Miami Tower LED Lighting Case Study

Reinventing a City SkylineLED lighting case study

Project PartnersLED Source®Philips Color KineticsJones Lang LaSalle

MIAMITOWER

Photo courtesy of Cheryl Stieffel, New York Focus


2 LED Source® | LEDsource.com

Revitalizing an ICON

The Miami Tower, a 47-story, 623,000 square-foot landmark office skyscraper located in the heart of downtown Miami,

Fla, is known for elaborate nighttime illumination across its three tiers.

Originally built for CenTrust Savings and Loan and formally known as the Bank of America Tower, the building was renamed in 2010 as the Miami Tower. It was later purchased in December of that same year by LaSalle Investment Management, a subsidiary of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL).

The Miami Tower is the 8th tallest building in the city and has been part of the Miami skyline since debuting in February 1987.

An iconic symbol for Miami, the Tower was designed by award winning architect I.M. Pei, who has often been called “the master of modern architecture.” Considered one of Pei’s greatest works of art, the Miami Tower combines both form and function. The ever-changing colorful exterior lighting has established Miami Tower as one of the most prominent buildings on the city skyline.

Over the years, the building has been providing custom light shows on the façade for various tenants, civic and charitable organizations, holidays, as well as other commemorative sporting and special events. However, the 16-year old conventional lighting system had shown significant signs of aging and became very inefficient to operate and maintain.

For Jones Lang LaSalle, which also serves as the management company for the Miami Tower, finding a solution to their exterior lighting problem was imperative. It was equally important

Historic Miami landmark gets lighting makeover with new exterior LED lighting system

MIAMI TOWER

Project CreditsThe Miami Tower LED lighting upgrade project was made possible by the following group of individuals:

Project ManagementJones Lang LaSalleTy Spearing Larry Lubeck Tom Matease

Lighting DesignerLED Source Gavin Cooper

Programming and Installation SupervisorMPS Light and Sound Inc. John DiDomenico (JD)

to implement a program to enhance energy management and sustainability for the building.

LED lighting proved to be the answer in reducing the building’s carbon footprint, energy and maintenance costs.


LED Source® | LEDsource.com 3

Time for an LED lighting upgrade

To light the Miami Tower, adjacent rooftops and platforms were leased at a cost of $110,000 annually.

Creating Miami Tower as an icon came at a significant cost to Jones Lang LaSalle. Rising electricity rates as well as increased maintenance and material

costs all played a factor. To achieve an ever changing color effect for the

Tower, it required the manual changing of high-maintenance and expensive color gels for each fixture. This was not only time and labor intensive, but cost more than $20,000 annually. For Jones Lang LaSalle, it was important to find a solution that would allow for full color changing at the touch of a button, without the use of any mechanical system or labor.

To properly light the north, northwest and west sides of the building, metal halide fixtures were permanently housed on neighboring rooftops. An illumination platform also had to be specifically


Adopting the latest in building technologies is key to achieving greater energy efficiency, reducing our environmental footprint, and reinforcing Miami Tower’s position as the premier building

on Miami’s skyline.

Tom MateseJones Lang LaSalle

built that was attached to the Tri-Rail skyway. These sites were leased at an annual cost of $110,000.

The main exterior lighting for Miami Tower consisted of 352 large 1,000 watt (1,100 watts with ballast) metal halide sports light fixtures. These lights were situated on the north, northwest and west façades as well as setbacks on the 13th, 20th and 31st floors. Additionally, 30 sizeable 400 watt (465 watts with ballast) metal halide sports lights were used on the 46th floor. Total wattage for the 382 fixtures was 401,150.

It was equally important for Miami Tower to have floors that fixtures occupied more attractive to potential tenants. The cumbersome metal halide fixtures created an unsightly view for

tenants. Reducing the physical size and total number of fixtures was a priority.

The idea of changing the building’s lighting had been discussed on several occasions. However, no viable solution had been found until LED Source® presented a new LED fixture from Philips Color Kinetics.

In January 2011, LED Source® began conducting preliminary side-by-side comparison lighting tests with one of only two pre-production prototypes of the ColorReach Powercore LED fixture. After additional tests were performed in March, the project was approved in November 2011 for the initial installation of the new LED lighting system.

Side-by-side lighting test. Left metal halides; right Philips Color Kinetics ColorReach Powercore LED fixtures.

