Pilkington Automotive sees 17% energy savings with LED upgrade

Nov. 28, 2017 – Glass and glazing products producer NSG Group is a multinational supplier of architectural, automotive and technical glass for buildings, OEM and aftermarket replacement and displays, optoelectronics and glass fibre products. With principal operations in 28 countries and 27,000 employees worldwide, the company sells its products into more than 130 companies around the globe.

Its Pilkington Automotive facility in Redditch, U.K., boasts an aftermarket automotive glass product range of nearly 7,000 parts covering 600 vehicle models, including AC Ace, Aston Martin and Ferrari to Jaguar, MG, Mercedes and Volvo.

The challenge: Difficult access for repetitive lighting maintenance
Like most facilities of its time, the Pilkington plant was lit by conventional HID lamps with linear fluorescents as emergency backup. But, as is typical with HID technology, the fixtures required frequent bulb changes.
 
Not only was maintenance an ongoing issue and expense, but it was made even more challenging by the difficulty in accessing the fixtures themselves. Between the location of fixtures above the storage racking and the high-traffic environment with 24/7 operations, changing out light bulbs often meant shutting down aisles for access, which directly impacted productivity and revenue.
 
The solution: Dialight industrial LED fixtures with controls
NSG had already built a relationship with Dialight, a provider of industrial LED lighting solutions, with Dialight LED lighting installations at multiple NSG facilities across Europe over the years. Impressed by the lighting improvements they’d seen at other facilities, the Pilkington team contacted Dialight to conduct a site survey to assess lighting needs and propose a solution. Dialight conducted the survey and also provided a design and layout plan with the goal to maximize light output and visibility on the ground with minimal energy cost.

Dialight proposed its Vigilant Dimmable 18,000 and 26,000 lumen High Bay fixtures for the facility. In addition, the proposal included implementation of a Controls package with occupancy sensors to help deliver increased energy savings and sustainability. Installed and commissioned by Ecopare, a Dialight recommended installer, the lights are activated only when personnel are present, reducing burn time and energy consumption with virtually no impact on productivity.

The result: Improved visibility, energy savings and zero maintenance
According to NSG Group, the Dialight Vigilant Dimmable 18,000 and 26,000 lumen High Bays have delivered a major improvement in light levels throughout the plant, enhancing visibility and worker safety. Despite adding a few more fixtures, the LED products reduced the facility’s energy costs by 17 per cent while virtually eliminating lighting maintenance for years to come, for an overall substantial return on investment.

“The new Dialight fixtures have more than met our expectations with improved light quality, cost savings and durability,” said Mark Hay, EDC Operations Manager. “The controls package has allowed us a great deal of flexibility in site use based on occupancy and the level of site activity. Overall, we’re extremely pleased with Dialight’s solution, and highly recommend these fixtures to anyone looking for a reliable, robust, future-ready lighting solution.”

***

Project snapshot:
• Where: Pilkington Automotive warehouse facility
• Issue: Existing HID fixtures provided unsatisfactory visibility and difficult to access fixtures for frequent bulb changes
• Scope: Replaced 107 400W HID fixtures, 296 1 x 73W fluorescent fixtures and 67 2 x 73W fluorescent fixtures with 327 x 112W 18,000 lumen  and 108 x 212W 26,000 lumen Dialight High Bays. A Controls package allowed the installation site to only use light when needed and reduced burn time.
• Result: Delivered 17 per cent energy cost savings, despite a net gain in fixture count; at least a decade of zero maintenance with 10-year full performance warranty.