Stanford University selects Apache Tech LED's for a energy efficient solution to illuminate their extensive greenhouse facility

Top Quote Apache Tech LED arrays were originally developed for NASA/Ames Research Center to provide a high output yet uniform light distribution pattern for their research. Stanford University has purchased and installed these Apache Tech LEDs for those reasons and decrease their energy consumption, annual maintenance and hazardous waste disposal costs. End Quote
  • San Jose, CA (1888PressRelease) September 20, 2011 - Stanford University purchases and installs Apache Tech LED arrays to retrofit their entire greenhouse complex in an effort to make the greenhouse facility "green". In February of 2011, Stanford University conducted a series of trials to determine if LED technology had finally developed enough to provide bright enough light source to replace the energy expensive HID lighting. In August of 2011, Stanford University chose Apache Tech Inc., to replace all the supplemental lighting in their extensive greenhouse complex. In September, Apache Tech delivered and installed well over 100 LED arrays to complete Phase 1 of the installation.

    Stanford University greenhouses go "green". The university has a long standing effort to use the most energy efficient and sustainable technologies that are feasible. The greenhouse facility and other departments at the university have resisted the move into LED technologies because they did not provide the researchers the quality and intensity of light that was required. While many departments within the university want to go "green", they and the research they are conducting can't afford to sacrifice quality of the light.

    While LED lighting technology has been around for decades, the intensity and quality of the light has been lacking until now. Apache Tech has finally delivered a "green" LED light source that provides the researchers the quantity and quality of light they need and provides the university with the energy and resource savings that they are interested in.

    Traditional lighting sources (HID's (Metal Halides and High Pressure Sodium), and fluorescent) are incredibly costly to operate, contain numerous toxic compounds and/or require frequent replacement. Apache Tech LEDs arrays offer the unique advantage of producing light intensities that rival traditional 600W HID light sources while consuming approximately 80% less energy, have no toxic compounds and don't require annual bulb replacement.

    The standard operating temperature of the Apache Tech array is approximately 90 F (32 C), whereas HID lamps generally operate around 600 F (315 C), which presents not only a working hazard, but a tremendous amount of waste heat that needs to be removed from an environment. Additionally, LED chips are a solid state product and don't use toxic compounds like mercury, which is becoming a serious consideration in landfill's.

    LED chips are rated to last for at least 50,000 hours, whereas HID lights can be rated for as little as 14,000 hours to as much as 20,000 hours. Generally speaking, most traditional lighting sources (HID and fluorescent) need to have the bulb replaced annually, whereas, the Apache Tech chip will last for a minimum of five and in most case significantly longer, before the chips need replacement. This significantly decreases the annual maintenance costs for the user.

    Stanford University determined that, in their case, they could see a ROI (Return on Investment) in 1 1/2 years. This is accomplished by the electrical savings for the lights, decreased cooling costs, decreased annual maintenance, and decreased hazardous waste disposal costs.

    Phase 2 of the Stanford Greenhouse retrofit project is now underway.

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