LAHAINA — Businesses looking to save money on electricity should consider LED (light-emitting diode) lighting, said Dan Dull of Pacific Green Lighting Solutions.

The Lahaina company was recently named the exclusive distributor for LED light fixtures in the State of Hawaii.

This relatively new form of lighting is now available for commercial uses. Pacific Green partner Dull said the high-grade LED commercial lighting uses a fraction of the wattage of sodium vapor or metal halide light fixtures typically used in parking lots, warehouses and on the sides of commercial buildings.

“Typical wattages are 150 to 400 watts. They use a lot of power,” Dull noted.

According to Dull, a typical sodium vapor light fixture replaced by a LED light can save 50 to 85 percent in energy costs, and the light output is whiter.

Hawaii has the highest electric utility rates in the nation, and with the state’s dependence on oil for electricity generation, “we can expect those rates will probably increase,” he said.

In addition, LED lights have an expected life of about 14 years, based on use of 12 hours per day, seven days a week. “Maintenance costs are virtually eliminated for 14 years,” Dull commented.

Pacific Green Lighting Solutions recently furnished the Hale ‘Ohana Apartments in Lahaina with new LED light fixtures.

David Edgar, manager for the apartments, wanted to do something to reduce his monthly electric bill, so he could avoid raising rents in this difficult economy. He also wanted to “go green.”

In addition to dropping the wattage necessary to light the property by about half, he said the company may also receive a rebate from Maui Electric Company and qualify for a federal energy tax credit.

Edgar estimated that with the savings and rebates, the LED fixtures will pay for themselves in less than three years.

“In addition, since we live on an island, we are very concerned with hazardous waste disposal. Both the sodium vapor and metal halide lights typically contain mercury. Merely throwing them in the landfill when they go out is not an option. They must be disposed of by a hazardous waste contractor. LED lighting can be tossed in the garbage bin. Since LED lighting lasts considerably longer than conventional lighting, it would be many years before they failed,” Dull explained.

“Tenants we talked to love the new lighting. They believe the property feels safer, because the LED light output is so much better.”

Pacific Green Lighting Systems can also do custom light retrofits. Many conventional light fixtures can be converted to LED. The company is currently working on a retrofit for a Westin Hotels property.

Parent company Green Machine Light Engines is working with Chevron Global, Irvine Company and other firms to retrofit light fixtures.

“Numerous companies are pledging to ‘go green,’ and one of the easiest ways to do that is to replace current lighting with low-energy, nonpolluting, long lasting LED lighting,” Dull said.

“Many cities are looking at replacing street lighting with LED. The city of San Jose (California), for example, is currently discussing changing their street lights to LED, according a recent article in the San Jose Mercury News.”

For more information, call Dull at Pacific Green Lighting Systems at 661-1169.