It’s hard to argue with the numbers. That’s what Dan Lyons, owner of Pet Depot in Timonium, Md., discovered after he agreed to have an energy audit to assess the efficiency of his store’s lighting.

Pet Depot (petdepotmd.com), a pet food and supply retailer, occupies a 7,500-square-foot space that includes an area for pet training classes, plus nine washing stations and a hydrotherapy pool for dogs.

The implementation contractor checked the store’s lighting fixtures and controls and determined that Pet Depot could save nearly 17,700 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year by upgrading to more energyefficient lighting. That’s a 33% reduction in the electricity he uses to light his store! Over the lifetime of the equipment, Pet Depot can expect to save more than $26,000 in energy costs.

Not only did upgrading reduce the store’s monthly energy use, but rebates available from the BGE Small Business Lighting Solutions Program covered nearly 80% of the cost for the lighting improvements. Once his contractor described the recommended improvements and explained BGE’s incentive program, Lyons was sold. “It’s a no-brainer,” he said.

In a matter of just a few days, the contractor installed 22 new lighting fixtures, replaced the ballasts in 36 fixtures, installed 8 compact fluorescent light bulbs, and upgraded the exit signs to light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures.