difference in reducing their environmental footprint for the better of the planet”. Earlier this year, Finkel was honored by the Urban Green Council, New York’s chapter of the USGBC, cited as a role model in “building a greener New York.”
Although the company’s investment to convert to LED tubes and fixtures was more than $250,000, an energy rebate received from Con Edison this fall will offset the cost. Finkel adds, “The amount represented rebates we earned for the lighting conversion based on annual kWh saved using the Made-in-America fixtures,” “Moreover, in five years time our investment will have paid for itself, with the rebates we’re entitled to and the overall savings.”
“Davis & Warshow has become an inspiring sustainability role model for businesses of its size,” said David Pospisil, program manager of the Con Edison Commercial & Industrial Energy Efficiency Programs. “It is our pleasure to reward a company that is truly deserving for its unwavering commitment to the environment.
Independence LED (IndependenceLED.com), a Pennsylvania-based LED manufacturer, was the source of choice for the American made LED tubes required for the Davis & Warshow conversion. Prior to the LED retrofit, lighting equaled nearly 65% of the structure’s total power usage, costing almost $50,000 per year. It now has decreased to less than 50% of the building’s total energy use and costs less than $20,000 per year to run – reducing the company’s lighting tab for kWh and maintenance by nearly $40,000 a year.
Charlie Szoradi, CEO of Independence added, “We are pleased to work with Davis & Warshow, and applaud their vision to execute a comprehensive energy strategy. They have raised the sustainability bar. For businesses across America, the added benefits of the Federal tax incentives and the offset factor of the Department of Energy’s ban on inefficient T12 fluorescent tubes lifts the return on investment (ROI) to over 30%. The Davis & Warshow project has set a benchmark that will earn a place in American energy history.”
About Davis & Warshow - www.dwny.com
Davis & Warshow, metro-New York’s premier kitchen and bath distributor, has been serving the region’s wholesale and retail plumbing needs for 87 years. With 8 sales showrooms, 4 distribution centers and nearly 300 employees in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester, the company’s unparalleled selection and unmatched service have earned national accolades, including Supply House Times “Wholesaler of the Year” in 1988 and 2003, and “Showroom of the Year” in 2010. Davis & Warshow is 100 percent owned by its employees..
About Con Edison - www.conEd.com/greenteam
Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. [NYSE: ED], one of the nation's largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $13 billion in annual revenues and $40 billion in assets. The utility provides electric, gas and steam service to more than 3 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, New York.
About Independence LED - www.IndependenceLED.com
A U.S. Manufacturer of high-efficiency linear LED lighting. Since moving its manufacturing from China to Boyertown, PA, Independence LED has experienced over 300% growth in sales.Customers range from industrial distribution centers to Fortune 100 companies and from independent business owners to national retail and service chains.
This Davis & Warshow LED Tube lighting retrofit is an example of a growing trend toward support for U.S. manufacturing of energy related products that save money and create jobs. LED manufacturers have typically been overseas, but Independence LED moved its LED manufacturing from China to Boyertown, Pennsylvania in 2010. The company has seen a tremendous lift in its sales as a U.S. based LED manufacturer as the LED tube market has grown. The July 14th, 2012 ban by the Department of Energy on inefficient T12 fluorescent tubes has contributed to the adoption of energy saving 2', 4' and 8' LED tubes. The adoption of the most common length LED tube lights has naturally directly contributed to the growth of LED manufacturers like Independence LED.
