One of the key components of the Energy Management section of Weingarten Realty’s sustainability program is retrofitting common area lighting to light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures.  LED fixtures can save up to 80% more energy than the older technology, and this amount of immediate savings offer strong financial incentives in addition to the environmental benefits of making these retrofits.

There are several factors that Weingarten Realty will look at when deciding whether a project is a good candidate for a lighting retrofit.  Financial considerations include the payback in cost savings from the reduction of kilowatt hours; rebates from local energy providers; and contributions from participating tenants.

In regard to participating tenants, the anchors are actively sought to contribute and after working with Property Management, Kroger gave its consent to participate on some retrofits allowing an additional 15 properties to have work done between 2017 and 2018.

Outside of the financial considerations, Weingarten Realty will also look at retrofitting fixtures to improve the overall quality of lighting at the property; comply with local regulations, and partner with tenants to achieve its sustainability goals.  Each project will evaluate all of these components to determine if a project should move forward.

Weingarten Realty is committed to lighting retrofits and the results of the actions have shown strong year-over-year growth.  The charts give a snapshot of these efforts and Weingarten Realty anticipates a continuation of these trends in the years to come.