Case Study on Sign Lighting Retrofits

with Venbrite LEDs

Incremental Business Opportunity for
Electrical Contractors









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Introduction

Sign retrofits with LEDs are a relatively new phenomenon, several years behind the lighting
retrofits that have flourished over the past decade. The sign industry has not aggressively
addressed the market potential, leaving customers to spend their hard earned dollars on
excessive energy and maintenance bills. Service companies outside the sign industry have been
reluctant to approach signage, even when they are on site performing various other lighting
retrofits. Signs are considered complex or hard to service, and very often require expensive
equipment to service. These are exactly the reasons that they make the perfect retrofit target
for electrical contractors.

There are approximately 1,062,942 retail establishments in the United States, according to the
2011 US Census. Included in this list (NAICS code 44-45) are gas stations, grocery stores,
clothing stores, hardware stores and pharmacies, to name a few. In addition, there are more
than 800,000 banking, finance, insurance and real estate establishments (NAICS code 52-53)
and nearly 650,000 hotels and motels (NAICS code 72). If the old saying holds true, Signs
Drive Business, each and every one of these establishments is adorned with at least one
illuminated sign, with many including more than one sign.

A typical street corner gas station will have as many as 7 different illuminated signs. Channel
letter branding, pylon or pole sign branding and pricing signs typically make up the sign type mix
per location. Similar sign combinations are found at stand-alone restaurants, banks and retail
stores; strip mall establishments will most commonly have only one sign. These outdoor light
fixtures present a unique opportunity to add revenue to projects for which retrofit work is
already being proposed or planned for completion.

A recent retrofit of the signs at a Shell gas station in Stratford, CT, netted an annual reduction
in energy for the business owner of just over 29,000 kWh per year, while generating sign
retrofit revenues for the electrical contractor of over $30,000 for this single location. This
dollarized gas station example represents an average to above average retrofit opportunity.

Sign Lighting Retrofit Objectives

The success of any retrofit revolves around the energy savings delivered to the business owners
plus the confidence that the system will deliver as promised. A key success factor is the Return
on Investment (ROI), typically measured in years. Once inside a sign cabinet or channel letter,
you are simply dealing with another light fixture. Typically illuminated with neon or
fluorescent lamps, the energy savings potential for these retrofits will range
from 60%-90% of their current consumption. Customer confidence
levels can be enhanced by the selection of an LED Sign Lighting
System that is UL Classified for retrofits. Many systems are not. In
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the sign business, UL is king, and a UL classification for LED retrofits is critical.

The key elements to a successful sign retrofit that delivers a satisfactory ROI are:

1. Proper Illumination
2. Energy savings
3. Maintenance expense reduction
4. Retrofit Cost

1. Proper Illumination

Not all LED Sign Lighting Systems are created equal. If energy reduction is the main objective of
a retrofit, the true measure of an LED Sign Lighting Systems energy efficiency is System Efficacy,
measured in lumens per watt. The lumen output of an LED Sign Lighting System dictates the
brightness of the sign face. If the sign isnt guaranteed to be brighter than it was before the
retrofit, the business owner is not likely to sign off on the project.

LED Sign Lighting Systems are sold by the module or the foot, with the individual LED chips
encased in or mounted to a module. The modules are connected to each other by a wire or
wires and the final product is supplied in flexible strings. The strings are cut to length and
mounted inside the sign cabinet, typically by
two-sided tape or mechanical fasteners (screws
or rivets), and are designed for simple cut and
splice adjustments in the field.

To insure that proper sign face illumination is
achieved, LED Sign Lighting System manufac-
turers typically provide module layouts to sign
service companies at no charge, based on
information provided to them about the
existing sign lighting system. When available,
the existing sign lighting data provides the
information necessary for the LED Sign Lighting
System manufacturer to provide a layout that is
most likely to deliver proper illumination. The
position of each module in the string is
provided, typically along with energy
consumption and power supply requirements.
While individual sign characteristics can vary dramatically causing some field adjustments to be
necessary, when followed accurately, these layouts should deliver proper illumination. If not,
field modifications are easily accomplished by cutting the strings and adding or subtracting
modules so the illumination delivered provides the desired results.
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2. Energy Savings

