New lamps for old slash lighting costs
An 80% reduction in lighting costs is expected at Oxfam’s central distribution depot following the upgrade of existing 8 ft T12 fluorescent light fittings using Chalmor’s ReNew T5 upgrade solution. Lighting in the 2000 m2 warehouse is linked to BlueWave lighting controllers.
Helen Moore, Oxfam’s supply project manager, explains, ‘The existing lighting was of poor quality, inefficient and the only control was a central on/off switch which was inconvenient to use, so the lighting was frequently left on irrespective of daylight levels through the rooflights or whether the warehouse was unoccupied. As the building is 7 m high at the apex, replacing lamps was also time-consuming and expensive.’
ReNew T5 reuses the body of the old fitting and replaces lamps, lamp holders and control gear to achieve as-new performance backed by a 5-year warranty.
The installed load, including ballast losses of the existing T12 fittings was 125 W. Lamps were replaced with two 54 W T5 lamps end-to-end. The fittings are linked to a BlueWave controller to provide occupancy and daylight control and an average illuminance of 180 lx or more.
The new lamps also have a longer life (24 000 h), which, combined with controls to minimise running hours, will greatly reduce maintenance costs. Based on 8 h use a day, the relamping cycle is expected to extend by a factor of five, which will also reduce the cost of disposing of lamps.
