Xtreme Everest 2, a team of intensive care doctors, nurses, and scientists, runs an intensive care unit at 17,500 feet elevation at the Mt. Everest High Base Camp. The location requires rugged, energy-efficient lighting that performs well in extremely cold temperatures but also provides benefits of good lighting for patients. On March 10, the laboratory, operating room, and patient areas were outfitted with Cardinal LED lighting from RedBird LED.
Delivering 7,000 lumens of light, yet only drawing 66W, the Cardinal vapor-tight LED luminaires, PG3-66W-50K-132, provide one of the highest lumens per dollar and lumens per watt of any LED lighting fixture. They are a direct mechanical fit into standard fixtures, operating on any voltage ranging from 110 to 277 VAC, and do not require the fluorescent ballast.
"We're pleased to have been selected to light this important facility,” said Jonathan Eppstein, president of RedBird. “The research being done by this dedicated team will have a huge impact on treating a wide array of medical conditions. Our LED lights, with their high CRI and low energy use, fit the bill perfectly for this application. While we in the United States may think our energy rates are high, just imagine what the cost of electricity is at Everest High Base Camp, where generators running on gasoline flown in by helicopter provide all the power."