The second piece of the retrofit puzzle is maximizing energy reduction while insuring proper
illumination. The System Efficacies of LED Sign Lighting Systems will quickly reveal the system
that consumes the least energy for each lumen produced. It is critical in a true comparison of
the performance of any two LED Sign Lighting Systems to compare System Efficacies, not just
String Efficacy. The difference in the two lies in the energy consumption of the power supplies
themselves, with String Efficacy measuring only the
energy consumed by the LED string, and System
Efficacy measuring the consumption of the LED string
plus the power supply. The energy consumption
variance between the string and system efficacy can be
as much as 20%, depending on the efficiency of the
power supplies used. Many LED Sign Lighting System
manufacturers do not publish their System Efficacy, so
some calculations may be required to perform a fair
comparison.

Energy consumption, lumen output, color consistency
and longevity are the most critical performance
characteristics to sign owners. Simply reducing the
energy consumed will not satisfy a customer if their
sign doesnt look right. However, assuming all other
things are equal, energy reduction is the main objective
of a sign retrofit. Typical energy savings varies based
on the type of illumination being replaced, as follows:

Neon-to-LED sign retrofits 60%-90% savings to deliver equal or improved illumination
Fluorescent-to-LED sign retrofits 50-75% savings to deliver equal or improved
illumination
LED-to-LED retrofits 30%-50% savings to deliver equal or improved illumination
HID-to-LED fixture retrofits 60%-80% savings to deliver equal or improved
illumination

3. Maintenance Expense Reduction

While energy reduction is the objective the power companies are looking to achieve, business
owners may be more interested in the maintenance cost reductions they will realize with an
LED retrofit. The older a sign is, the more likely the business owner is to be paying for more
and more frequent service calls to keep the sign properly illuminated. As LED technologies have
improved, maintenance calls are virtually eliminated from the business owners budget with a
reliable LED retrofit.
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Since their introduction into the sign industry, LEDs have promised sign owners maintenance-
free performance along with energy conservation. Early LED Sign Lighting Systems did not
always deliver on that promise. Dramatic improvements in LED technology have increased
reliability, longevity, and ultimately, maintenance costs.

In any lighting system, the driving device, whether it be a ballast, transformer or power supply,
has typically been the most common failure point. With LED systems, this is also the case. LED
strings with properly designed heat sinking have proven over recent years to perform as
promised. The vast majority of LED Sign Lighting System service calls result from issues with
the power supply. LED power supplies fail for various reasons, including exposure to excessive
heat, power surges and lightning strikes. Regardless of the
cause, LED power supply manufacturer warranties typically
cover only the cost of the part, leaving the business owner or
service company to pay for the labor to fix a failed power
supply. For this reason, mounting the power supply in an
easily accessible location is a significant advantage.

Electrical contractors can provide their customers peace of
mind by moving the power supplies out of the sign to a
remote location with easy access. This dramatically reduces
the potential for costly service calls in the future. Future
service calls, if needed, can now be made by one technician in
a pickup truck rather than a crew with cranes. Sign owners
with any track record of service calls on their signs will
immediately appreciate the implications of relocating the
power supplies. Combine remote mounted power supplies with module lifetime projections in
excess of 100,000 hours, and it is easy to show how an LED sign retrofit can virtually eliminate
maintenance costs for years to come.

4. Retrofit Cost

Any ROI analysis starts with the upfront cost of the retrofit. The cost will be calculated as the
sum of material costs plus labor costs plus equipment rental. The most unique aspect about sign
retrofits is access to the sign. Once inside, the retrofit is barely different than any other light
fixture. For electrical contractors not familiar with signage, the most common retrofitable
illumination sources in signs are neon and fluorescent lamps.

A. Neon Sign Retrofits
If not familiar with neon, retrofits can range from very simple to fairly complex.
Typically, a site survey is recommended to get a solid lay of the land, both literally and
figuratively. It is critical in the project estimating process to accurately account for the
work to be done. Selecting the most appropriate and cost effective UL Classified LED
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Sign Lighting Retrofit System will
also dramatically affect your labor
and materials costs. Identify systems
that will make for the simplest
retrofit of the existing illumination
source to minimize material and
labor costs. Neon signs are wired in
series, so a series wired LED system
will allow for reuse of existing
wiring, and therefore the fastest and
easiest retrofit.

