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Success Story: Petrucelli International

Partner Information

Petrucelli International, Flushing, New York
50,000 Sq. Feet
Annual Cash Savings: $4,260.00
Annual Energy savings: 21,393 kWh
Payback period: 4.4 years
Prevented 25,885 pounds of pollution

Service and Product Provider

Consolidated Edison (Con Ed)

Petruccelli International Makes Fashion Statement with Energy-Efficient Upgrades

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder for Armando Petruccelli, owner of Petruccelli International — a New York fashion products distributor. For Petruccelli, beauty means a healthy bottom line. Petruccelli knows that to remain profitable and competitive he must look into all aspects of his business for savings. It is no surprise then that he has taken a step toward energy efficiency. For technical guidance he turned to his electric utility, Consolidated Edison (Con Ed). Energy engineers from Con Ed provided valuable energy-savings recommendations for his facility for free. He concluded that his best option was to renovate the building.

Petruccelli upgraded his office fluorescent lights, high-bay warehouse lights, exit signs, and outside security lights. He also replaced the old forced-air system with a new radiant heating system in the warehouse and installed strip curtains in the truck bays to reduce infiltration.

A Healthy Shine

During the remodeling phase, all existing lighting was changed to energy-efficient lighting. The facility now uses T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts for the conference room, the offices, and the restrooms. Had he continued to use the standard T-12 lamps and magnetic ballasts, Petruccelli would have missed $1,046 savings per year. All exit signs were upgraded to compact fluorescent signs, providing annual savings of $117. Exterior lighting is now supplied by metal halide fixtures controlled by timers. This ensures that lights are on during the evening hours and off when not needed. The warehouse, showroom, and manufacturing shop use a combination of metal halide and high-pressure sodium fixtures. Not only have these fixtures lowered Petruccelli’s energy bills, they also produce light that is in the amount, the intensity, and the quality needed for Petruccelli’s application. High-pressure sodium fixtures are one of the most efficient lighting technologies available in the market and have been used extensively in warehousing operations where color rendering is not critical. Metal halide fixtures are less efficient than high-pressure sodium fixtures, but in the right combination, metal halides and high-pressure sodium fixtures provide excellent efficiencies and light color.

Radiant Heat Works Wonders

Anyone who has been in a warehouse on a severe winter day knows how cold it can be. Warehouses, by design, are bare buildings with high ceilings. To heat the building, Petruccelli replaced his forced-air heating system with the latest in heating technology: infrared radiant heat.

Radiant systems work by heating bodies directly, not air. In a high-bay warehouse this means air at the ceiling does not have to be 100 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the temperature comfortable down on the floor. Radiant systems also save money by reducing air infiltration-related losses. Many radiant systems even burn fuel more efficiently than forced-air systems. It all adds up to savings of up to 50 percent in leaky buildings with high ceilings.

Barriers To Wasting Money

Leaving doors open on a winter day is as wasteful as leaving a stack of dollar bills on the sidewalk. Sound extreme? Imagine the amount of money it takes to heat a warehouse. If a door is left open, all the heated air is lost. The building must be reheated to the desired temperature. Then, if the door is opened again, the cycle repeats itself. Petruccelli has six 14-ft. by 20-ft. doors, open all the time. To reduce this waste and save money, he installed plastic strip curtains. This simple barrier to heat loss has saved him $1,618 in energy bills. To further increase savings, Petruccelli International’s 9.5-kW battery charger will be used at night when the lights and other equipment are off. This simple rescheduling of operation will save Petruccelli $2,394 in demand costs.