Lighting upgrade at distribution centre

Providing improved LUX and reduced running costs

3M recently commissioned The Energy Efficient Lighting Company (EELCO) to replace the standard power-hungry high bay lights used throughout its Pemulwuy medical goods distribution centre.

Faded light output from the standard 400 W bell-shaped high bays originally installed in the custom-built facility meant that lighting levels (LUX) fell well short of minimum levels detailed in the Australian Standard AS1680 for interior lighting.

New energy-efficient EELCO 1848A_5LT5 high bays were installed as a one-for-one replacement and have resulted in a dramatic improvement in illumination levels throughout the facility. The significant reduction in electricity running costs of the EELCO lights, along with minimal maintenance requirements due to increased lamp longevity means that 3M’s new lighting system will pay for itself completely in well under three years.

The Australian-made EELCO range of light fittings are designed specifically for commercial and industrial applications and include energy-efficient replacements for standard high and low bay lights as well as office fluorescent systems. Most of the EELCO fittings claim to provide energy savings in excess of 50% and use standard long-life lamp configurations which is said to result in maintenance cost savings of between 50-80%.

To date, 400 W HID high bays, either mercury vapour or metal halide, are the most common form of indoor industrial lighting in Australia. Although inexpensive to purchase, running costs often make up more than 70% of a business’s annual electricity costs. Factories, maintenance centres, large superstores, warehouses and distribution centres, where these fittings are typically installed, often either put up with poor-quality lighting or alternatively face substantial annual maintenance bills for lamp replacements.

3M’s Engineering Manager, John Short, said that the lighting levels had improved and the lights produced a better colour which was not patchy. “For any organisation wanting to improve light and save energy, [it’s] worthwhile to investigate these fittings,” he said.

The Energy Efficient Lighting Company CEO Mat Fear said: “It’s time Australia caught up with rest of the world and mothballed the 50-year-old inefficient HID technology still used in the vast majority of these standard high and low bay lights. Viable energy-efficient alternatives have been available in the US and Europe for some time and are now one of the most cost-effective investments Australian businesses can make.”