Lighting Case Study: Metro Toronto Convention Centre
September 27, 2024
| Goal: | Upgrade the outdated 350-450-Watt metal halide lighting technology at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) with high-performing, energy-efficient, long-lasting, and low-maintenance LED fixtures from LEDVANCE |
| Products Installed: | 1,431 200-Watt UFO High Bay Fixtures from LEDVANCE, which are ideal replacements for metal halide lighting |
| Benefits: | LEDVANCE LEDs slashed the MTCC’s previous lighting energy consumption by some 50%, reducing the cost to light in their exhibit halls by nearly $142,000 annually Thanks to their long 150,000-hour rated average life and minimal maintenance requirements, LEDVANCE LEDs will reduce the MTCC’s maintenance costs by $682,000 annually The upgrade involved a simple one-for-one changeout and LEDVANCE LEDs were easy to install LEDVANCE LEDs will reduce the MTCC’s carbon footprint by nearly 944,000 kWh annually, helping to achieve the Convention Centre’s sustainability goals Payback on the MTCC’s investment in LEDVANCE LEDs will occur in under 3 years The fixtures’ high color rendering index (CRI) enhances visibility and delivers a uniform ambiance that promotes occupant comfort and well-being Unlike metal halide technology, LEDVANCE LED fixtures don’t require a ballast component and don’t contain mercury, a hazardous material that requires special and often costly disposal |
The Setting
Located in the heart of Canada’s largest city, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) is a renowned destination and premier choice for event planners worldwide. Since first opening in 1984, more than 22,000 events have been held within the MTCC’s 442,000 square feet of exhibit space, 77 meeting rooms, multi-purpose ballrooms, and state-of-the-art theatre. Tourism generated by MTCC events have contributed billions of dollars towards the region’s economic growth and prosperity.
In addition to offering a full suite of services to sustain long-term business success, the MTCC has long taken pride in promoting ethical, ecological, and philanthropic practices that benefit society and the environment. Other sustainability initiatives include sourcing food and beverage from local farms and suppliers, a Chef’s Garden and beehive on the roof of the South Building, and donating leftover food and other items to food rescue organizations in Toronto. The facility also engages in recycling, waste diversion, and offers a range of sustainable meeting solutions.
In keeping with its commitment to environmental stewardship, the MTCC also embraces the use of energy-efficient products and systems throughout its facility. Since completing an extensive lighting upgrade involving high-performing LEDs throughout two exhibit halls in collaboration with leading LED manufacturer LEDVANCE and electrical distributor partner Green Bird Electric Solutions Inc., the MTCC is now poised to enjoy the benefits of high-quality lighting, significant energy and cost savings, maintenance-free operations, and enhanced sustainability for years to come.
The Situation
According to Hijaz Mohamed, Manager of Engineering at the MTCC, the Convention Centre (comprised of a North building constructed in 1984 and a South building constructed in 1997) had undergone different energy-efficient upgrades over the years, but a lighting upgrade remained the last piece of the puzzle.
“We started thinking about a LED upgrade in 2018/2019, but then the pandemic hit,” Mohamed said. “We made our lighting upgrade a priority and began planning for it in late 2022/early 2023.”
Mohamed said that many issues prompted the need to upgrade the 1,431 350-450-Watt metal halide fixtures that had illuminated their exhibit halls for years.
“In addition to taking a long time to warm up when they were switched on, the lights suffered from lumen depreciation and color shifting over time, which caused them to have different yellow and blue tints, cast shadows, and lack uniformity,” said Mohamed, who noted that the fixtures were also costly and time-consuming to maintain. “Because they ran very hot, the lights created socket issues, brittle wire, and often burned out,” he said. “Every time an outage occurred, we’d have to get maintenance crew members out on a boom lift because clients rent out these exhibit floors and don’t want their actual products or pictures of their products to be diminished by poor lighting.”
After researching products, reviewing previous consultants’ lighting studies, and securing buy-in from their stakeholders, the MTCC received approval to pursue an LED upgrade and immediately reached out to various distributor partners including Green Bird Electric Solutions Inc., who worked with MTCC closely with different samples and solutions to figure out an ideal selection of products to be installed.
“Founded in 2010, we’re a family-run distributorship that’s extremely customer-focused, so when the MTCC team reached out, we were excited to support them on this upgrade,” confirmed Ahmed Baig, Vice President of Toronto-based Green Bird Electric Solutions Inc. “The MTCC hosts everything from auto shows to Comic Con and more, and with their 45-foot-high ceilings and diversity of clients and events, they needed a high-performing, all-purpose lighting system to showcase the different products being featured and make them pop.”
A Stellar and Sustainable Solution
Given that tall order, Baig said, “we went with LEDVANCE LEDs because we knew we could get the optimal product, performance, and quality at a price that would meet the MTCC’s budget.”
Working with Yasmin Navid, LEDVANCE’s Mississagua-based Senior Sales Representative, “we selected LEDVANCE’s 200-Watt UFO High Bay, a sleek, high-performing, and energy-efficient LED solution that’s ideal for illuminating warehouses, gymnasiums, and other high-ceiling, industrial applications like the Convention Centre,” Baig said.
“Though the MTCC was initially seeking LED replacements for their existing HID fixtures, we discussed this approach with our colleagues at Green Bird Electric and determined that the cost of doing that wasn’t necessarily lower and wouldn’t deliver the desired lumens to the floor,” Navid noted.
“Lighting is key to creating the right ambiance and mood, especially in such a busy and prominent public venue as the Convention Centre, and we agreed that the UFO High Bays were a better fit for the MTCC’s space,” Navid continued. “Offering a rated average life of 150,000 hours, these well-built fixtures deliver clean and uniform light distribution, built-in surge protection, instantaneous on/off, a solid five-year warranty, and powerful lumen output for less wattage relative to metal halide technology.”
The MTCC’s Mohamed wholeheartedly agreed.
“We wanted a product and manufacturer we could trust, and we knew LEDVANCE and loved their quality and consistency,” Mohamed said. “And the team from Green Bird Electric were great when it came to understanding our needs, providing samples, helping us select the right product for our application, and delivering everything within our tight timeframe.”
A Top-Notch Transformation
Overseen by the MTCC’s in-house electricians, installation of the new LEDVANCE fixtures began in December 2023, was completed in both the North and South buildings by Spring 2024, and the full team couldn’t be happier with the results.
“Thanks to their high-efficiency, long-lasting new LEDs, the MTCC will enjoy nearly $142,000 in energy cost savings and $682,000 in maintenance cost savings every year,” Green Bird Electric’s Baig said. “At the same time, the availability of a $178,000 rebate from local utility/ Government program to offset offset 50% of the project cost, which brought their payback period to under three years – an attractive return on investment by any measure.”
As for the new lighting itself?
“When we first unveiled it, people were just in awe – it’s so much brighter and made it look and feel like a different building,” Mohamed raved. “Our Auto Show clients used to bring their own lighting to the facility to ensure optimal illumination of their vehicles, but now they tell us to leave our lights on because it makes their cars look beautiful.” In fact, he joked, “the new lighting has enhanced visual acuity in our space so much that we’re now planning on redoing our floors later this year because the new lighting has made the blemishes on our floor more visible.”
The MTCC’s project partners are equally thrilled with the results of the upgrade.
“The new lighting looks crisp and beautiful, makes the exhibit halls look fresh and more inviting, truly spotlights the products being featured, and upgraded the look and feel of the space from more of a warehouse to a showroom,” Baig said.
“The new lighting system is a total win-win and we couldn’t be more excited for the MTCC and the city of Toronto to reap the benefits of this upgrade,” agreed LEDVANCE’s Navid. “We’re so proud to have been part of upgrading the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, which is such an important and renowned landmark in our area.”
As someone who was in Montreal and raised in Toronto, “this project was our contribution to the city we love,” Green Bird Electric’s Baig said. “The MTCC is where everyone congregates, and to be able to share our love of lighting with our city in such an iconic setting is priceless. This project contributes to a more sustainable city and world,” he said, “and the new LEDVANCE lighting system will serve the MTCC well for decades to come.”
“When you have the right partners in place and the incentives are out there, these projects are very manageable and we only wish we’d done it sooner,” confirmed the MTCC’s Mohamed of their successful upgrade. “As the biggest convention centre in Canada, this lighting upgrade reflects our desire to continue leading the way in sustainability and creating inviting, engaging, and environmentally-friendly experiences for clients and visitors alike.”
Thanks to their top-notch team of lighting colleagues and partners, Mohamed concluded, “it was an amazing collaboration and a beautiful transformation.”
