CASE STUDY / GATEWAY COMMERCE CENTER
500,000 Square-Foot Distribution Center Installs 100 Percent
LEDs and Reaps Benefits
DETAILS
Project:
Gateway Commerce Center, Reno, Nev
Project Size:
524,800 square-feet Lighting Specifier:
JP Engineering
​Lighting Manufacturers:
Lithonia Lighting®, Acuity Controls
Products:
I-BEAM® IBL high bays, Reality LED
downlights, RTLED recessed luminaires,
D-Series size 2 area luminaires
www.acuitybrands.com
The Challenge
In 2013, SJS Commercial Real Estate
began developing a new 524,800
square-foot distribution center in Reno,
Nevada. It had unique design challenges
to address and specific sustainability goals
in mind for the new Gateway Commerce
Center. One goal was a complete
campus-wide industrial lighting solution to
illuminate warehouse, office and outdoor
parking areas and walkways. The solution
needed to offer nighttime visibility
and safety while reducing energy and
maintenance costs.
With the goal of achieving LEED Gold
certification, SJS Commercial Real Estate
partnered with JP Engineering and Jensen
Electric to discover a solution to maximize
daylight harvesting while providing cool,
crisp lighting for a comfortable work
environment. SJS wanted to reduce the
development’s carbon footprint as well as
any tenant’s utility and maintenance costs.
There were a number of challenges that
needed to be addressed when selecting
a campus-wide solution. First, SJS needed
a highly configurable solution that would
benefit multiple tenants over time.
Secondly, it needed a solution that could
reduce energy usage and maintenance
costs. High ceilings were planned in the
facility’s warehousing area, and replacing
burnt out lighting would be costly and
time consuming, as it would require
specialty lifts or scaffolding rentals.
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CASE STUDY / GATEWAY COMMERCE CENTER
Ultimately, SJS decided to install a
fully integrated LED solution featuring
lighting and lighting controls as part of
the Nevada-based NV Energy Sure Bet
Program. LED fixtures and controls were
installed throughout the entire facility – in
the warehouse area, office spaces and
outdoor parking areas. Incorporating an
entirely LED lighting solution was a first
for SJS.
“For this application, we decided
to use almost exclusively Acuity
Brands fixtures,” said James Andrews,
Electrical Contractor, Jensen
Electric Company. “One of the most
important things about choosing a
manufacturer is the relationship after
the sale. For me, it’s the brand I know,
and if there are issues, the issues get
resolved.”
The Solution:
Illuminating Warehouse and
Office Spaces
A total of 836 I-BEAM high bay LED
luminaires from Lithonia Lighting were
installed in the warehouse featuring a
combination of integrated aisle motion
controls, emergency controls and
360 degree motion controls. I-BEAM
luminaires are ideal for larger applications
such as warehouses due to their highperformance features and configurability
– including both narrow and wide
distributions to meet both horizontal and
vertical light level requirements.
Integrated daylight sensors were also
installed, which help minimize energy
costs by detecting natural sunlight levels
from built-in skylights.
www.acuitybrands.com
“There are many times where the fixtures
do not need to be on during the day
because of the amount of daylight
coming in,” said Marc Siegel, President,
SJS Commercial Real Estate. “It’s ironic
that we love this fixture because it is
actually being used less.”
In the office area, 104 Reality LED
luminaires and 68 RT Series LED
luminaires from Lithonia Lighting
were installed in the office areas with
integrated 360 degree sensors from
Acuity Controls.
The fixtures adjust light output according
to how much sunlight it needs to
supplement, maximizing daylighting by
illuminating only to the level necessary
rather than over-lighting the space.
“Each fixture is individually controlled
rather than grouping them together,
which is extremely beneficial in daylight
applications,” said Mark Tatro, Engineer,
JP Engineering. “If there is a light fixture
next to a skylight, it will dim, whereas
one farther away would require more
artificial light.”
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CASE STUDY / GATEWAY COMMERCE CENTER
Safety and Efficiency on the Exterior
While indoor lighting was a key aspect
of the installation, it was also essential
the Gateway Commerce Center use LED
luminaires in its outdoor areas for LEED
certification.
A total of 23 D-Series Area Size 2 wall
mounts and 12 D-Series Area Size 2
pole mounts from Lithonia Lighting
were installed in the semi truck and
employee parking areas as well as
the dock loading area. The luminaires
incorporate high performance LED
technology that maximizes energy
performance and light quality.
Light trespass from the interior of the
building reduced the need for exterior
fixtures. However, as a key aspect of the
LEED certification, it was essential the
outdoor fixtures reduce light trespass
onto other properties.
“It’s unbelievable how the lighting
spillover outside the site has been
eliminated,” said Siegel. “However, the
outdoor areas within the site are still
extremely well lit even with the reduced
trespass. The fixtures are very successful
at directing light where it needs to be.”
www.acuitybrands.com
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CASE STUDY / GATEWAY COMMERCE CENTER
Integrated Industrial Lighting and
Controls Solutions:
When working towards sustainability
initiatives, installing a complete industrial
solution – with multiple LED fixtures and
controls – can be extremely beneficial
to maximize savings. The Gateway
Commerce Center includes the following
industrial, commercial and outdoor
luminaires with integrated sensors to
achieve its lighting goals.
The Result
According to the Center’s engineers and
project managers, it is a pioneer in the
Nevada area in regards to LED lighting.
While many applications are incorporating
certain aspects of LED solutions, an
integrated, building-wide system is still a
rarity. “Of the more than 25 distribution
centers I’ve worked with to date, this is the
first one I’ve seen that has incorporated
LED to such a high extent,” said Tatro.
Choosing a site-wide LED system
provided a cost- and energy-efficient
solution for the Gateway Commerce
Center to achieve sustainability goals,
while maintaining a comfortable work
environment for warehouse and office
employees.
In addition to energy savings, the facility
also expects to see reduced maintenance
costs associated with the project. In
comparison to fluorescent fixtures, which
have a shorter life expectancy and must
be changed using a lift, the LED fixtures
require little to no maintenance and can
operate for more than 100,000 hours.
“We have never incorporated LEDs to this
magnitude and are extremely pleased
with the Gateway Commerce Center
installation,” said Siegel. “Now that LED
technology has improved and the price
point is beginning to decrease, we are
looking into similar projects for future
applications.”
Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. One Lithonia Way, Conyers, GA 30012 | 770-922-9000 | www.acuitybrands.com
© 2015 Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. All rights reserved. | 05/15 | AB_1422
¡¡ I-BEAM LED luminaires offer higher
quality illumination and consume less
energy than comparable fluorescent
and HID fixtures. The luminaires
are affordable for many high bay
applications such as manufacturing,
warehousing and other large
indoor spaces. Both narrow and
wide distributions are available to
meet horizontal and vertical light
requirements.
¡¡ Reality LED luminaires are ideal
for retrofit or new-construction
applications where energy savings,
long life and functional delivered light
levels are required. The luminaires are
Energy Star certified with 80 percent
less energy use than a comparable
standard lamp.
¡¡ RT Series LED luminaires are
volumetric recessed fixtures that are
factory-enabled with nLight intelligent
controls from Acuity Controls. The
fixtures deliver high-quality ambient
white light. The luminaires feature a
volumetric illuminator, on-board digital
intelligence and full-range zero to 10
volt dimming.
¡¡ D-Series LED luminaires provide
a modern look ideal for many
commercial and municipal
applications. Unlike traditional
luminaires, the D-Series family
harnesses the power of advanced LED
technology and precision-engineered
optics to distribute the light to the
target area in a prescribed manner.
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