Affordable and Long Lasting
Miniaturized, flexible, and reusable for changing uses with minimum maintenance.
 
There is considerable labor saving with fully assembled harnesses.

There may be financial incentives for upgrading to more efficient lighting offered by LEED, Green Globes, utilities and municipal, state and federal agencies.  The federal Investment Tax Credit for Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings may also be investigated for historic income-producing properties.
 
The first question is always “How Much?”, even before the lighting wish list is known and a suitable design can be created and priced.
 
Remember that there are substantial savings in installation, maintenance and operation for quick (often two to four year) payback on initial investment, and continuing economies for the long life of the source/system thereafter.
 
There are so many variables in custom work, the cost of glass fibre optics functional lighting equipment could range from $1,5000.00, with only a day or two of installation involved, to depending upon the complexity, as much as $50,000.00 to provide the most effective “green” illumination for the project.  There are many figures in between.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Always investigate programs (like LEED and Green Globes), utilities and localities who either offer funds upfront to install energy-efficient lighting, or monthly rebates thereafter.

There is also the 20% Investment Tax Credit for Rehabilitation of Historic Incoming-Producing Properties.

#1.  Less lamps used:  There is a direct saving with fibre-optics. A metal halide 6,000-hour (18 months in normal use) 150-Watt lamp made specifically for glass fibre optics lighting consumes 172 watts, including ballast.  If you replace 8 x 12v/50W lamps with this unit, you will remove 420 watts of energy (considers energy from both lamp and losses in transformer). 

The direct saving is therefore 420 – 172 = 248 watts or 31 watts per fitting.  This is a saving of 60% on power for tungsten low voltage lamps.  Moreover, since one lamp source can power multiple points of light, the more fibre-optics used, the greater the energy saving.  Newer European lamps made especially for glass fibre optics are now even more efficient.

#2.  Lower air conditioning load:  By not introducing the heat normally produced by conventional light into the area being lit, the load for air conditioning is lessened considerably.

#3.  Lower maintenance costs:  The rule of thumb is that the metal halide will last 6/8 times longer than low voltage lamps, which also burn hotter.  The actual cost of lamp replacement is difficult to define. 

However, if you consider the cost of personnel, plus the lamp value, disruption of space and business, and possibly scaffold or lift rental, the price is higher than most people think.  Especially if the lamp-changer is directly employed, those costs are lost in the overhead figure, and show an artificially low labor figure for this operation.  Burnt out or misfocused lamps make a poor representation of the enterprise.

#4.  Longevity of system:  Because the glass tails will not stiffen, suffer color shift, melt or disintegrate from lamp heat, they can be re-used for changing applications.  With reasonable care, they will last for decades.

#5.  Payback:  Depending upon the sophistication of the design, savings in installation, electric energy, air conditioning, maintenance and operation could result in payback of initial costs within five years, much less than the usual ten years figured by developers. Glass fibre-optics consumes one-fourth of the electricity of conventional products.

#6.  Additional Economic Advantages: 
•    An added advantage of this system is the elimination of destructive heat and ultraviolet rays produced by other forms of artificial light.  Life of the fugitive organic materials (anything that once grew, such as textiles, wood, paper, leather, lacquer, and feathers) being lit will therefore be substantially extended.  There will be less spoilage in foodstuffs and beverages from prolonged exposure to harmful light.

•     Fibre-optics task lighting is also more comfortable to work under, increasing productivity, sales, and attendance , the source of profit.

•    Instead of one flat lighting level, glass fibre optics provides adjustable directional beams for important contrast needed for successful visibility and merchandising.  At least two light levels should be used in each area lit – one lower level so as not to fall over the furniture, and a higher level to accomplish the task at hand..

•    Automated special effects of color, motion and dimming are available for multiple "scenes".

•    Adequate planning that anticipates near future requirements eliminates the need for additional construction soon after completion of the initial work.