How LED Lighting Reduces Maintenance Costs for Facility Managers
Facility manager guide to reducing lighting maintenance costs with LED. Covers lifecycle cost analysis, re-lamping elimination, warranty coverage, and maintenance scheduling.
For facility managers, lighting maintenance is one of the largest ongoing operational costs. Traditional HID and fluorescent fixtures require regular re-lamping, ballast replacements, and emergency repairs. LED eliminates most of these costs.
The True Cost of Traditional Lighting Maintenance
Metal Halide (MH) Maintenance Cost Per Fixture Per Year
| Item | Cost | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Replacement lamp | $15-40 | Every 2-3 years |
| Ballast replacement | $50-100 | Every 4-5 years |
| Labor (lift rental + electrician) | $100-200 | Each service visit |
| Emergency replacement (burnout) | $150-300 | Unpredictable |
| Annual average maintenance | $100-200/fixture |
Fluorescent Maintenance Cost Per Fixture Per Year
| Item | Cost | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Replacement tubes (4-tube troffer) | $8-20 | Every 2-3 years |
| Ballast replacement | $30-60 | Every 5-7 years |
| Labor | $50-75 | Each visit |
| Annual average maintenance | $30-60/fixture |
LED Maintenance: Near Zero
LED fixtures have no consumable parts:
- No lamps to replace (LED chip is the fixture)
- No ballasts (LED driver lasts 100,000+ hours)
- No warm-up or restrike time
- No mercury disposal costs
- No scheduled re-lamping labor
LED Maintenance Cost Per Fixture Per Year
| Item | Cost | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning (optional) | $5-10 | Annual |
| Driver replacement (rare) | $20-40 | Every 10-15 years |
| Annual average maintenance | $5-15/fixture |
10-Year Total Cost of Ownership Comparison
Example: 100-Fixture Warehouse
| Cost Category | Metal Halide | LED (Auvolar) |
|---|---|---|
| Fixture cost | $10,000 | $8,900 |
| Installation | $5,000 | $3,750 |
| Energy (10 years) | $105,120 | $39,420 |
| Maintenance (10 years) | $100,000-200,000 | $5,000-15,000 |
| Lamp/ballast replacements | $30,000-50,000 | $0 |
| 10-Year Total | $250,000-370,000 | $57,000-67,000 |
| Savings with LED | $193,000-303,000 |
Facility Manager Checklist for LED Conversion
Recommended Products for Facility Managers
| Priority Area | Old Fixture | Auvolar Replacement | Annual Maintenance Saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse | 400W MH High Bay | UFO High Bay 150W | $100-200/fixture |
| Parking lot | 250W HPS Shoebox | OT Series 150W | $80-150/fixture |
| Office | 4-tube fluorescent | LED Troffer 50W | $30-60/fixture |
| Stairwell | CFL can light | LED Downlight | $20-40/fixture |
| Exterior | HPS Wall Pack | LED Wall Pack 80W | $50-100/fixture |
Get Started
Auvolar works with facility managers nationwide to plan and execute LED conversions. Contact us for a free energy audit and lighting design: sales@auvolar.com | (626) 364-9198.
Need Help With Your Lighting Project?
Auvolar provides free lighting design, photometric layouts, and rebate assistance for commercial projects.
Auvolar Engineering Team
City of Industry, California
Our engineering team has 15+ years of combined experience in commercial LED lighting design, photometric analysis, and energy-efficient building systems. We hold DLC QPL listing expertise and work directly with California utilities on rebate qualification. All technical content is reviewed by licensed electrical engineers.