Most of us think only a little about how light affects our environment. If we do, we simply switch on a light here or there and change bulbs occasionally as needed. The designers of the ilani casino, however, took this process several steps further. They faced highly complex interior lighting issues covering thousands of square feet of gaming areas, restaurants, lounges, bars, retail space and a large meeting room.
“We wanted a first-class facility that mixed outside light coming in the windows with the internal lighting to make its tone as close to natural as possible for our guests,” said Kara Fox-LaRose, president and general manager of the casino. Illumination from LEDs approaches natural light tones.
From the beginning, the gaming architects at the Friedmutter Group planned energy-saving LED fixtures in the nearly 370,000-square-foot building and in the vast parking lot.
LED lighting fits the Cowlitz Tribe’s emphasis on sustainability and conservation of resources, explained Fox-Larose. So, in tandem, Swinterton Builders, the general contractor, Clark Public Utilities and the tribe worked to explore lighting efficiency options.
The contractor completed the exterior portions of the building and the parking area, so the lighting work started there, according to Fox-LaRose. Bill Hibbs, Clark Public Utilities commercial programs manager, said the parking lot lighting project resulted in 504,806 kWh in annual energy savings over typical high-intensity discharge lighting. Cobra head street lights, like those in residential neighborhoods, brighten the parking areas and help visitors stay safe. The utility estimates the casino will see a simple payback on their parking lot investment in about a year and a half.
Inside, Fox-LaRose said the casino uses 75 different styles of LED bulbs to accent natural light and Hibbs believes it to be the biggest new construction project the utility has done. “It contains thousands of LED bulbs,” he said.
The assortment of many styles and fixture locations made the interior lighting installation a complex project that had to be managed carefully. Each of the various niches and spaces inside the casino needed to balance natural lighting and LED light.
“LEDs’ natural light tones and broad-spectrum of illumination provide better lighting,” said Fox-LaRose. “They meet our goal to provide as much near-natural light as possible to give an inviting feeling of warmth inside.”
Another benefit of LEDs for the casino is their durability. Hibbs noted that LEDs are highly reliable and their failure rate is less than one percent on commercial lighting projects. As Fox-LaRose pointed out, the Cowlitz Tribe views this as compatible with its conservation values. Long-lived LEDs also yield an added economic benefit for the casino because they reduce replacement and maintenance costs.
Replacing chandeliers, lights high above the game floor, and other hard to reach fixtures requires the rental of special hoists and other equipment to swap burned out bulbs for new ones. So, a 24-7 facility like the ilani casino can decrease equipment rental and maintenance disruptions by pushing equipment expenses out for years with LEDs that can last for a decade or longer. Factoring in the lower replacement costs and the much lower energy usage, the casino will achieve a simple payback in just under four years on its interior lighting based on the utility’s formula, Hibbs noted.
In addition to very large facilities like ilani, the utility offers lighting upgrade incentives for small commercial businesses and industrial companies. Business owners or facility managers can contact Hibbs at bhibbs@clarkpud.com to learn more.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98688.
