Sheetz has installed solid-state lighting (SSL) fixtures from Cree Lighting at more than 130 of its convenience marts that sell fast food and gas. The interior retrofit of legacy lighting with LED-based products is delivering a 45% reduction in energy costs for the stores, while the outdoor upgrade is delivering 50% to 55% in savings.
"We collectively determined that the conventional, antiquated lighting that we were using at Sheetz needed to be upgraded," said Doug Knisely, director of building and petroleum construction at Sheetz. "High-quality lighting is an imperative to our business and is extremely vital to our customers that choose Sheetz to refuel their cars and refresh their bodies."
Replacing the stores' former exterior metal halide (MH) lighting fixtures are Cree Edge area and flood luminaires and 227 Series canopy luminaires. Sheetz said that in addition to energy savings, the upgrade is providing superior color quality and uniformity.
In 46 of the 131 locations to get an outdoor upgrade, Sheetz also added SSL products inside the stores. Those stores are now illuminated with CR14 linear luminaires and CR6 downlights, replacing the original fluorescent and compact fluorescent lights. Sheetz expects a reduction in maintenance costs and to considerably lower the amount of electricity used annually.
The luminaires selected all feature more than 50,000 hours of projected life, delivering on maintenance-savings goals. Knisely added, "LED technology has improved dramatically over the last several years and we saw that Cree was on the leading edge of LED lighting innovation."
The combination of Cree Edge and 227 Series fixtures allows Sheetz locations to use LED lights to highlight sign surfaces and architectural features with flood lights, provide uniform lighting for walkways and parking lots with area luminaires, and light station canopies providing a safe environment. The indoor fixtures provide for higher efficacy and light quality than the previous lighting. “We are a customer service-focused brand and Cree’s high-quality LED lighting makes our stores appear brighter, more visually appealing and helps us deliver a safer feeling atmosphere for our customers," said Knisely.
"Cree LED products, with high efficiency and low maintenance, are the ideal solution for the round-the-clock operations of convenience stores and gas stations," said Christopher Ruud, Cree's vice president of global lighting sales. "As an adopter of LED lighting in its new and remodeled locations, Sheetz is revolutionizing the customer experience in the retail gasoline and convenience store marketplace."
