Lighting installed today may still be in the ceiling in 15 to 20 years, so it pays to think forward to what options may be desired during that time. Including those options into what is bought today may save money and grief tomorrow. Buying only what you need right now for quick savings could instead leave valuable opportunities unfulfilled.
Using type B or C TLEDs is a good preventative maintenance option to avoid future problems and labor costs because they don’t use the existing ballast.
Although TLEDs maintain the look of existing fixtures, LED retrofit kits may instead improve the fixtures and their light distribution, though at a higher total cost per fixture.
New luminaires may offer the greatest energy savings, but at the highest cost. Designed by computers to optimize light output and distribution with the fewest watts, they may also boast noticeably better color rendering if high quality chips are specified.
