“We love the new shop lighting. With our new fixtures, we have better lighting that’s brighter, quieter, and costs less to operate.”
– Norma Reinschmidt, President
Performance Chevrolet has been a part of the Mountain Home community for many years. K. R. and Norma Reinschmidt have owned the dealership since 1989. Their business occupies a 20,000 square foot building on Airbase Road that formerly housed an International Harvester dealership.
The Reinschmidts refer to their service department as the “Pride of Performance.” They have a well-trained and well-equipped service staff, however, the lighting in the shop area was less than ideal. The fixtures were old, the ballasts were buzzing and the light output was less than they wanted.
Working with Columbia Electric Supply of Boise, the Reinschmidts looked at their lighting options. They found that high output T5 fluorescent lights would work best for them. By using the high efficiency T5 fluorescent lighting, they learned that they could reduce their energy bills while earning an incentive from Idaho Power.
With their shop lighting replaced, they found the shop area was much quieter, brighter, has better color and uses less energy. Almost immediately, the service staff noticed the improved lighting output and quieter workspace. Now they’re moving on to change the lighting in their showroom too.
After the lighting retrofit, the Reinschmidts have enjoyed lower electric bills. Their energy savings is about $1,200 per year.
Idaho Power provided an incentive of $2,250 through the Easy Upgrades program. When the incentive is factored in, Performance Chevrolet’s investment in new shop lighting is providing them with a return of over 50 percent each year.
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If you’re looking for similar success, Idaho Power’s Easy Upgrades program can help. For complete details, call 208-388-6484 for more information on this incentive program.
The Business