PECO Commercial and Industrial Solutions
Case Study – Automobile Dealership
Murray Kia’s Efficient New Lighting Drives Down Energy Costs
Total Project Energy Savings
- $7,000 (Annual)
- 100,000 kWh
Incentives Paid
- $6,997
Ten-Year Savings
- $70,000
When Dave Murray, president at Murray Kia in Conshohocken, decided it was time to remodel his automobile dealership, he knew he needed to shine some light on a few costly issues during the renovation.
“One was our high energy bills,” he said. “Another was the quality of our lighting. We were burning so much wattage, yet we didn’t have enough light. There were times when you’d be looking at a blue car and think it was black! We definitely needed to brighten up the dealership.”
During a nearly yearlong showroom renovation that included installing all new electrical wiring, Murray set out to overhaul the lighting throughout his five-car showroom and 350-car parking lot. He hired an electrician and enlisted the help of Dick Karton, a trade ally supporting PECO’s Commercial and Industrial Solutions.
Previously, Karton, president of Retrolite Corporation of America, had helped Murray update the lighting fixtures in the waiting room in the auto dealership’s service department.
“Dick worked well with my electrician to find the right lights for my business,” said Murray. “For this project, I didn’t really have to do anything. He took care of it for me. He was very helpful in getting me what I had to sign to take advantage of the PECO incentives. He was outstanding.”
The lighting upgrade project at Murray Kia included replacing outdated metal halide fixtures with dual-head LED floodlights on 13 light poles outside and switching incandescent floodlights to R-40 LEDs inside.
“We were able to provide Murray with bright, even lighting and still make a big reduction to energy usage and necessary maintenance,” said Karton.
Murray said the upgrades have shown instant benefits, including light quality, safety and savings. “It just makes the whole place look great! Customers can find what they need, and my electric costs are a whole lot less.”
In fact, Murray was so happy with the project, he contacted PECO for help making energy-saving upgrades at his son’s home.
Total Project Energy Savings (Annual)
100,000 kWh electricity saved equals…
1,929
trees planted**
OR
8,374 gallons of gasoline saved**
OR
182,406
miles driven**
Ten-Year Energy Savings
$70,000, which equals…
Over 1,500 oil changes†
OR
Over 11,000
car washes††
It was great working with PECO and its trade ally, who made sure everything was done perfectly. I got everything and more that I wanted in this project. It could have been very expensive, but PECO helped me do it!”
—Dave Murray, President
Murray Kia
