Inland Star: Receives Environmental Stewardship Award

Contact: Paul Chamberlain, Energy Protection Systems, 559-906-7285, Chris Rinehart, Inland Star Distribution Centers, Inc., 559-237-2052, Steve Heins, Orion Energy Systems, 920-892-5800.

Energy Efficient Lighting Project Saves 6.6 Million kWh

March 29, 2006. Fresno, CA. Inland Star Distribution Centers, Inc. was honored for the significant environmental impact of the recent energy efficient lighting project in their 535,000 sq. ft. warehouse facility, which saves 330,000 kWh annually or 6.6 million over the sustainable lifetime of the Orion Energy Systems’ light fixtures provided locally by Energy Protection Systems. In addition, the project displaces 116 Kilowatts, which is the equivalent of providing electricity to 116 homes. The project reduced Inland Star’s electrical consumption by more than 57%, while increasing the light levels more than 87%.

Over the sustainable lifetime of the project, the Inland Star energy efficiency project will yield an environmental impact that is the equivalent of removing 935 cars from the road or saving 546,084 gallons of gasoline or saving 13,002 barrels of oil. The actual environmental impact for the project is a reduction of emissions that include 6,435 tons of carbon dioxide, 1,755 tons of carbon, 28.0 tons of sulfur dioxide and 13.5 tons of nitrogen oxide, according to the EPA formula.

By installing Orion’s patented fixture using 221 watts of electricity instead of the metal halide fixtures using 465 watts, Inland Star expects a 18-month payback on the new energy efficient lighting system. Inland star was able to receive technical assistance and financial incentives from PG&E covering nearly 50% of the cost of the light fixtures. According to Chris Rinehart Executive VP and COO of Inland Star, “It should be noted that Paul Chamberlain, of Energy Protection Systems of Fresno, provided superior service and guidance throughout this whole project including help with filing for the PG&E rebate.”

“We are honored to receive this Environmental Stewardship Award for saving money and improving the environment which is especially important in California’s highly competitive business climate,” continued Chris Rinehart. “The old metal halide lighting had a yellowish light which does not hold a candle to the Orion fixtures. Anecdotally, our employees have given the new lighting fixtures their broad approval, plus a new customer even told me lately that “this is the cleanest and best lit warehouse I have ever seen.”

In the last year alone, Orion lighting systems helped customers save more than $37 million, 75 megawatts and 600 million kilowatt hours (kWh). Based on EPA estimates, Orion’s current installations remove 11.7 million tons of greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide) from the atmosphere over the lifetime of the fixture and will remove 3.2 million tons of carbon. Other savings include the removal of 50,880 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), which affects acid rain, 24,540 tons of nitrous oxide (NOX), which is another greenhouse gas, and 444 pounds of mercury. This reduction in electricity usage is the environmental equivalent of removing 1.7 million cars from the road, saving 99.9 million gallons of gas or 23.6 million barrels of oil.

“The sustainable savings of electrical consumption by Inland Star should serve as a blueprint for all Fresno and California facilities,” stated Paul Chamberlain, of Energy Protection Systems of Fresno and a regional dealer for Orion Energy Systems of Plymouth, WI. “By presenting Inland Star with the Environmental Stewardship Award, we wanted to highlight the fact that this energy efficient lighting project had many beneficiaries including: Inland Star’s profitability, improving productivity, the environment, Fresno’s economic development, and, finally, Inland Star’s employees because of the full spectrum lighting.”