At a ProMat press conference, Stephan Heins, Orion's vice president of communications, presented case history examples that show energy savings of up to 50% annually via improved lighting. Wisconsin-based printer Quad/Graphics, for instance, is saving $2 million per year across nine facilities, says Heins, and achieved a 14-month payback on the lighting deployment. The new lighting is saving Quad/Graphics an estimated 28.5 million kilowatt hours annually, or enough electricity to power 3,250 homes for a year, according to Orion.

Orion's lighting is "full spectrum" technology that is similar to sunlight, yet more energy efficient than traditional high intensity discharge (HID) lighting, according to Heins. New products upcoming from Orion, he said, will include a 480 watt ballast with universal capability.