Sanford’s Oldest Hardware Store now has the Newest, Most Efficient Lighting

After its switch to high-efficiency lighting, Shaw’s Hardware will save nearly $2,000 a year on lighting costs. The LED lighting installed on the retail floor and in the back room is estimated to reduce electricity consumption by 64%, or 12,000 kWh a year.

Shaw’s Hardware owner Ron Cote

“The new lighting is a little crisper and cleaner,” notes owner Richard Cote. “For a 117-year-old business, a one-year payback on our new lighting was a no-brainer.”

The switch to LEDs also means a reduction in the time spent replacing burnt-out bulbs. For Cote, “the best part is that the new LED strips and bulbs will probably last through my lifetime – which means fewer trips up and down the ladder for me.”

The upgrade was completed as part of Efficiency Maine’s Small Business Initiative, a program that targets lighting upgrades in Maine’s small businesses. The Initiative connects small business owners and landlords in select areas with local contractors for lighting assessments and upgrades, providing them with higher incentives than are ordinarily available through Efficiency Maine’s other programs. The Initiative’s turnkey services, including a free assessment, savings quote, and installation, are designed to serve smaller businesses that frequently lack the resources to initiate and manage a lighting retrofit project. The Initiative is currently targeting retrofits in the Sanford/Berwick region. Click here to find out more.