Philips GreenManufacturing system has been installed in three production units. The functionality of the system can be adapted to individual areas based on behavioural patterns and the requirements of the people working there.

 Project and requirements

Novozymes has three factories in which a large number of T8 neon tube light fittings needed replacing. Access conditions at all three locations were generally difficult, making a traditional cable-based installation very time consuming. The plan therefore called for reuse of the existing cable installation, coupled with an intelligent solution to be able to control lighting levels as needed and based on human presence. The aim was also to reduce electricity consumption and contribute to sustainable production. Furthermore, the two installation contractors, Lindpro and Electricom, had only four months from signing the contract to completing the work. “The installation process had to be flexible enough to give us the opportunity to optimise if modifications were made to the premises”, explains Peter FinkJensen, Senior Project Manager at Novozymes. Philips’ GreenManufacturing is a new lighting system based on LED fittings with integrated lighting control and wireless sensors. Acting upon the recommendation of consultant Sweco, GreenManufacturing was selected, as it met all of the requirements.

The GreenManufacturing system has been installed in all three production units. Replacement was on a 1:1 basis, reusing the existing cables. A total of 4,400 Pacific and GentleSpace LED fittings were installed, plus 1,200 sensors able to communicate wirelessly with these fittings. No further installation work was needed, as the wireless sensors can be relocated when required. GreenManufacturing functionality can be adapted to individual areas based on behavioural patterns and the requirements of the people working there.

When no movement is detected after ten minutes, the light dims to 10%, and in designated areas switches off after a further ten minutes. “Our energy savings have been calculated to be around 4,600 MWh per annum. No replacement of tubes will be required during the lifetime of the fittings, which also saves us maintenance costs and, of course, disruption for production and the workforce,” says Peter Fink-Jensen. “Service life is expected to be around 15 years for 9-10 hours daily use,” explains Andreas Birch from Sweco, consultants for the project. “Credibility, quality products and a well-known manufacturer with a good track record that is able to provide the necessary support were the reasons we chose Philips”, adds Fink-Jensen.

“The project ran to plan, and the GreenManufacturing solution was installed at all three production facilities, four months after the contract was signed. Production runs around the clock and stayed uninterrupted throughout the entire project”, he stated.

“We are very satisfied with the lighting. Large factory buildings like ours can be uncomfortable to be in if they seem dark, but the lights come on so quickly that it doesn’t feel insecure. The light intensity is also higher than from the old tubes”, claims Peter Kolby, an operator at the site. “The fact that the lights do not turn off completely is nice. By keeping them on at 10% means we can still see in the building, something that is necessary, not least from a safety point of view. When we work on the night shift, it’s really great to have full lighting throughout.”

“Electricom was responsible for about half of the installation. Per Junge, installer and owner, is very satisfied with GreenManufacturing and the level of support provided by Phillips:

“Philips gave us thorough instructions to commission the system, and our electricians have nothing but good things to say about it”, he says, pointing out that GreenManufacturing system will definitely be used again in the future. “With the intelligent GreenManufacturing solution there was no need for new cables, which made it all very easy to install. I have already proposed the same solution to other customers”, says Service Leader Martin Fehrn from Lindpro. “The aim was to cut electricity consumption and contribute to sustainable production – and we certainly succeeded with GreenManufacturing”, says Fink-Jensen, Senior Project Manager at Novozymes and responsible for running the project.

Visit www.novelenergylighting.com to explore the Philips LED High Bay range, including Philips Coreline Highbay, and Philips Gentlespace LED. Tel: 0208-540-8287

The other type of warehouse, which is very common, uses racking, often to a high level, maybe 6-10m.

Our warehouse uses a combination of both. On the subject of storage areas, EN 12464 says that a continuously occupied space where little perception of detail is required should be lit to 200 lx. Manned gangways/aisles should be lit to 150 lx. The vertical illuminance on the racks should also be 200 lx.

To get the greatest benefit from a control system, you must know how the warehouse is used. How long do staff stay in certain areas? Do they cluster in one spot? How much movement is there in the aisles? If you don’t ask these questions, you won’t achieve the best result.

One of the biggest savings to be made is in unoccupied aisles. I went to a distribution centre for a major wholesaler that had literally dozens of aisles. These aisles were a good 30m long, maybe more than 40m. However, at any one time, only about a quarter of the aisles were occupied.

These guys knew their controls and had installed movement detectors at the ends and along the aisles. When the aisle was empty, the luminaires dimmed to 10 per cent. As soon as someone entered, the luminaires switched to full brightness giving 200 lux both horizontally and vertically. They had further refined the technique, and achieved greater savings, by switching on only those luminaires in the vicinity of the person picking the goods. Further down the aisle, and behind, the luminaires were dimmed.

Outside the aisles, savings can be made by zoning so that only the occupied areas are illuminated to full output. But beware, switching off totally can make a place look gloomy and desolate; it might even be a health and safety hazard. It’s much better to dim to 50 or 25 per cent.

If you have ever done a Leni calculation, you will know that it includes a figure for the quiescent power load of the sensors. This is also known as the parasitic load. The Ex-Or unit used here has a low rating of 150mW.

One final point that needs to be mentioned is ease of setup. With some other suppliers, commissioning can be a pain and may even require an outside specialist. Ex-Or has devoted a lot of effort developing its QuickSet Pro handheld setup controller.

Our warehouse is 25 x 50m and 14m to the apex. It is lit to 200 lux using three different types of luminaire.

• Full output

Lux reports: A nationwide UK plumbing firm is upgrading the lighting at its central distribution warehouse in a move to save £100,000 ($157,000) a year in electricity costs.

Wolseley UK is replacing nearly 4,400 light fittings with LEDs at its Leamington Spa facility and hopes to complete the job by the end of September,  the company said.

The move to low-energy lighting will cut electricity consumption by around 236,000 kilowatt-hours during late afternoon and evening hours from November through February, and the total will equate to about 300 homes, Wolseley estimated.

It expects the savings will pay back total costs of around £500,000 ($786,000) in less than five years.

The company is financing the upfront costs in part with a £50,000 ($79,000) grant from the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s Electricity Demand Reduction (EDR) programme.

DECC announced £20 million ($31 million) of available funds last year and awarded a first tranche earlier this year.

It is expected to announced a second tranche this month.

BusinessGreen has criticised the programme for not living up to its promise, as it allocated only £1.28 million ($2 million) of an available £10 million ($16 million) in the first round.

In addition to Wolseley, EDR recipients inlcuded Network Rail, BAE Systems, Tata Steel and others.

Wolseley UK operates a number of heating and plumbing operations including the retail chain Plumb Center. It is part of the £13 billion Theale, England-based international plumbing and heating giant Wolseley plc.

Novel Energy Lighting supplies a range of LED high bays, LED floods, LED corns, and other low energy lighting for warehouse applications. Call us today to discuss your needs: Tel: 0208-540-8287

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Photo of a Wolseley warehouse is from Wolseley.