No visit to downtown Philadelphia would be complete without a stop at the historic Reading Terminal Market, an enclosed public market located at 12th and Arch Streets. Founded in 1893 in a section of town known for its blocks of open air stands, this bustling culinary bazaar currently brims with fresh baked goods, meats, poultry, seafood, produce, flowers, and ethnic foods as well as cookware and gifts from over 80 merchants and hosts an estimated 100,000 visitors through its airy, vintage architecture every week. Reconstructed and transformed over the years to accommodate new merchants as well as the demands of a growing population of discerning tourists and foodies, it was a fitting development when a number of the market’s vendors recently elected to pursue an LED lighting upgrade with products from Stamford, CT-based Solais Lighting to once again ensure that customers could enjoy the most high-performing, comfortable, energy-efficient, and environmentally-responsible experience possible.

At the Hatville Deli, a Lancaster, PA-based purveyor of fresh meats, cheeses, and dairy products which has resided at the Terminal Market for over 30 years, owner David Esh acknowledged that he liked the color of the various 50-120 Watt halogen lamps in his track fixtures overhead, but wanted a more modern lighting technology that would reduce energy consumption and costs, minimize heat issues, and standardize the look and feel of his lit space. The answer came in the form of both Solais’ 16 Watt, 3000K, 25-degree LED “LRP38” PAR38 replacement and 14 Watt “LRP30LN” Long Neck model, which served to reduce the deli’s energy use by as much as 65-90% while delivering a bright, white light that improved visibility and created a warm and inviting environment. Offering an impressive 1025 lumens of light output, the lightweight, specification-grade LED lamps installed feature Solais’ exclusive OPTICS2® patent-pending technology, providing the desirable performance, light output, and aesthetics of incandescent technology. “Solais’ LRP38 and LRP30LN models were an optimal solution for the Hatville Deli,” confirmed David Brumbelow, Lighting Design Engineer at Solais. “Following the upgrade, their lighting became much more consistent and had all of the aesthetic qualities of halogen technology without the individual diodes and heat sinks typically associated with LEDs. The new LEDs look and perform just like halogen in terms of their lighting quality and ambiance, but will last significantly longer and will deliver a payback in less than a year, allowing Hatville to enjoy the benefits of the lamps’ appealing color quality, outstanding lumen maintenance, and high efficiency all throughout their long, 50,000-hour life.”

At nearby Beiler’s Bakery, AJ Pickle Patch and Salads, and The Rib Stand, owners voiced their desire for a lighting option that was more energy-efficient, cost-effective, long-lasting, and low maintenance than the outdated 90 Watt halogen lamps that previously illuminated their space. In their applications, Solais Lighting’s 21 Watt “LR38” PAR38 LED replacements proved to be the optimal solution, delivering precision optics and attractive energy savings of over 75% relative to their previous lighting configuration. Offering an impressive 1200 lumens of light output, the lightweight, specification-grade LED lamps installed feature Solais’ exclusive Luxiance® thermal management technology, which utilizes a unique active cooling system to deliver superior performance. Since installing his lamps in 2011, Beiler’s Bakery owner Kevin Beiler is enjoying his share of the nearly $18,000 in energy cost savings that he and his two neighboring vendors will continue to reap for the next several years, along with the new look and feel of the lighting overhead. “The customer experience is greatly enhanced from the minute visitors walk through the market doors and approach our food stands,” Beiler shared of the upgrade. “After replacing our old lamps with Solais LED lamps, we noticed an immediate difference in terms of how the lighting makes our food on display ‘pop’ more. In fact,” he confided, “we often get asked if we recently renovated our stands.” In addition to the improvement in lighting quality they experienced, he added, “we’re also very excited at the thousands of dollars we’ll be saving on our energy bills over the next few years.”

“We’re thrilled to have our energy-efficient LED lights in use at such a historic location,” said James Leahy, president of Solais. “Our unmatched lumen output combined with superior optics produces impressive results for retail applications such as those at Reading Terminal Market. It’s an honor to provide cutting-edge, modern-day lighting to this legendary architectural site and to help shine a light on such a cherished landmark in one of our nation’s most celebrated cities.”

Thanks to Solais Lighting, visitors can continue to enjoy the best of this must-see attraction for years to come.