For further Information contact:
Dave Cary, Communication Specialist
Orion Energy Systems Inc
(920) 892-5804
dcary@oriones.com
Keith Eismann, vice-president
Karl’s Event Rental, Inc.
7000 S. 10th St.
Milwaukee WI
(414) 831-7069
(800) 383-6332
keithe@karls.com
Changing lighting can sometimes make a startling difference.
Karl’s Event rental, Oak Creek WI, retrofitted 56 465-watt Metal halide fixtures recently, replacing them with the same number of 112-watt four-tube T8 fluorescent fixtures from Orion Energy Services of Plymouth. As a result, the power Karl’s uses for lighting fell from 110,358 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year to only 26,581, a rather startling drop of 77 percent. Karl’s lighting costs dropped commensurately.
What is environmental about this? Power saved is power that does not have to be generated at all — and pollutants that would have been produced by generating that power no longer enter the atmosphere.
In this case, Karl’s 83,777 kWh saving will mean that each year some 82 tons of CO2, 22 tons of carbon, four-tenths tons of sulfur dioxide and two-tenths tons of nitrogen oxides — all pollutants — will not enter the atmosphere.
Stated another way, the reduction is the air-scrubbing equivalent of removing 14 cars permanently from the road or creating a 15-acre forest. It is also the conservation equivalent of saving 6,916 gallons of gasoline each year.
“Karl’s is an environmentally-conscious company and we are honored to accept this award,” said Karl’s Event Rental vice president Keith Eismann.
Eismann said the retrofit project came about when Karl’s was looking at energy costs.
“Our Owner knew a person who had recommended Orion to us. We called in a sales representative and after looking at everything it made sense so we went ahead.”
“The lights have been received very well,” Eismann added. “I looked at the electric bills closely when they first went in — I don’t look at them all the time since, of course — and saw we were, in fact saving significantly. We were doing it then and I’m sure we’re doing it now.”
“We’ve been very happy with the Orion lights — here and there a bulb or ballast burns out, but you expect that. Our employees like them too — not that they get real excited about lights. I think where they noticed and appreciate it the most is in a wash bay, where we have a 45-foot ceiling,” Eismann concluded.
“We like to see companies reduce their energy costs and usage with our products and systems,” commented Orion president Neal Verfuerth. “It’s not only good for their bottom lines and the environment, but every bit of demand taken off the power grid tends to reduce upward pressure on electric rates — and energy costs are an issue we’ll all be facing for years to come.”
“The best part is that Karl’s Event Rental didn’t have to give anything up to get all this — they actually have better light with far less costs and in an environmentally friendly manner. That’s a noteworthy achievement and we congratulate them on it.”
Ranked by Special Events Magazine as one of the nation’s top rental companies, Karl’s Event Rental has made its mark as an industry leader through its dedication to quality customer service, prompt delivery and attention to detail. One of the nation’s largest event rental companies, Karl’s clients range from Fortune 500 companies to non-profit organizations and include Lincoln/Mercury, Sony, the National Football League, Major League Baseball and the White House. Specializing in corporate events, weddings, exposition/trade shows and private parties, Karl’s experienced team of event planners offer turnkey solutions and hassle-free results for events of all shapes and sizes. Karl’s maintains a c complete range of tents, awnings, tables, chairs, dinnerware and decorative items. Last September, more than 20 Karl’s employees, along with 25 semi-trailer trucks left with construction materials to build six tent cities in New Orleans and Hattiesburg, MS in the wake of hurricane Katrina devastation. Visit Karl’s website at http://www.karls.com/
Located in Plymouth, WI, Orion Energy Services has been innovating in the energy and lighting business since 1996. Orion’s innovative Illuminator ® fixture, an energy-efficient lighting platform for industrial applications, has been awarded a series of 14 patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Additionally, Orion has applied for numerous other patents related to metering and control technologies for lighting.
Neal Verfuerth, Orion President, received one of Wisconsin’s most prestigious awards, the Ernst & Young 2004 Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year.
Orion provides capacity displacement solutions for supply side management, transmission management, and demand side management for the electricity industry. Visit the Orion website at http://www.oriones.com/.