B. Fluorescent Sign Retrofits
Fluorescent lamp replacements are not much different for signs than for typical light
fixtures. Using an LED system that is UL Classified for retrofits will insure ongoing
compliance with NEC and local codes. Fluorescent ballasts are virtually always located in
the sign cabinet. If remote mounting the LED power supplies from the cabinet is
desirable, using the conduit for the main power running to the ballasts in the sign, if
possible, is the simplest and least expensive method to remote mount the LED power
supplies.

C. Power Company Incentives
Power company rebates are available to help cover the cost of sign lighting retrofits in
most parts of the United States. Power companies vary in their recognition of signage as
a potential source of energy reduction, but even if the power company doesnt have a
specific program for signage, they typically authorize rebates based simply on the
kilowatt hours saved with the retrofit. Even the smallest energy rebates available can pay
for between 50% of the materials cost to 75% of the total cost of a sign lighting retrofit.
Maximize rebate dollars with LED Sign Lighting Systems that offer maximum System
Efficacy, delivering the highest lumen output per watt consumed.

Material cost for an LED sign lighting retrofit will be provided by the LED manufacturers in the
form of a Bill of Materials generated by the layout they provide for the sign to be retrofitted.
Whether you are replacing neon or fluorescent lamps, a layout from the LED manufacturer is
highly recommended. For maximum labor efficiency, a minimum of a two man crew is
recommended for most sign retrofits. Topography and accessibility to a sign can vary
dramatically, and will dictate the size of the crew and the equipment needed, and therefore a
good part of the cost of the job. The larger the sign, the more critical an accurate site survey
will be to give the LED manufacturer the data they need to provide and accurate layout, and to
determine appropriate labor and equipment requirements.

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Electrical
Contractor
Revenue
Opportunities
HVAC
Outdoor
Lighting
Sign
Lighting?
??
Indoor
Lighting
Refrigeration
As previously mentioned, it is becoming more popular to remove the illumination power
source from sign cabinets and remote mount them for easy access in the future. This can also
simplify the installation process. However, certain LED systems are much less expensive and
easier with which to work than others, from a labor and materials standpoint. Power supply
driving distances, wire gauge requirements and wiring accessory requirements can limit the
viability of the work required or dramatically increase the labor and materials costs. Research
the specifications of the various LEDs that are available on the market and select the system
that best suits the specific application to minimize time and materials costs.

Summary

Sign lighting retrofits are a huge,
virtually untapped market that is
just starting to be realized.
Unlike many other types of
retrofits, the sign lighting
retrofit industry is only now
ramping up, with millions of
existing signs with inefficient and
costly to maintain illumination sources
still waiting for retrofits. Adding
signage to any locations retrofit
work is financially sensible. With
travel costs already covered, only
the additional time on site and material costs will need to be factored into existing retrofit
project costs to maximize both profits and rebate dollars. With a little research, information
and experience, sign lighting retrofits will add valuable revenue and profits to the electrical
contractor industry for years to come.












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Ventex Technologys LED Sign Retrofit Solution

Since 1993, Ventex Technology, Inc. has been the industry leader in sign lighting technology.
The innovations introduced with our electronic neon power supplies have saved hundreds of
millions of dollars in energy and maintenance costs over the years. As with our approach to
driving neon, Ventex has again revolutionized sign lighting with its patented Venbrite LED Sign
Lighting System.

The industry standard Class 2 LED Sign Lighting Systems were developed using power supply
technology that was intended for uses other than sign lighting. LED Sign Lighting Systems were
then engineered to work using this power supply technology, despite the numerous limitations
and shortcomings. Although certainly more energy efficient than their neon and fluorescent
predecessors, Class 2 LED Sign Lighting Systems do not deliver the most effective or efficient
use of LEDs for the illumination of signage.

