Case Study: LED lighting to deliver payback in just over two years for global packaging company

As a leading consumer packaging company with 83 manufacturing sites across the globe, Rexam makes the packaging for many of the world’s favourite brands, striving to produce it as efficiently and sustainably as possible. Producing 4.5 million cans a day for the UK and Northern Europe at its beverage canning plant at Milton Keynes UK, the company took the decision to review its lighting at this facility in order to reduce energy consumption.

The Challenge

The Milton Keynes production line and warehouse are in constant use and the lighting runs 24/7. The company had previously had issues in two other plants with mercury vapour lamps, so it had taken a decision to enclose them all or change them out altogether. It therefore made sense to look at a new lighting solution that would save energy as well as meeting safety standards.

With 340 x 400W mercury vapour high bays throughout the facility, energy costs were high, but maintenance was also a big consideration. At eight metres mounting height, those fittings above the production line had a hard task to produce enough light because of build-up of film from oil vapours in the atmosphere. The print area is also full of conveyors and gantries which further filter the light as well as making the light fittings very hard to access. The mercury vapour high bay lamps were averaging a 2-3 year lifespan and being replaced when they failed or looked ready to fail at a rate of around 40 a year. This often involved bringing in specialist hired riggers at a cost of £750/day.

The Solution

Electrical Supervisor, Stuart Macey looked at six alternative lighting solutions from a variety of manufacturers, trying out samples over a three month test period, before choosing Dialight’s DuroSite® Series LED High Bays on the combined basis of price and performance. Rather than rewire the plant, he replaced the 400W mercury vapours one-for-one with 150W LED high bays throughout the production and warehouse areas.

The Result

Stuart calculates that his lighting energy needs for the high bays have reduced from 1,100kWh to 433kWh per year, a saving of £43,000 annually at a rate of £0.06/kWh, and estimates a payback period of a little over two years when comparing this investment in LED technology with the alternative solution of installing open rated lamps to meet the new corporate safety standards. He also notes that further savings can be counted from the reduced maintenance burden thanks to Dialight’s continuous performance warranty.

To Stuart’s surprise the warehouse is where the LED high bays have brought unexpected benefit. Mounted at 11-15 metres in a palletised area with no aisles, they’ve been a major success. He comments: “The lighting used to be poor, but now operators find the quality of light restful and good for the eyes – more like daylight. As this area is our last chance to check product quality, the lighting is important to us. We’ve had the LEDs in place for eighteen months with no failures, so our high bay lighting is no longer a Health & Safety issue and this installation is now regarded as a best practice example for all our plants.”

Installation Snapshot

• Replacement of 340 x 400W MV with 150W LED high bays
• Over 60% reduction in energy needs
• 460 tonnes annual reduction in CO2 emissions
• Expensive maintenance eliminated
• Improved safety and productivity
• Payback just over two years

Dialight LED Benefits

• L70 rated for >100,000 hours @ 25°C ambient
• 5 year full performance warranty as standard
• 10 year full performance warranty available (25,000 and 17,500 lumen models only)
• Up to 102 lm/W
• Significant energy savings
• Instant on/off
• Maintenance free
• Mercury free
• No UV or IR
• Produces minimal heat compared to traditional fixtures
• Reflector based optics for precise light control
• Resistant to shock and vibration
• Temperature compensation technology for long life
• Copper free aluminium
• Typical payback < 2 years

Dialight plc (LSE: DIA.L) is leading the lighting revolution for industrial users across the world. Applying leading edge LED technology it produces high-specification, retro-fittable lighting fixtures designed for hazardous area, industrial, commercial, transportation and infrastructure applications to vastly reduce maintenance, save energy, improve safety and ease disposal. Versions of these high specification luminaires are also produced for more general industrial and outdoor situations. The company is headquartered in the UK with operations in the USA, UK, Australia, Denmark, Germany, Malaysia, Japan and Mexico. More information is available at www.dialight.com.