There's light at the end of the tunnel
February 1st 2009

Lighting typically makes up between 30% and 40% of a commercial property's energy use, so any increase in efficiency levels offers significant opportunities to help companies drive down their costs says Lee Butterfield, head of Lighting Division,GSH Group

One of the biggest challenges is convincing businesses to invest in an enhanced lighting solution despite the rewards and potential benefits on offer.Many companies want to see a return within the first year, when in fact, the average return on investment for a lighting project is on average between two and three years.

Companies are also under increasing legislative pressures to reduce energy consumption within their operations.The Government has strict targets to reduce emissions by 80% – based on 1990 levels – by 2050, which has resulted in tighter and more wide ranging legislation that is affecting businesses. It already operates a Climate Change Levy that charges companies based on the levels of electricity used, and in 2010 the Carbon Reduction Commitment, a mandatory emissions trading scheme, is scheduled to come into force that is expected to impact around 6000 businesses with electricity bills greater than £500,000 in both the public and private sectors within the UK.

Just switching from old technology to new can have a significant impact with immediate savings of up to 20%, but this can rise to as much as 80%.Adopting T5 lights – a narrow-diameter fluorescent lamp – over older, less efficient standard T8 and T12 technology offers multiple benefits in terms of efficiency and maintenance.

For example, one organisation spent £750,000 on a lighting project that included switching the 400W metal halide high-bay fittings to a T5 alternative.This company was able to achieve payback within 20 months and now benefits from an 80% energy saving on lighting costs.

On top of the savings,T5 products also have a lifespan of around four years – much longer than other equipment – so companies can drive down maintenance costs by reducing the frequency of their relamp cycles. Furthermore, T5 lights can offer dimmable functionality with the use of controls, so companies possess the ability to better manage a lighting system to reduce overall usage. In contrast 400W High Bay fittings are not easily turned on or off as they have a warm-up period.

Using sensors and dimmable lighting technology, companies can now optimise its lighting system based on levels of occupancy and daylight.Occupancy sensor's can detect when someone is in a specific area or room, so the lighting can be set at a suitable level during occupancy and then switched to low-level lighting of around 10% at other times.

In a similar way, daylight sensors can measure levels of natural light and enable the system to maintain a consistent level and save on unnecessary levels of lighting. In fact, savings can be made in many cases just by bringing lighting levels down to the recommended lux level, a system used to measure illumination.

With businesses under increasing pressure to achieve operating efficiencies, lighting offers an effective way to reduce energy costs. GSH Group is so convinced by the benefits that are available, the company offers to contribute or even fully-fund lighting projects, so customers can immediately start reaping the financial rewards.

Furthermore, lighting is just one aspect of a wider energy management opportunity that enables organisations to monitor, analyse and manage usage levels to achieve significant operating efficiencies.

GSH Group is a leading provider of technology-driven energy and facilities management solutions for primarily major blue-chip customers across the UK, mainland Europe and the USA. In close partnership with its customers, GSH Group develops integrated solutions that incorporate a diverse range of services including mechanical and electrical engineering, building engineering services, air conditioning, building fabric maintenance, environmental services, and full and integrated facilities management.

More articles from GSH Group PLC: