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| | AT&T collaborates with GE to switch to LED signage | | 20 Jul 2009 | | A re-branding exercise by AT&T has involved the installation of 7000 channel letter signs containing around 2.6 million LEDs. | Over the last few years, AT&T re-branding efforts across the US included a redesign of its logo that necessitated the replacement of 7,000 channel letter signs on more than 6,500 AT&T office buildings and retail locations.
The company switched to the Tetra LED lighting system from Lumination, GE Consumer & Industrial's LED business. In total, approximately 2.6 million GE LEDs replaced both the high-voltage, high-maintenance neon that is often used in small-building signs and less-efficient linear fluorescent lighting, which performs less favorably than LEDs in cold climates.
AT&T expects to save more than 5.8 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity a year and eliminate 3,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. This, says AT&T, is the equivalent of planting more than 950 acres of trees.
The new lighting system will also provide AT&T with financial savings, compared with neon. "We knew a switch to more efficient signage would be a sustainable business decision, both environmentally and financially," said Shawn McKenzie, SVP of Corporate Real Estate, AT&T Services Inc. "We researched our options, analyzed the data and ultimately chose the GE system for its reliability, energy efficiency, environmental benefits and long-term value proposition. It also helped that GE is built to handle such large-scale efforts."
According to Eric Stevenson, GE's Global Product Manager – Signage, "companies like AT&T that pay to operate thousands of signs every day are quick to recognize the value of a high-quality LED signage system."
The energy-savings differential is significant, but it's often the maintenance savings that seals the deal, continued Stevenson. “Our GE Tetra(R) LED system with a 50,000-hour rated life eclipses the life of incumbent fluorescent systems by more than three years. Our LED system virtually eliminates the problem of burned out signs, which is common for both neon and fluorescent systems."
According to Stevenson, high-rise backlit signage is challenging to maintain because the signs are frequently mounted many stories above ground level, requiring large cranes or helicopters to conduct maintenance or repairs. "It's work that can cost thousands of dollars a day for rental equipment and services," he noted.
| | COMMENTS | | Name: jbondyou Posted: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:01 |
| As a neon tube bender i must question your 50000 hour claim. I know leds start to dim from the moment they are turned on . in neon the 24000 hour claim is not life span but hours of use before dimming starts. I have many signs still illuminated very well after 20+ years of service in the harsh conditions here in CT. time will tell if you have a true claim. signs of the times magazine did a study that shows leds are 1 sixth the lumen output in red, your best product, as 12 mm red tubing. your power use is 1/3 of neon. this mean leds are only half as efficient as 12 mm tubing. the #s get worse for your other colors which are 1/11 the lumens. Administrators Reply 50,000 hours is the time taken for the light output to drop to 70% (usually) of its original level. This is standard throughout the industry. | | Name: jbondyou Posted: Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:02 |
| 50000 hours in sign use of 8 hours a day is 16 years and 160 days . you claim 70 % decline in lumens output in 5 years ??? something doesn't add up.stop and shop just redid all its 1 year old led channel letters with yet another bunch of leds. how much money could they possibly be saving with this kind of trouble.neon is still the brightest most efficient light source on the planet. true it must be properly made, but that is simply a matter of finding a good tube bender with the right pumping system. not a big deal to find. My neon has been proven to last for decades because it has.I have 29 years of wholesale sales to sign companies and major chain stores all over the US.This is real life results, not some led marketing hype Now that global warming or climate change has been proven to be a hoax driven by people invested in the IIGCC, I see no reason for people to keep buying faulty, dim , expensive gimmicks such as leds. Administrators Reply First "we" are not claiming anything - GE makes the claims. The 50,000 hours is total hours of use, not counting the time when the lights are off. Hoax? you've got to be kidding. | | Name: jim m b Posted: Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:02 |
| The example I give of 16 years 160 days is the life span GE is claiming. That is how long 50,000 hours is divided by 8 hours of use per day.I know of no led signage that has ever lasted that long.I just yesterday saw an led claim of 100,000 hours in sign builder magazine. The claims are as false as man caused warming.So no I'm not kidding about a hoax. Google" Phil Brown climate hoax "an read about his admissions that there has been no warming since 95.Also he admits that the medieval warming period was much greater than what we experienced.You may also want to google" BBC pension fund climate change ". you will see that they have 8 billion pounds invested in climate change funds , if they report the facts they stand to loose there retirement fund,talk about a conflict of interest.
as usual simply follow the money.The total money tied up in these funds throughout the UK is 4 trillion. Madoff is chump change compared to this fraud.I suppose the type of lighting one makes can effect your feelings on this topic. I have hands on experience with both products led and neon. For longevity and brightness neon wins hands down.If you want to save the world from another media hyped cause then leds are what trips your trigger. remember y2k and oil shortages.They are proven hoaxes . Its happening again with the weather. jim B knight lite neon CT | | Name: jim bl Posted: Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:02 |
| The name to Google is Phil Jones, not Brown as I typed earlier. sorry for the mix up. JB KLN |
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