LEDs are current rated devices. They are specified, manufactured and sold based on their
current ratings. They require constant current to illuminate evenly and properly throughout the
string, insuring that the left end of a sign is the
same brightness as the right end.
Furthermore, flexibility is required to use as
many or as few LEDs as necessary to properly
illuminate any given sign. The power supply
must therefore be able to drive one LED to
dot an i, up to as many LEDs as the power
supply is designed to handle at full load.

Delivering constant current throughout an
LED string using constant voltage, variable
current Class 2 power supplies is highly
inefficient. Each module in the string requires
circuitry to regulate the excessive current
being delivered to the module by the power
supply. With Class 2 LED power supplies producing variable current output, typically
maximizing at 5 amps (5000 milliamps), and LED chips used in LED Sign Lighting Systems having
current capacities between 100mA and 400mA, the module based circuitry is substantial. This
circuitry consumes energy, and as a byproduct, generates heat.

Ventex developed the sign industrys only series wired, low current, constant current LED
system. In doing so, we eliminated the system losses and energy-consuming, heat-generating
electronic components that our competitors must include in each and every LED module to
regulate the current from their constant voltage Class 2 power supplies. Additionally, the
energy losses from a two stage Class 2 power supply are double that of our single stage power
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supply. Lastly, our series wired solution enables the fastest, simplest, least costly LED retrofits
on the sign market. The end result is the sign industrys only solution for neon-to-LED and
fluorescent-to-LED retrofit systems Rapid Retrofit by Ventex.

Venbrite Meets All LED Retrofit Objectives

A. Proper Illumination
Ventex has been helping sign manufacturers and service companies insure proper
illumination in signs for more than 20 years. Our expert sales team and layout
technicians produce the sign industrys most comprehensive and consistent LED layouts.
Typical turnaround times for layouts are 48 hours. Fast, detailed and accurate layouts
help reduce material costing errors, minimize installation time and insure proper
illumination.

B. Energy Savings
The Venbrite LED Sign Lighting System is the most energy efficient in the sign industry.
Delivering up to 144 lumens per watt, no other system comes close. In fact, because of
the inefficiencies of Class 2 LED systems, no Class 2 LED ever will. Venbrites low
current output and simple module design maximizes energy bill reduction and Energy
Company rebates. See Appendix A for a comparison to leading LED Sign Lighting
Systems.

C. Maintenance Expense Reduction
Venbrite offers unsurpassed driving distances from a remote mounted power supply to
the LEDs. Using 18 awg gauge wire, Venbrite power supplies are the only power
supplies in the industry that can accommodate up to 175 feet, enabling placement of
power supplies in easy-to-reach locations at a minimum of cost.

D. Retrofit Cost
Whether neon or fluorescent, Rapid Retrofits with the Venbrite LED Sign Lighting
System deliver the lowest cost retrofit options in the sign industry. Our UL Classified
Rapid Retrofit systems have been
designed with the installer in mind. Keep
it simple. Make it flexible. Make it
profitable.

1. Neon Sign Retrofits were the first application our engineering team had in mind
when designing Venbrite products. Series wired to allow for the use of existing sign
wiring and conduit, no other LED Sign Lighting System retrofits as fast as Venbrite.
Why do you think we call it Rapid Retrofit?

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2. Snap Stick is a simple, field cut extrusion into which our Venbrite modules slide
quickly and easily. No fastening of modules required, just slide them into the
extrusion and snap the extrusion into our easy mount Snap Clips. Because we utilize
our standard LED strings with the Snap Stick, all the advantages of the Venbrite LED
Sign Lighting System are realized, and lamp changes are a thing of the past.

UL Classified Venbrite LED retrofits. The simplest, most energy efficient, cost effective, user
friendly, LED retrofit system in the Sign Industry. Another arrow in every electrical contractors
quiver. See Appendix B for a case study of a typical LED Sign Retrofit and the ROI model.

































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Case Study Lordship Shell, Stratford, CT

The Lordship Shell gas station in Stratford, CT was
looking to refresh their image and reduce their electric
bills. They were open 24 hours per day, and their indoor,
outdoor and sign lighting were showing their age. They
selected Efficient Lighting and Maintenance of nearby
Brookfield, CT to perform the retrofit work.