Comparison


Quick FactsThe exterior LED lighting upgrade of the Miami Tower is the most prominent element of a broader initiative to reduce energy and water use, and to follow sustainable management practices of the building.

Building Name: Miami Tower

Owner: Jones Lang LaSalle

Floors: 47

Square Footage: 623,000

Opened: February 1987

Metal Halide: 352 sports lights consuming 1,100 watts each and 30 sports lights consuming 465 watts each. Total fixtures 382. Total wattage 401,150. Total annual 878,519 kWh.

LED: 168 ColorReach Powercore at 180 watts each and 48 ColorGraze at 44 watts each. Total fixtures 216. Total wattage 32,352. Total annual 70,851 kWh.

Annual Savings: $20,000 in colored gels, $49,000 in maintenance and operational costs, $80,767 in lighting energy and $110,000 in leased space. Total annual savings of $259,767. Total annual reduction of 807,668 kWh.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Reduction of 1.2 million pounds of CO2 which is equivalent to 109 passenger vehicles.

Total Energy Savings: 91.9%

City skyline benefits with LED lighting

LED Source® worked with the team at JLL to implement an LED lighting upgrade plan for the exterior lighting of the

Miami Tower. This required lighting all sides of the building with new and more compact LED fixtures that would be mounted on setbacks and newly installed lighting poles located on the property.

LED Source® met the challenge by providing design, support, specification

and project management, using pioneering technology and innovative LED lighting fixtures from Philips Color Kinetics.

The ColorReach Powercore LED fixture was specifically chosen to replace the inefficient 352 metal halide fixtures, each consuming 1,100 watts. Operating at an average of 180 watts, it provides unprecedented light output and projection for the building’s exterior illumination. A total of 96 ColorReach



Over 16 million colors all at the push of a button

Endless Color

Powercore LED fixtures were installed on setback tiers located on the 13th, 20th and 31st floors. Additionally, 72 ColorReach fixtures were mounted on newly installed poles located beside the building.

On the 46th floor, 48 ColorGraze Powercore fixtures operating at an average of 44 watts replaced 30 metal halide sports lights consuming 465 watts each. This linear LED light is optimized for surface grazing and wall-wash lighting. It provides a uniformed beam in a compact low-profile design.

The total number of fixtures at Miami Tower was reduced from 382 metal halides to 216 with the new LED lighting system. This represents an annual reduction from 878,519 kWh to only 70,851 kWh and a total energy savings of 91.9%. Annual lighting energy savings is estimated at $80,767.

The state-of-the-art compact LED light arrays not only provided a more vivid exterior illumination, significantly decreased lighting energy consumption and improved aesthetics, it also eliminated an annual maintenance expense of $49,000.

Out with the old and in with the poles

Prior to the LED lighting upgrade, the Miami Tower leased neighboring rooftops and custom platforms at an annual cost of $110,000.

To eliminate this additional operating expense and to provide easier access to the fixtures, LED Source® designed a plan to move the new LED lighting on property owned by the Miami Tower.

The design outlined 14 new concrete poles to be positioned on sidewalks located beside the building.

Each of the new poles measured 35 feet high and alternate between 4 and 6 ColorReach Powercore fixtures on each pole, for a total of 72 lights.

Installation of the LED lighting system required 14 new light poles located on the property

72 ColorReach Powercore LED fixtures were mounted to 14 new poles on the property.

LED technology has reached a tipping point where we can achieve the same light levels

as traditional lighting technologies.Jeff Cassis

Philips Color Kinetics


The Savings It is estimated that the Miami Tower’s annual savings are:

$20,000 Materials (Gels)$49,000 Maintenance$80,767 Lighting Energy$110,000 Rooftop Leases

*Total Annual Savings of $259,767

Through the use of advanced LED lighting technology, Miami Tower will have an annual reduction of 807,668 kWh, which is equivalent to over 1.2 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions or 109 passenger vehicles.

*Savings listed is an estimate only and based upon information provided. © 2012 LED Source, LLC. All rights reserved.

Advanced LED fixtures

Award-winning lighting systems and technologies apply the benefits of LEDs as a highly efficient, long lasting, environmentally friendly and inherently digital source of illumination - reinventing light as a highly controllable medium.

With the new LED lighting

solution in place, Miami

Tower may be the most

advanced exterior lighting

system in the world.

Gavin CooperLED Source®

ColorReach Powercore

ColorGraze Powercore



Documents

Miami Tower LED Lighting Case Study