Acuity Brands Web Tool Calculates Life Cycle Costs of Lighting Systems

Craig DiLouie July 31, 2012

Acuity Brands, Inc. has developed a financial tool that allows users to determine the true economic value of a lighting system, greatly exceeding the simple data output found on many industry “payback” calculators. The Visual Economic Tool is a free tool that uses recommended industry practices (IESNA RP-31-1996, Recommended Practice for the Economic Analysis of Lighting) to estimate and compare the life-cycle costs of up to three lighting systems.

Users can choose to perform energy-only estimates or input additional information to create estimates that include maintenance, lighting controls and HVAC data. The resulting calculated costs can include economic return as well as life-cycle costs, net present value, and internal rate of return. Data is presented using vivid, easy-to-follow charts. A built-in help feature reviews definitions, displays calculation formulas and links to additional resources. Comprehensive reports can be printed or saved as a PDF format, or easily shared with other users to review and edit data if desired. Luminaire data can be loaded in any of the other Visual design tools, saving user time while promoting data consistency.

The Visual Economic Tool is an integral part of the company’s Visual lighting design tools and is available as a free resource; no log-in is required. Users can input data from any products within the Acuity Brands interior and exterior lighting product portfolio or even data from non-Acuity Brands lighting products. The tool has the flexibility to compare lighting systems using various lighting controls methods and common light sources, including LED, metal halide and fluorescent.

Click here to learn more; catch a demonstration video here.