The Situation
The Art Gallery of Burlington (AGB) is an award-winning public gallery located in the heart of Burlington, Ontario. Founded in 1978, the AGB reflects the unique vision of artists in many ways because it grew from the efforts of several Burlington visual arts cooperatives and guilds which recognized the need for a home for artists working in the region. Seven guilds now create within the AGB, using studios dedicated to photography, hand-weaving, spinning, sculpture, woodcarving, fine arts, pottery and hooking craft. The facility stages as many as 20 exhibitions a year and is home to an acclaimed collection of Canadian contemporary ceramics and seven arts and craft guilds. An interactive and creative space, the gallery provides art education programs and public tours for people of all ages. Spanning over 44,000 square feet, the space boasts eight studios, three galleries, a one of a kind gift shop, an exhibition courtyard and year-round conservatory.
“For 35 years, we have been welcoming and hosting creative thinkers and artists in our community. Today, we are a multi-faceted centre providing studio space, exhibitions, acclaimed ceramics collection, art education and a dynamic visitor’s experience,” said Tony Quin, facility manager, Art Gallery of Burlington.
AGB used a combination of halogen, incandescent and compact fluorescent lamps throughout the gallery, and wanted to upgrade to more energy-efficient lighting to save money. It was also important though to keep the existing look of the centre, and another crucial factor was ensuring any new lighting would not harm the artwork. “Saving energy is wonderful, not only for the environment but also for our operating budget, but not if it comes at the expense of light quality and our valuable collection,” said Quin. “Our new lighting needed to deliver on all counts.”
The Solution
The Art Gallery of Burlington turned to lighting leader LEDVANCE for a wide range of long-life LED and traditional products that met the illumination needs throughout the gallery, in the meeting rooms, hallways, display cases, galleries, gift shop, offices and classrooms. The LED solutions were ideal because they produce virtually no UV or infrared radiation that can damage or fade furnishings, art and other objects.
A majority of the fixtures at the Art Gallery of Burlington were replaced with a member of the ULTRA RT family of recessed LED downlight kits. Easy-to-install and dimmable down to 10% with standard 120V electronic low voltage dimmers, damp rated ULTRA RT LED recessed downlight kits provide high performing white light optimized for new construction and retrofit applications, have a long rated life of 50,000 hours (L70), and are ENERGY STAR qualified. At AGB, ULTRA RT6 and RT4 kits were installed in display cases, hallways and meeting rooms, using only 9-watts to 11-watts and delivering between 600 to 700 lumens. 13-watt ULTRA RT6 kits that deliver 900 lumens were installed in the meeting rooms with high ceilings in order to provide the necessary increased illumination. ULTRA RT6 Gimbal kits with adjustable 30° tilt and 360° rotation were placed in the fireside and meeting rooms to highlight the artwork on the walls.
To accentuate the merchandise in the Art Etcetera gift shop, 7-watt SYLVANIA ULTRA MR16 LED lamps with a 25 degree beam and 3000K color temperature were installed. In the corridors, display areas, ceramic display collection room, and children’s studio, 8-watt ULTRA PAR20 LED lamps were used, and the lobby, greenhouse and photo studio had 16-watt ULTRA PAR38 LED lamps. Throughout the galleries, 21-watt SYLVANIA ULTRA HD Professional Series LED PAR38 LED Lamps were installed, delivering exceptional color quality and efficiency. With outstanding color rendering capabilities (95 typical CRI) and exceptionally rich deep red content (R9>60), ULTRA HD Professional Series LED lamps enhance warm color palettes and make whites more crisp, which made them ideal for showcasing the art in the galleries. Designed as a direct replacement for halogen at 3000K, these SYLVANIA ULTRA PAR LED lamps last up to 20 times longer. Highly energy-efficient, ULTRA MR16 and ULTRA PAR LED lamps offer energy savings up to 86 percent, compared to halogen technologies, and have a long 25,000 hours rated life (L70).
SYLVANIA ULTRA Omnidirectional A-Line LED lamps were used for work lighting in the main gallery. The ULTRA A-Line LED lamp is dimmable down to 10 percent, lasts up to 25,000 hours and 33 times longer than incandescent alternatives, and uses only 20-watts versus a 100-watt incandescent.
OCTRON 28W 800 XP SUPERSAVER ECOLOGIC3 lamps were installed in the classrooms and offices, providing high quality lighting and an enhanced total cost of ownership with 12.5 percent energy savings as compared to full wattage T8 lamps. XP lamps boast long life of up to 40,000 hours on instant start and up to 42,000 hours on programmed rapid start ballasts. The life ratings offer up to 40 percent longer life than standard 700 or 800-series lamps. This is the equivalent of an additional 3 years of maintenance-free lighting for typical operating cycles of 4,000 hours per year. Common to all SYLVANIA OCTRON ECOLOGIC T8 lamps, these are TCLP compliant and use lead-free glass. OCTRON XP SUPERSAVER lamps also have the industry-leading system warranty.
The Bottom Line
After the multi-phased installation was completed, over 730 fixtures were upgraded with long-life LED and fluorescent lighting from LEDVANCE. “LEDVANCE’s wide portfolio of high quality lighting products met all of our needs throughout the facility which was fantastic because it meant we didn’t need to use multiple brands, which can sometimes result in inconsistent light quality,” said Quin.
As a result of the upgrade, the Art Gallery of Burlington projects an annual saving of 143,258 kWh, translating into $14,324 in energy savings and 30,585 pounds of CO2 emissions also reduced each year. As a result of the projected savings and utility incentives, the project also has a payback of less than a year. “The new lighting looks amazing and is safe for our artwork,” said Quin, “and we are very happy with how the gallery looks, thanks to LEDVANCE.”
