MOM’s Organic Market Moves to LED Lighting

MOM’s Organic Market has switched over from using traditional incandescent lights to LED bulbs in all seven of its stores. The Rockville, Md.-based grocer began retrofitting its older locations with Feit Electric’s LED floodlights in July 2011 and completed the changeover this week. MOM’s decision to install energy-efficient LEDs in its stores is in keeping with the company’s long-term goal to “protect and restore the environment.”

The LEDs deployed at MOM’s last an average of 25,000 hours and use 18 watts per bulb. The old incandescent bulbs lasted about 3,000 hours and used an average of more than 60 watts per bulb. The new LED bulbs will use 16,794 watts of energy annually. Before the LED installation, MOM’s needed more than 61,000 watts of energy to power the incandescent bulbs.

The savings of 231,642 kilowatt-hours annually is equivalent to the yearly elimination of greenhouse emissions of 31 cars or the carbon dioxide emissions of 20 homes.

“Installing LED lights in all of our stores cost us $40,000,” noted Scott Nash, the company’s founder. “With an annual energy cost savings of $21,000, our investment will pay for itself in 1.8 years. Every fiscally responsible corporation in the world should be looking for such ways to save energy, thereby saving money. Installing LEDs is a no-brainer.”

MOM’s operates stores in Alexandria, Va., and Bowie, College Park, Frederick, Jessup, Rockville and Timonium, Md. The grocer is slated open a location in Herndon, Va., next month, and stores in Merrifield, Va., and Waldorf, Md., in 2012.