Bjørn-Erik Askestad is the Sales Director for light management systems in Glamox and with 30 years of experience with these systems, he has significant insight into the effects it can have on a building’s energy use.
How a large industrial enterprise became more sustainable – while also saving more than 80% on lighting
An increase in both focus and demands for sustainability will force many companies to make changes to their buildings in the coming years. When we installed a light management system at Aass brewery’s location in Drammen, Norway, their increased energy-efficiency saved them 82% on energy used for lighting.
- Lighting controls have been through a big development in the last five-six years. There are more and more wireless solutions, which makes it easier not only to install them in new buildings but also in older existing buildings. And when we know that the European Union wants to be climate neutral within 2050, and that buildings stand for 40% of the total energy consumption in the European Union, our experience becomes an important part of reaching that goal. We really need to do something about every part of the energy consumption in a building, and lighting controls are quite an easy and very effective step on the way, says Askestad.
He goes on to explain that lighting stands for 18 to 20% of the energy consumption in buildings, and a light management system can save up to 80 to 90% of the energy consumption on light, it goes without saying that there’s a huge potential on savings.
This leads us to the example of Aass Brewery. They contacted Glamox because they wanted to become more energy efficient. Their original problem was that high temperatures in the building meant they had to use energy on cooling to keep the temperature as low as possible. Their lightning was on 24/7, and light creates heat – which in turn meant they had to cool the building down even more. Representatives from Glamox visited Aass and started by making measurements on their energy usage. Then they made calculations using their suggested new lighting installation and wireless controls, and their initial estimate was a 75% savings potential. A 75% saving gave an estimated payback time of 3,5 years, and these numbers convinced the Aass brewery management to greenlight the project. In the end, the new light installation ended up saving them 82% on lighting alone, and the more efficient use of lighting also meant that they had to spend less on cooling – which costs even more. The numbers spoke for themselves.
- With a lighting solution like this you get better light quality, higher light levels and a better working environment for all the employees in your building. You also have light where you need it and when you need it – nothing is wasted. On top of this you increase the lifetime of the installation, and you decrease the maintenance cost for the owner of the building. And with rising energy costs, the payback time decreases significantly. This is a win–win for everyone involved, Bjørn-Erik finishes with a smile.