Long-life luminaires cut life-cycle costs for Knauf
Savings in running costs of over £50 000 a year are being delivered in this factory using
Operational savings of over £50 000 a year are being achieved following the installation of long-life, maintenance-free Endurance luminaires from Chalmor. These luminaires have been installed in the new warehouse and factory of Knauf Drywall in South Humberside. The decision to install these luminaires followed comparisons of life-cycle costs compared with the low-bay discharge lighting using in Knauf’s existing facility. A key criterion was that the lighting should be bright, with a spectrum close to daylight to assist with visual quality checks and ensure safe lighting levels. Additional requirements included high energy efficiency and minimal maintenance requirements. A comparison of Endurance 150 W luminaires against the 400 QW high-pressure-sodium fittings used in the older part of the building showed that the lighting requirements could be met with the same number of fittings — saving 250 W per fitting. The overall annual cost savings include more than £41 000 for electricity, over £4400 of additional savings on the Climate Change Levy and a further £7600 on maintenance costs. The payback will be less than three years, and carbon emissions will be reduced by over 3700 t a year. Warren Fothergill, Knauf’s quality, safety and environmental officer, explains, ‘The old discharge lamps require replacing about every 8000 h, whereas the Endurance lamps have an average life of up to 100 000h, so they will not need replacing for around 15 years. The fact that they are sealed to IP65 also means there is no ingress of dirt into the luminaires, so they won’t require cleaning.’ A further benefit of the Endurance fittings is they do not get as hot as discharge lamps, so Knauf can stack its plasterboard products higher and closer to the lights without a fire risk.
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