Survey shows retrofit can halve lighting costs
Research by Vita Energia suggests that energy consumption for lighting in factories and warehouses can be reduced by an average of 58% by upgrading lighting fittings with specially designed reflectors and installing lower-wattage high-efficiency lamps and ballasts. The survey involved over 500 sites with a fairly typical double-shift patter of 100 h a week (5116 h/week). A 12-month payback was achieved by facilities operating for 6936 h a year and 12 to 24 months for fewer operating hours.
From the research base, the average number of fittings was 447 with a typical investment of £25 710 and average electricity cost of 8.4 p/kWh.
Vita Energia’s approach at TruckEast, the main dealer of Scania trucks in south east England, is saving over £20 000 a year and reducing CO2 emissions by 40 t a year. An interest-free loan from the Carbon Trust made the project cash positive from the start. The site spans 5 acres and includes a 14-bay workshop, body shop and offices. Truck East is looking at implementing the approach on other sites.