Tom Phillips, owner of Efficient Lighting and Maintenance,
has made a living in the retrofit market for more than 14
years. We got into energy conservation around 14 years
ago, before it became popular. said Mr. Phillips. With this
project, he knew they could execute a job of this large
scale and maintain their energy conservation focus.
Because EL&M is an approved vendor for the SBEA (Small
Business Energy Advantage Program), he also knew there
would be significant rebates involved in this massive
facelift. The SBEA is funded through Connecticuts Energy
Conservation and Load Management Fund, which provides incentives and turnkey services for
energy conservation projects for small businesses. As an approved vendor, Efficient Lighting &
Maintenance would be able to apply those incentives to the Lordship Shell project to help offset
the upfront costs.

EL&M had used GE and Sloan LED products in the past to perform sign lighting retrofits, but
had recently learned of the Venbrite Rapid Retrofit system for sign lighting. Familiar with
Ventex products from years of use of the Generation III Electronic Neon Power Supply
product line, the system advantages of the Venbrite product line intrigued Mr. Phillips enough
to request and evaluate samples for this project. Following their hands-on review, they chose
Venbrite. Since EL&M and the SBEA Program focus primarily on energy conservation, the Rapid
Retrofit system was a logical choice, given the performance of the Venbrite system.

The Venbrite Difference

The Venbrite LED Sign Lighting system is the most energy efficient system in the LED sign
lighting industry. It has the highest light output per energy consumed (System Efficacy) of any
LED Sign Lighting System. Quite simply, the energy efficiency is unparalleled.

Industry standard Class 2 LED systems rely on power supply technology designed for uses
other than sign lighting. The LED strings were then engineered to work using this existing
technology, despite numerous limitations and shortcomings. The Engineering team at Ventex
developed a better and more efficient way to power LEDs.

Every other LED manufacturer uses constant voltage, variable current Class 2 power supplies
to drive their LEDs. To accommodate the varying loads required in the sign manufacturing
process, excessive output current, up to 5 amps or 5000 mA (milliamps), is required with a 12
volt constant voltage system. The problem is that the LED chips used in Class 2 LED Sign
Lighting Systems can only handle between 100 and 400 mA. Out of necessity, the excess
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current is regulated using energy consuming, heat generating electronic components in each and
every module.

Ventex saw an opportunity to improve on the Class 2 design, and repurposed our energy
efficient electronic neon power supply technology to develop Venbrite, our patented, series
wired, constant current LED Sign Lighting System. The performance of the Venbrite LED Sign
Lighting System is extraordinary:

Highest Lumen per Watt output of any LED system on the market
Only one powered component per module - the LED chip
LED junction temperature 50 C lower than all competitors Class 2 systems
Power supplies can be remote mounted up to 175' feet using #18AWG wire
Evenly illuminates up to 8 wide cans with a single stroke, reducing module counts and
material costs
Single wire design simplifies and expedite installation, reducing labor costs
Series wired, just like neon, for fast easy neon retrofits
UL Classified for neon to LED retrofits using existing GTO and conduit

Efficient Lighting &
Maintenance Delivers
Results with Venbrite LEDs

Through proper product selection
and careful installation efforts,
Efficient Lighting & Maintenance was
able to reduce the power bill for the
Lordship Shell station by 47,090
kWh per year, resulting in an annual
cash flow savings of $7349.00. By
taking advantage of the energy
incentives available through the SBEA
Program in Connecticut, Lordship
Shell was the grateful recipient of
$18,658 in rebates, representing 36% of the cost of the entire retrofit, and the resulting Return
on Investment (ROI) was more than satisfactory.

Pre-retrofit lighting levels and uniformity varied noticeably due to intermittent outages from
aged neon, fluorescent lamps, transformers and ballasts. The resulting illumination failed to
produce the branding image that Lordship Shell desired. New illumination at the Lordship Shell
station now projects a more professional and attractive brand image.

Tom Phillips of Efficient Lighting & Maintenance summed up the project, stating, We are
energy driven, first and foremost. We view our role as a function of customer service - we save
customer money and make them aware of the rebates that are out there, and what they qualify
for. Cost reductions and image enhancement, Ventex and Efficient Lighting & Maintenance
delivered both in a big way.


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Appendix A









































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Appendix B