intelligent lighting solutions 19
solutions like Save It Easy conversion units. Developed by
lighting specialist Energy Conservation Solutions, these
units plug into existing luminaires (lamp fixtures), allowing
energy-efficient T5 lamps to be used with the existing light
fittings (Fig. 1).
Case study: Unitrunk
Many government bodies now provide free energy audits
to businesses, advising on how to reduce their carbon
footprint. At its headquarters Northern Ireland, cable
management company, Unitrunk was looking to reduce
its spend on energy, and it contacted The Carbon Trust,
an organisation funded by the UK Government. The
Carbon Trust sent out a consultant to conduct a free
survey of Unitrunk’s site, compiling a report on its energy
use.Unitrunk provides site survey, design, manufacture
and world-wide distribution of cable tray and trunking
Fig. 2. Production downtime is minimised because upgrading is so easy.
solutions, from a large manufacturing site in Lisburn,
Northern Ireland. When reducing its plant’s energy help reduce its energy use, Speedibake chose to replace
consumption, Unitrunk chose to implement a number of the old-style lamps at its factory in Wakefield, Yorkshire
small, cost-effective measures with short payback periods, with new-generation, energy-efficient tubes, using the
rather than undertaking an extensive energy-saving plan Save It Easy conversion units.
that involved costly capital investment with a long “We calculated that, in terms of electricity bills, we
payback period. In this way, installation of such measures spent about £2000 (E2230) a year on 20 of the standard
could be staggered, as funds became available. eight-foot strip lights,” commented Speedibake services
Unitrunk decided that the first energy-saving step it engineering manager Paul Catch. “Therefore, due to the
wanted to take was installation of energy-efficient energy savings provided by the energy-efficient lamps, we
lighting in its plant. The Carbon Trust consultant knew we could save £1000 (E1115) a year by
recommended using Save It Easy conversion units to upgrading.”
install 200 energy-efficient lamps. Catch continued: “As a test, we bought 20 of the Save
“Our biggest concern was downtime, since it was It Easy units in order to install new, low-energy lamps.
simply not an option to close the plant while the lighting We worked out that, since they cost us around £400
installation was made,” said Noel McKeegan, process (E446), it would give us an instant saving of £600
manager at Unitrunk’s Lisburn plant. “However, since the (E670) during the first year. Since the new lamps have a
Save It Easy units allow the modern T5 linear fluorescent long lifespan – about five years – we should make savings
lamps to be used with the existing Switchstart light of £1000 (E1115) each year for another four years.”
fittings, it meant that the job was simple and could be What’s more, Speedibake was able to remove every
done within working hours at the plant. We were advised alternate light, because the energy-efficient lamps were
a contractor was not required to undertake the change – bright enough to cope. This added substantially to the
it was literally as simple as changing a lightbulb!” energy savings. Speedibake was also able to minimise
The energy-efficient lamps have been in place for six production downtime, since it was a simple job to
months at Unitrunk, and McKeegan reports that upgrade the lighting (Fig. 2).
performance has been good. Both in terms of reliability As for the future, Speedibake plans to upgrade the rest
and light quality, the new lighting is excellent. of its old strip lighting – but not all at once. Catch said,
What’s more, the higher efficiency of the low-energy “We plan to undertake a rolling programme of
lamps, plus the more efficient control gear or ‘ballast’ in replacement over the next few years. This involves buying
the Save It Easy units, typically adds up to combined 20, 40, 60 Save It Easy units, as funds become available,
energy savings of between 37 per cent and 65 per cent, and install new, energy-efficient lamps as the old ones
according to size of lamp being used. As a result of actual begin to fail.”
cost savings on electricity bills, Unitrunk expects its new While reducing carbon emissions was formerly just
lighting installation to achieve payback in just two years. the domain of big energy users, smaller industrial plants
are now coming around to the bottom-line benefits of
Case study: Speedibake
improved energy efficiency. Innovation in the low-carbon
Companies in the food manufacturing sector have also sector also means that cutting carbon is no longer a
found success by upgrading their lighting using Save It headache, involving downtime and nuisance. n
Easy. At its two bakeries in England, Speedibake, which
makes muffins, doughnuts and specialty breads, produces Nicola Martin is a writer specialising in low carbon
about 900 tonnes of baked goods every week. In order to technologies. www.saveiteasy.co.uk
www.engineerlive.com
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