I might be dating myself, but I remember when an LED (light emitting diode) was a simple indicator light. Now, as Bob Dylan said... “The Times, They Are a-Changin”.

The major change on job sites in the electrical construction industry over the last several years is the continual use of LEDs for temporary job site lighting. Remember, incandescent lamp-based string lighting was standard on construction job sites for decades. We all know these lamps were not very durable. “Fragile” incandescent lamps didn’t seem to last very long, required constant replacement, and there was no easy way to efficiently move and transfer the string lighting from one job to the next job.

Historically, energy consumption on the job site never mattered. But to the job site’s general manager, the electrical contractor, and the Department of Energy (DOE) now it does matter. “The Times, They Are a-Changin”.

In “old school” thinking, temporary lighting and the associated power draw used by all trades would be charged to the job site, and any temporary lighting products like string lighting was treated as a depreciating asset, usually cut up and discarded. Now the Department of Energy (DOE) has stepped in to require dramatically reduced energy consumption on the job site. This means an electrical contractor must provide energy efficient lighting during the construction, retrofit, or remodeling phases for commercial and residential building projects.

True energy savings result when the electrical contractor makes the switch to LED lighting. This transition adds up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings, often underestimated but very important as utility rates continue to increase. Simply put — traditional lamp-based lighting creates waste and extra labor — all of which is deemed unnecessary and expensive.

So while I started by addressing the pit-falls of using temporary string lights, I’ll go back a little further to remember the old temporary single light fixtures, the first light fixtures using “type S”, and then “type O” lamps. Abiding by the DOE energy reduction mandate, we (EPCO) obsoleted those “old school” temporary lighting fixtures that used a “Type O HID Pulse Start Lamp. The Times, They Are a-Changin”.

Single light fixtures are still used today. So not to overuse the statement, “old school”, I always separate job site temporary lighting into two categories: open (or before) and closed-in (or after). When referring to the physical structure using a vertical office building or a commercial retail-based strip mall as examples, “open” refers to the use of a single temporary light fixture while the physical building structure has no outside walls and requires the use of our single LED luminaire, the TIGER™ LED Temporary Luminaire (e.g., the bright lights seen when a building is under construction). Closed-in” means you cannot see any of the other trades (HVAC, plumbing, drywall, working inside after the outside walls are built, and for this this application I recommend using our new LED CordLights

As a company that provides “specialty” labor-savings products for a broad variety of contractor applications, EPCO introduced our competitively priced TIGER™ LED Temporary Luminaire about five years ago.

During that time, we listen to contractors and the resulting feedback is reflected in our 3^rd generation of TIGER™ LED Temporary Luminaires and our complimenting LED CordLights.

Both temporary lighting products have added benefits, features, and options contractors wanted to increase their productivity on the job site. And both products perform very well in dry, damp, and harsh construction environments, even if operating on a 24/7 schedule.

Should Distributors and Contractors Switch To Solid State Lighting?

Absolutely! The primary reasons to transition to solid-state lighting are cost savings, energy savings, high efficacy, sustainability, fewer TIGER LED Temporary Luminaire (Part Number 15734 100-Watt, and Part Number 15737 150-Watt, respectively) are needed on the job site. The Times, They Changed.

In fact, the high lumen output of one EPCO 100-foot LED CordLight (Part Number 16040) can replace up to 250-feet of incandescent or CFL-based (compact fluorescent lamp) string lighting and reduce energy consumption almost 80%.

There is no question in the electrical construction industry that EPCO’s TIGER LED Temporary Luminaire our LED CordLights is not whether they will become the standard in construction projects — but when.

EPCO Cost/Benefits of Purchasing and Using Temporary LED Lighting Products

• Ready to install and use right out of the box.
• Fewer circuits are required to run Temporary LED Lighting Products on the job site, and no hard wiring is needed making for a safer, expedited installation.
• Each LED Temporary Lighting product meets the proper electrical certifications, easily providing 5-foot-candles or more at target, meeting the OSHA regulatory requirements.
• NEMA specified plug and receptacle on the TIGER LED Temporary Luminaire LED CordLights ends are “linkable”.
• TIGER LED Temporary Luminaire and the LED CordLights are easy to move around the job site.
• Guaranteed labor savings for installation, maintenance, and take-down.
• EPCO’s TIGER LED Temporary Luminaire and LED CordLights will last longer than traditional-based lamp lighting. The energy savings provide a return on investment (ROI) within a short period of time; probably the first time they are used.
• EPCO’s TIGER LED Temporary Luminaire and LED CordLights include a 5-Year 50,000+ hour Warranty

What If A Contractor Wants More Lighting Beyond The OSHA Lighting Standard?

Lighting for a general construction site is approximately 5 foot-candles. This also includes warehouses, walkways, corridors, exits, and other indoor spaces: General underground work areas, including mine shafts, pedestrian and road tunnels is 5 foot-candles. But for some applications an electrical contractor will want as much as ten (10) foot-candles on target. To support this requirement I strongly recommend using EPCO’s High Lumen Output LED CordLight, Part Number 16050. This temporary CordLight features 20,000 Lumen (2,000 lumens per module).

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If you have any questions or need more product specific information, please contact your EPCO Inside Sales, or me.

Allen Guidry III, Marketing Manager

Engineered Products Company®

Engineered Products Company (EPCO)

5401 Smetana Drive

Minnetonka, Minnesota 55343

Direct: 952-767-8755

Cell: 612-889-5854

Toll Free: 800-336-1976

FAX: 800-336-2801

E-mail: [email protected]