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Energy efficient lighting for warehouses & logistics buildings
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This section provides information on the energy efficient lighting options which can save up to 80% on exisiting lighting bills in warehouses. This is Part 1 - which covers the reasons why older warehouse lighting is inefficient.
If you are considering installing energy saving lighting in a warehouse building then go here to get started!
If you would like to see a worked example of a business case for energy saving warehouse lighting - go here. |
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Part 1 - Cut warehouse lighting bills by 80% <
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Part 1 - Cut warehouse lighting bills by 80% |
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The installation of energy efficient lighting in medium-large warehouse/logistics buildings represents one of the most effective steps to save electricity and quick returns on investment that a site manager can make.
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Outdated warehouse lighting can account for 50-80% of the onsite electricity costs. However, significant electricity savings are possible by using energy efficient high/low-bay lighting fixtures and/or control systems that ensure lighting is only used when and where required. |
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Why is old warehouse lighting inefficient? |
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In your warehouse building there may currently be older, inefficient high bay/low bay lighting fixtures which use high intensity discharge bulbs (high-pressure sodium or metal halide). These are usually mounted 4 metres or higher from ground level - older fluorescent strip lamp fixtures (using T8 or T12 tubes) are more common at lower mounting levels.
So, where can an 80% energy saving come from without compromising on lighting levels? - The following points outline where older warehouse lighting systems could be wasting energy:
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"Hidden" energy consumption - Older HID light fixtures that use 400 Watt rated bulbs actually consume between 420-480 Watts due to the extra energy requirement s for the control ballast. This means an extra 5-20% of energy is consumed
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Light 'loss' in older fixtures - Your lighting fixtures may be very inefficient at directing light where it is needed (e.g. due to a poorly performing reflector) preventing large levels of illumination reaching the working surfaces. This means that you may be using more fixtures than you need to acheive required lighting levels
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Using lighting when not required - The lighting in your warehouse may have default setting of full power in all areas & aisles during the working day - or even a default 24 hours setting regardless of working shifts. This means energy is being used needlessly
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Using lights only at a full power setting - Old lighting fixtures cannot be dimmed or switched in response to area occupancy or daylight. This means a large energy saving opportunity is being missed. |
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Energy efficient lighting for warehouses & logistics buildings
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This section provides information on the energy efficient lighting options which can save up to 80% on exisiting lighting bills in warehouses. This is Part 1 - which covers the new energy efficient lighting technogies.
If you are considering installing energy saving lighting in a warehouse building then go here to get started!
If you would like to see a worked example of a business case for energy saving warehouse lighting - go here. |
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Part 2 - New warehouse lighting solutions <
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Part 2 - New warehouse lighting technologies |
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New warehouse lighting technologies can cut the energy use of older HID or fluorescent lights by up to 80% while still improving on the existing quality of light.
These use very efficient light emitting sources (where less wasteful heat is emitted) in conjunction with intelligent control systems. This means that a typical high bay light fitting with an existing energy requirement of 460 Watts can be replaced with one requiring an average of 100-120 Watts. |
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The latest energy efficient lighting technologies that have been developed include LED, induction and high output T5 fluorescent tube high/low-bay fixtures. If you want to investigate using these lights in your business warehouse/logistics building then let us help you now - see below for more information on these. |
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LED, induction & T5 warehouse lights ... |
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Installing new energy efficient LED, induction or T5 fluorescent high bay and low bay fixtures will usually provide a faster return on investment than any other warehouse building upgrade. In addition, these new efficient lighting fixtures will protect your business from the impact of energy price rises and financial penalties arising from new regulations on business energy (e.g. the Carbon Reduction Commitment)
Aside from the direct energy savings, why should you consider new light source for your warehouse buildings? - see below
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Lower indirect lighting costs - In warehouses, a scissor lift or cherry picker will be required to change lamps. This, and the disruption caused can be costly. New light fixtures use bulbs that last up to 50000-80000 hours; or 6-9 years continual operation. This means lighting maintenance and disposal costs are reduced
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Carbon Trust funding - New energy efficient lighting may qualify for Carbon Trust financial assistance - either through an interest-free loan or write off of capital against tax. This means a positive cash flow could be generated!
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Improved light quality - The quality of light from high-bay fixtures can be poor (especially from sodium lights) - new lighting technogies emit light that is comparable to daylight. This means beter colour recognition for product picking, health & safety standards etc.
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A further energy saving opportunity - New lighting fixtures can be dimmed or switched in response to presence or daylight levels. This means individual warehouse aisles can be kept at a low energy lighting level until occupied
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Respond to the sustianability demands of your supply chain & customers - increasing awareness of environmental issues has put green issues high on business agendas. Energy saving lighting provides one of the most effective ways to lower the carbon footrpint of a warehouse building. - This means you get a very visual display of your commitment to sustainability |
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Energy efficient lighting for warehouses & logistics buildings
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This section provides information on the energy efficient lighting options which can save up to 80% on exisiting lighting bills in warehouses. This is Part 3 - which details an example warehouse lighting case study.
If you are considering installing energy saving lighting in a warehouse building then go here to get started!
If you would like to see a worked example of a business case for energy saving warehouse lighting - go here. |
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Part 3 - Example warehouse case study < |
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Part 3: Example warehouse case study |
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Green Business Light was approached by a parcel delivery business who had seven warehouse depot buildings across the UK. The environmental manager became aware how much lighting the buildings was were costing and gave us a challenge to significantly reduce this energy use and deliver a very quick return on any investment they made. |
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After taking a brief of requirements for the new lighting system, Green Business Light organised site surveys and trial demonstrations of lighting solutions from suppliers who could replace the old HPS high-bay lights that were in place. Some of the proposed technologies (induction & LED high bay) required no maintenance for at least 5 years following installation - this was an important requirement as the warehouse buildings worked on 24 hour shifts - productivity was reduced while waiting for lamps to be replaced. The suppliers provided full illustrations of payback times and were able to apply for Carbon Trust loans.
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The new lighting system in the pilot warehouse site saved 52% on direct electricity usage with further indirect savings from lower Climate Change Levy payments and zero maintenance for several years. The payback time for the pilot warehouse depot site was 17 months.
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