Depending on the type of building, lighting costs can account for a significant share of your monthly electricity bills. The costs can be particularly high in car parks, warehouses, logistics buildings and commercial or industrial premises with a large number of luminaires and a long switched-on period.
Although we often do not think about it, luminaires wear out over time, turn yellow and become dirty, thus reducing the amount of light shining through the lamp. This, in turn, leads to a darker working environment, affecting the well-being and health of workers.
Revo Saar, Product Manager for Lighting Services at Enefit Connect, notes that although the energy consumption of a lighting installation is often not the first priority or the highest cost item on electricity bills, companies can save tens of thousands of euros over 5-10 years.
“Lighting technologies have become significantly more efficient and cheaper in the last 5 years. LED technology has a long service life and is virtually maintenance-free, which reduces monthly maintenance and energy costs. Modern control systems provide an opportunity to achieve additional winnings by implementing light and motion-based control and taking into account the specific needs of the company, its employees and space,” Saar added.
Revo Saar points out surprising numbers: depending on the type of building, significant savings can be made on lighting, as LED lamps consume up to 80% less electricity and have a lifespan of 3-6 times longer than conventional solutions. Maintenance costs are also reduced by eliminating the need to frequently change the light sources.
Halve you electricity bills with no investment
Enefit maps the lighting installation of your building and the related costs, and finds the most optimal solution based on your company’s needs and goals, leading to energy savings and a safe working environment.
Based on Saar’s own practice, a building may be recently completed and modern in appearance, but its lighting systems are often designed incompetently or with the cheapest technologies.
“For example, we performed work in a five-storey parking garage built in 2015. We replaced 367 old fluorescent light sources with new LEDs on an area of 4,000 m2. Such a solution saves 5,601 euros per year or 55% on the electricity costs of the lighting installation and 69,873 euros during the 11 years of life of the solution,“ Saar explained.
The entire cost of the replacement, together with the cost of new light sources and the disposal of old ones, was borne by Enefit, and the customer only had to pay the monthly service fee for the agreed contract period. After the end of the contract period, the installed lights are the property of the customer.
Lighting services are most beneficial for companies that need as much light as possible around the clock, such as multi-shift production facilities, car parks, animal farms and shopping malls, or where lighting accounts for one of the largest share of total consumption, such as warehousing and logistics buildings.
Mitigate risks and improve employee well-being
Financial savings are one of the most effective reasons why customers choose to upgrade their lighting, but there are often other reasons as well.
“High-quality lighting is also needed to reduce blind spots, prevent potential risks and accidents, and prevent crime. We often see that customers have problems with the safety of their work environment or the well-being of employees due to outdated lighting,” Saar added.
Most of us spend a significant portion of our waking hours at work, and this environment has a significant impact on how we feel and the quality of our work. Properly selected lighting ensures a safe working environment and improves employee productivity. When preparing a workplace risk assessment, lighting conditions are an important risk factor to pay attention to.
If lighting is correctly chosen and suitable for the environment, employees will be faster, more accurate, better focused as well as more active and happy. If the workroom is dark, employees’ backs tend to hunch more over, straining their necks and causing headaches and eyestrain due to forced posture. Good lighting can therefore reduce the symptoms associated with tension and eyestrain.
Why choose lighting services?
- Significant savings on energy costs: LEDs consume up to 80% less electricity
- Reduces maintenance costs for light sources: The lifespan of LED solutions is up to 6 times longer
- The safety of the working environment is significantly improved and several other risks are mitigated
- The initial investment can be made in full by Enefit
