Warehouses never sleep. Workers are in many warehouses 24 hours a day, causing the company’s electricity bills to skyrocket. These high electricity costs can be significantly reduced by replacing old, inefficient lighting with LED luminaries.
Multiple case studies have reported electricity savings of over 60% from making the switch to LED! These companies have saved on energy costs, and the new lighting has improved employee morale. One case study conducted at Frontline International, Inc., in Ohio, reported that the employees felt the old plant looked like a “dungeon” compared to the new, brighter plant.
Another case study conducted at Rockline Industries in Rockline, Arkansas, stated that they will realize a return on investment on their LED retrofit in less than a year. Rockline Industries is a leading supplier of household paper products, including toilet paper, coffee filters, and various wipes. They launched a corporate sustainability program called Changing Our Environmental Footprint. This program required a 2% reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The warehouse replaced 140 400-watt metal halide fixtures with 150-watt LED bulbs to achieve this goal. Employees reported an immediate temperature drop in the warehouse. According to the case study, there was a 10-15% reduction in air conditioning demand because the new lamps do not give off heat. The company is also saving thousands annually on maintenance costs. With the old fixtures, the company had to rent trucks to clean and replace lamps, an activity that also disturbed workers. Rockline Industries received a $48,000 energy-savings rebate through the American Electric Power Southwestern Electric Power Company. They are expecting a 10-year lifetime from each fixture and are looking for other places around their warehouse to install LED lighting.
Warehouses are excellent candidates for LED Lighting retrofits because they have extended hours of operation, are brightly lit, and maintenance is expensive due to high fixture mounting heights. In addition, they also provide a safer environment because of more uniform lighting and better color quality. Many warehouse-related accidents are attributed to poor light distribution. Accidents are caused by workers who indicate that they did not see someone or something in their path.
Less Electricity + Less Maintenance + Safer Working Environment + Reducing Carbon Footprint = a smarter warehouse.
