CONKLIN, NY — Energy expended for lighting has plummeted at the headquarters of broadline distributor Maines Paper & Food Service following a retrofit with an advanced system from Digital Lumens.

Maines is a privately held $3 billion company that provides food, equipment and serviceware to prepare and present it, and products to clean it up. In addition to restaurants, Maines' clients range from convenience stores to country clubs and include institutions such as healthcare facilities and schools.

The firm converted the lighting in its 460,000-square-foot headquarters in Conklin to a Digital Lumens Intelligent Lighting System about 60 days ago and is already realizing hefty savings, said Digital Lumens President and CEO Tom Pincince.

The two companies today announced the installation of the system that is expected to deliver savings of 1,726,108 kWh per year and avoid 1,240 metrics tons of CO2 over the course of a year.

The technology developed by Digital Lumens weds LEDs, networking and software into a single, integrated system.

At the heart of the company’s Intelligent Lighting System, hailed as a game-changer when it was introduced to the market this past March, is an intelligent lighting engine (pictured below right), which is an LED-based luminaire with three light bars that can be aimed and has, in effect, an onboard computer with an integrated occupancy sensor, a kWh odometer and wireless mesh networking capabilities.

The units form a smart light grid and can be controlled systemwide as well as by individual fixture: They respond to variables -- such as "messages" about occupancy, available daylight and need for mutual support -- in the area in which they are mounted and to parameters set by the business -- such as different light levels for various times of day and zone-specific lighting that’s pegged to the activities and functions of each sector.

Working with energy efficiency consulting firm Groom Energy, Maines tested several lighting solutions and selected Digital Lumens’ product to replace highbay fixtures on a 1-to-1 basis in warehouse space at company headquarters.