LED lighting adds up to big savings for Target
By: Marianne Wilson with CSA
April 4th, 2019
A lighting upgrade has paid off big time for Target Corp., helping it cut costs while also aiding the planet.
Back in 2015, Target kicked off a test at about 100 stores in which it replaced the existing fluorescent light fixtures in its ceilings with LED lights. Flash forward to the present day, more than 2 million LED fixtures are in place across nearly all of Target’s 1,800-plus stores nationwide. The fixtures will also be installed in every new store the chain opens.
The LED lighting has amounted to millions of dollars in cost savings, Target said, and is poised to make a big impact on its energy reduction goals and new climate. The retailer credited the LEDs to reducing the energy required to power it stores by 10% annually. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions reductions, the energy reduction is the equivalent to taking 70,000 cars off the road for the year.
Target plans to expand its use of LEDs. In the next few years, the retailer will install the fixtures in hundreds of its parking lots, stockrooms and other store spaces.
“At Target, we’re committed to using our size and scale to create a better tomorrow, and installing energy-efficient LED lights in stores across the country is another example of following through on that goal,” said John Leisen, Target’s VP of property management. “These lights will save enough energy each year to power a small city, helping leave our planet in better shape for future families.”
The company noted that the lights provide double duty. The LEDs built-in digital technology interacts with the Target app, helping customers who opt-in map their way through the store on a mobile phone.
Target’s LED lighting partner is Acuity Brands.
“We’re proud to have partnered with Target, a true leader in sustainable operations,” said Audey Cash, Acuity Brands Lighting’s senior VP of enterprise technology solutions. “With more than 2 million smart LED fixtures, Target will save an average of 470 million kilowatts of energy each year, helping their stores become even more energy efficient.”