Hines, a prominent global real estate company, partnered with US LED to upgrade Hock Plaza with LED lighting to cut energy consumption, reduce costs, and minimize its carbon footprint.
The Opportunity
Hines, a leading global real estate powerhouse, manages a staggering $93 billion in assets across 31 countries. They have been committed to creating sustainable value for those assets, driving initiatives like LED lighting upgrades to make a positive impact as a part of their ESG strategy and 2040 goal of net-zero operational carbon. One of those assets, Hock Plaza, is a 12-story, 327,160-square-foot office in Durham, North Carolina, primarily leased by Duke University.
Over time, Hock Plaza has struggled with inefficient fluorescent lighting, including outdated T8 fluorescent lamps and older screw-in bulbs. These legacy lighting solutions have reduced visibility, created ongoing maintenance issues, and increased energy costs. Recognizing the impact of LED technology on operations and their ESG strategy, the Hines property management team actively pursued a seamless lighting upgrade that wouldn’t disrupt day-to-day activities.
The Solution
After a comprehensive evaluation of providers, Hines chose US LED to lead the upgrade for Hock Plaza, leveraging their LED lighting solutions and turnkey installation to address the building’s lighting challenges. Hines chose US LED because their LED lighting products exceeded project specifications, delivered unparalleled lifetimes, and were backed by an industry-leading Ten-Year Warranty.
The lighting retrofit, which included all twelve floors of Hock Plaza, would replace the existing 32W T8 fluorescent lamps with US LED’s 11.9W T8 Type B LED lamps, offering superior efficacy and longevity compared to traditional fluorescents. Moreover, the screw-in bulbs were swapped for 6” LED downlights with selectable color temperature (CCT) and wattage, providing greater flexibility and energy savings.
The Benefits
The retrofit project at Hock Plaza has not only resulted in significant financial savings but has also made a remarkable impact by drastically enhancing the overall lighting quality within the building. The new LED solutions have improved visibility and created a more uniform lighting environment throughout the building, creating a more comfortable and inviting space for tenants and visitors.
This upgrade aligns with Hines’ ESG initiatives, reducing Hock Plaza’s annual energy consumption by 849,983 kWh and lowering the building’s carbon footprint. The project has an annual reduction of 602.6 tons of CO2 equivalent, making a significant environmental impact. Additionally, these improvements support Duke University’s broader sustainability efforts as a key tenant in Hock Plaza, reinforcing its commitment to reducing its environmental impact.
