The cost of regulatory compliance is generally perceived as having negative financial consequences. Nothing could be less true in the case of a lighting upgrade to meet OHS compliance. The advancement in LED technology has been exponential over the last decade and with it come vast financial and operational benefits. A well-planned lighting upgrade will not only enhance operating working conditions morale and productivity but simultaneously will provide energy and maintenance savings which bring significant financial reward to the bottom line over decades.
The causes of OHS non-compliance are generally due to the original installation becoming aged in all respects. Luminaires have failed, lamps degraded and no longer are the original lighting designs appropriate. All too often we see factories where a Mercury Vapour lamp has degraded to such an extent that it is glowing pink but not emitting any light at all. It is a bit bizarre that management are happy to pay for the ongoing cost of something that isn’t delivering what it is made for and even more bizarre is the amount of money that is being wasted.
To understand the extent of the waste money the following example is indicative of the power draw of a Mercury Vapour lamp in a factory working 24/7.
A 400W Mercury vapour lamp that is functioning but no longer emitting much light can be costing up to R8000 per annum in energy alone, just for the pleasure of being able to see that it is working.
A fully functional properly specified top of the range LED fitting can deliver the equivalent system lumens of a 400W Mercury vapour at a cost of around R1500 per annum,
Over a 10-year period the savings in energy alone (without Eskom escalations) will amount to R65000 per luminaire and many people are not changing their luminaires because of the Capex cost of replacing them.
It should be noted that the wasted energy savings are not contained to Mercury Vapour but include High Intensity Discharge Lamps, Fluorescent, Induction and older technology LEDs. The early LEDs emitted system lumens of between 60 and 80 lumens per watt but with technical advancement the most recent LEDs can deliver over 100% more light for the same cost of the earlier LEDS
The following table shows the likely energy savings
* System Lumens – System lumens are the effective lumens that are emitted from a luminaire after losses.
Maintenance savings will depend on the technology but will in most cases be costly and disruptive due to the randomness of failures and difficulty of accessing products
In addition to the energy savings the upgrade will reduce the maintenance cost on replacement lamps:
- Qualitative Benefits
- Vastly improved lighting
- Better working conditions
- Better product output
- Insignificant disruptive maintenance
With the potential of saving millions of rands in relatively small facilities and paybacks from under a year, management should be rubbing their hands in glee with the prospect of becoming OHS compliant.
Seldom has a regulatory requirement been this beneficial.
However, BEWARE the pitfalls of an LED upgrade.
Key areas to understand:
- LED Luminaires are not created equal.
- Don’t make a CAPEX based decision. The ongoing opex costs are far more significant than the Capex.
- REMEMBER - “You pay for what you get” – typically a price difference is a direct indicator of the quality of the luminaire and its components. A poor heat sink will result in early failures and an unsustainable solution. A fitting with a smart driver may cost significantly more but will generate very large operational savings. Cheap LED Chips won’t last and have lower output.
- Use a reputable local manufacturer that can support the warranties. It is almost impossible to exercise a warranty on an import and who is to say that the replacement won’t also fail. Downtime because of timeframes can be disastrous where there are multiple luminaire failures.
- Ensure that you identify areas where you require emergency and or hazardous area lighting correctly.
- Understand the data sheets and obtain certifications where possible. Many of the data sheets state facts in ways which are misleading. Typically LED lifetime may be stated as based on the LEDs operating at 25 degrees C. The operating temperature of an LED in a fitting will depend on the heat sinking capability of the fitting and the input power to the LEDS. LEDS aren’t capable of withstanding high heat conditions and will fail exponentially faster at higher heat.
- Verify the luminaire system lumens as this directly translates into energy savings.
Let Nordland make your OHS lighting compliance financially rewarding
Nordland has the expertise to guide you through OHS compliance in the most cost effective financially rewarding way. Not only do we have a full suite of products to meet almost every application, but we have the technical skills to do lighting audits, lighting designs, zoning of hazardous areas and advise on the most cost-effective way of achieving the compliance in a sustainable way.
At Nordland, we can offer you full support on any OHS lighting upgrade.
The process entails 2 phases
Phase 1
Site dependant this may be done as a free service
- A lighting audit to assess the existing lighting and lux levels
- Hazardous area assessment
- A lighting design to meet OHS compliance.
- A full cost savings analysis for the upgrade.
Phase 1 Report
A comprehensive proposal will be submitted based on our findings which will include
- A full assessment of existing and proposed lux levels.
- An assessment of energy savings and maintenance savings generated through the upgrade
- Recommendations on interventions to save energy and increase the longevity of the luminaires
- Maintenance and upgrade solutions to ensure long term sustainability
- Long term warranties
- Flexible structured financial solutions.
Phase 2
Based on acceptance of the proposal a flexible contract would be entered into for the supply of the lighting either on a supply only or a supply and instal basis.
Nordland will provide performance guarantees on the luminaires over an extended period of time.
