Hy-Vee Auditions LEDs

Iowa-based Hy-Vee Inc. recently replaced 12 metal halide parking lot lights at its market on Mt. Vernon Road in Cedar Rapids with new, energy-efficient LED lamps, a move the grocer and its partner in the pilot project say will save more than 40,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.

“Not only do the LED lights look better and cost less to run than traditional parking lot lights, they also last a lot longer,” said Jeff Hubler, store director. “It’s challenging and expensive to replace lights at the top of tall posts. The fact that LED lamps last around four times longer is a real maintenance benefit.”

Hy-Vee’s LED lighting retrofit is part of a collaborative pilot program with Interstate Power and Light, an Alliant Energy company; Van Meter Industrial; and the Iowa Energy Center. The objective is to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency and usefulness of LED lighting in real-world settings and gather information to shape future energy-efficiency programs.

“Once the sun goes down, the difference is impressive,” said Mary Meisterling, Alliant key account manager. “The parking lot now has a white glow instead of the typical yellow tone of traditional lighting.”

Hy-Vee also replaced 26 halogen lights inside the Mt. Vernon Road store’s health food section with LED lamps. In total, Hy-Vee expects to save more than $5,000 a year in energy costs.

“Customers like Hy-Vee who are committed to energy efficiency and embrace innovation offer an ideal situation to test new technologies,” Meisterling said. “Additionally, Van Meter gives us access to multiple LED manufacturers and a team of lighting design specialists. And, the Iowa Energy Center staff is monitoring the light output and measuring and validating the energy savings from the project.”

To learn more about Alliant Energy’s other LED demonstration projects, visit www.alliantenergy.com/LED.

With sales of more than $6.4 billion, Hy-Vee operates about 230 retail stores across eight Midwestern states.