MJM Furniture Centre Ltd.
The story
"The energy-efficient lighting we installed at our stores not only provides impressive energy cost savings but also shows our merchandise to greater advantage."
— Jeet Jaswal, President, MJM Furniture Centre Ltd.
The situation
MJM Furniture Centre Ltd. operates retail stores in Surrey, Abbotsford and Coquitlam. Like any smart business operator, MJM is always looking for ways to save on operating costs. So when Ed Mernagh from the distributor West Coast Lighting approached MJM's Jeet Jaswal with information about energy-efficient lighting technologies and incentives, Jeet was interested.
West Coast Lighting is a member of BC Hydro's Power Smart Alliance and Trade Allies, a province-wide network of independent lighting and electrical contractors, mechanical contractors, consulting engineers, and manufacturers and distributors of energy-efficient products who share BC Hydro's commitment to energy savings. Ed told Jeet about BC Hydro's Power Smart Product Incentive Program, which offers incentives on the installation of energy-efficient technologies. When he showed Jeet how replacing incandescent lighting with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) could achieve the same or even better lighting levels with less electricity, MJM decided to go ahead with a lighting upgrade at three stores.
The solution
MJM implemented a lighting retrofit that involved installing:
- 362 CFLs at its Surrey store on 77 Avenue
- 1,390 CFLs at its Coquitlam store
- 510 CFLs at its Surrey store on 77 Avenue under Signature Interiors
Between the Power Smart incentives and the projected energy savings, the project achieved a payback of less than one year.
The benefits
Electricity savings
The three lighting installations are saving a total of 560,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year, worth nearly $28,000 in annual energy savings. Because CFLs last longer, MJM will save an additional $3,400 on maintenance costs each year. MJM will also realize air conditioning savings because lower-wattage lights produce less heat.
Reduced environmental impacts
Lower energy consumption results in reduced greenhouse gas emissions and enhanced environmental protection.
Improved lighting quality
The better colour rendering of the CFLs shows MJM's merchandise to greater advantage. The installation provides more uniform lighting as well as better light output with the same number of bulbs. Customers have remarked on the improved lighting quality in the showrooms.
Contact us
Find out how Power Smart can energize your bottom line. Call us today at 604 522 4713 in the Lower Mainland or 1 866 522 4713 elsewhere in B.C.
Last Modified: Mar 15, 2006
