Lighting for energy efficiency

Ford Australia’s stamping plant at Geelong in Victoria is obviously much larger than panel shops across the country, but the lessons learned in saving power can be applied across the board.

The Victorian government’s Sustainability Victoria is assisting business in addressing the sustainability of their operations and has produced a series of information packages to help achieve a more efficient and sustainable work environment.

Sustainability Victoria undertook a case study at Ford Australia’s stamping plant at Geelong where the Blue Oval manufacturer was looking for energy efficiency best practice lighting.

By retrofitting its existing lighting system, the opportunity was presented to save money and energy. Ford saved $349,000 per annum, abated 828 tonnes per annum of carbon and received a return on its investment in just over one year.

In 1997, Ford became the first Australian car manufacturer, and one of the first within the global organisation, to be recommended for ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems certification.

In 2007, Ford recognised the opportunity to improve its ageing lighting system, which was inefficient and costly to operate.

The existing 400 W metal halide lamps could be retrofitted with 350 W pulse-start metal halide lamps, reducing energy consumption by 19 per cent.

In the first step to achieving this energy efficiency, Origin Energy was appointed to assess and document the savings that Ford estimated it could achieve from the conversion of 1100 existing 400 W metal halide lamps, which ran on constant wattage control gear.

The next step was for the lamps to be changed to 350 W pulse-start metal halide lamps, operating on reactor/ignitor control gear, which could be also retrofitted into the same luminaire.

Pulse-start metal halide lamps provide better performance compared with standard metal halide lamps.  The specific benefits are higher efficacy, improved lumen maintenance and longer life.

One key to better lamp performance is heat management. In standard arc tubes, uneven heating prevents optimum arc enhancement.

Pulse-start metal halide lamps have a higher operating temperature, which draw more halides into the stream, resulting in more light being generated. Lumen output does not decay as rapidly over life with pulse-start metal halide lamps, as opposed to standard metal halide lamps.

Mean lumens are improved dramatically, up to 50 per cent higher in some wattages.

The reduction in energy consumption is based on the initial load of each luminaire being 400 W lamp and 65 W constant wattage control gear losses being replaced with a 350 W lamp and 28 W reactor/ignitor control gear losses.

The cost of retrofitting the existing lighting system was $378,000, with expected energy savings of $349,000 annually.

Based on energy cost savings alone, this resulted in a project payback of just over one year.

The key outcomes were:
• retained minimum lighting levels based on AS.1680 requirements
• reduced electricity consumption by 630,630 kWh per annum
• reduced electricity demand by 99 kW
• reduced greenhouse gas pollution by 828 tonnes of carbon.

“Our employees are very happy with the increased amount of light and they are amazed when we tell them that the new lights use less power than the old lights,” the Ford stamping plant’s manager, Andrew Higginbotham, said.

“The lighting upgrade really is a ‘win win’ for both Ford and the environment.”

For more advice: The Energy Efficiency Best Practice Guide to Lighting is a step-by-step guide to gaining maximum efficiency from your lighting system.

The ResourceSmart Business program helps businesses across Victoria improve resource efficiency and manage the risks and opportunities presented by climate change.

For further information on making your business ResourceSmart, visit www.resourcesmart.vic.gov.au or call 1300 363 744.  The upgrade really is a ‘win win’ for both Ford and the environment