RAB LED luminaires put VA Hospital in best light

Corridor connecting two hospital buildings on TVAMC's 125-acre campus.

Installation of 24 10 Watt LED wallpack fixtures and 52 Watt LED Wallpacks from RAB Lighting to better light the passageway between the complex's administration and patient care building and its Sports Atrium, significantly reduce energy costs, and minimize maintenance costs and concerns for the management team.

80% energy savings relative to previous 50 Watt metal halide fixtures.

RAB fixtures were supplied by Northport Electric (Northport, AL) and represented by Electrical Products, Inc. (Atlanta, GA).

Situated across 25 buildings on a beautiful 125-acre campus, the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, AL provides eligible veterans with a broad range of top-notch health care services. And, thanks to a recent lighting upgrade involving LED technology from leading manufacturer RAB Lighting, the facility is now also assured of the highest-performing, most energy-efficient, and low maintenance lighting to help support the daily needs of both patients and staff.

In early 2010, the hospital's management team identified a prime opportunity to upgrade the lighting installed within the over 200 foot long, glass-enclosed corridor that connects the facility's administration building with a patient care building. "The expanse was lit with two dozen 50 Watt metal halide wallpack fixtures, and the light was harsh and definitely more than needed," confirmed Tommy Brown, Vice President of Northport, AL-based Northport Electric, the electrical distributor of record for TVAMC.

Randy Davis, Director of Maintenance for the 1 million square-foot facility, wholeheartedly agreed. "The previously-installed lamps definitely cast too much light and would typically turn yellow as they aged," he said. According to Davis, the fixtures also proved to be a high-maintenance concern for his staff. "We always seemed to be replacing the lamps, ballasts, or ignitors in those systems and I just couldn't have my people tied up fixing them all the time."

That summer, following an assessment of their options, Davis elected to upgrade the lighting in the corridor using RAB's "WPLED10," a 10 Watt LED wallpack unit. An attractive-looking and easy-to-install LED fixture that directs light downward for maximum visibility, the RAB LED luminaires provide an ideal quantity and quality of light which support the safe and comfortable passage of both staff and patients through the corridor while reducing energy consumption by an impressive 40 watts per fixture.

"RAB Lighting's 10 Watt LED wallpack fixture was an optimal solution for the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center," confirmed Ross Barna, CEO of the Northvale, New Jersey-based leader in outdoor LED lighting. "In addition to delivering outstanding energy savings of 80% relative to the hospital's previous 50 Watt metal halide technology, the wall-mounted LED fixture incorporates a full cutoff, fully shielded design to ensure that light is delivered precisely where it's needed. In addition, the fixture's durable design and long life will ensure many years of reliable, high-quality operation for the hospital and significantly reduce maintenance costs and concerns for hospital staff, freeing them up to attend to other, more pressing needs and patient-related issues."

Response to the lighting upgrade has been overwhelmingly positive. "RAB's LED fixtures were a perfect fit for what TVAMC was trying to achieve," Northport Electric's Brown said. "Based on the long life of the LED technology, the hospital's maintenance staff will be relieved of the heavy burdens associated with maintaining the previous system. In addition, the RAB LED fixtures will help this government-operated facility meet federal energy efficiency mandates, supporting both the hospital's operational goals as well as the nation's energy conservation and environmental objectives."

Steve Crosthwait, Salesman for Atlanta, GA-based manufacturer's representative Electrical Products, Inc., also praised the upgrade for the comprehensive benefits it offers. "The RAB WPLED10 delivers the right amount of light where you need it, avoiding the harshness and glare associated with the previous system," Crosthwait said. "The fixture's design also has a great aesthetic and is an easy, one-for-one replacement, making installation as smooth as glass."

Perhaps no one is happier, however, than TVAMC Director of Maintenance Randy Davis himself. With no lamp failures since the upgrade was conducted in 2010, Davis reports that "we've been extremely impressed with the RAB fixtures. The color is good, RAB's salespeople are very professional, and their five-year warranty assured us of the product's quality and provided us with the security we needed to make this investment."

So much so that TVAMC has since installed other RAB LEDs - specifically the company's 52 Watt LED Wallpacks - in the facility's Sports Atrium and will be purchasing others for use in their main lobby, which features pendant and recessed lighting fixtures mounted in hard-to-reach 25-foot ceilings. "We'll definitely be installing more RAB LEDs, particularly in difficult-to-maintain areas like atriums and entryways," Davis confirmed.

With a new lighting upgrade strategy that serves its veterans in the highest way possible and helps support the nation's drive for greater energy independence, Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center is well-positioned for a strong and energy-efficient future. Agreed TVAMC's Davis, "so far so good."