How much lighting contributes to carbon emissions

Much of the recent Government, media and public attention on environmental issues relating to greenhouse gas emissions has been directed on the areas of commercial air travel and vehicle emissions.

In recent weeks and months the talk is of taxation on commercial air travel and tax breaks for cars with emissions below certain levels of CO2 per km. Whilst these are critical elements in the fight against the dramatic increase in greenhouse gas emissions, is it clear that these the areas where biggest change and benefits can be affected with greatest haste?

CO2 emissions from commercial air travel are currently less than of 5% of total UK levels. Fears are that emissions from air travel will increase dramatically in the next 30 years. This is an important matter, however UK industry already accounts for 55% of the current emissions! Although the ability to make changes in industrial policy does not directly lie with every member of the UK population in the same way as car and air travel choices do, the policy decisions in the hands of company executives could effect a major change if there was real decisiveness and less high profile "green washing".

Take for example one easy and clear area for substantial reduction in CO2emissions; industrial and commercial lighting. Most organisations (and individuals) take lighting for granted and not only think it does not cost significant money to run residential, commercial or industrial lighting, but therefore by association do not consider that attention to lighting installations will have any real effect on greenhouse gas emissions.

Let us however, consider one typical fitting, which is a common fixture seen in any warehouse, industrial production facility, warehouse style retail outlet or even sports hall across the UK. Many warehouses and distribution centres will have 100s if not 1000s of such light fittings burning all day, all week, all year as they work to meet the demands of the logistics of storage and distribution. Just one 400W high pressure sodium or metal halide light fitting which is burning 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 52 weeks per year is responsible for the emissions of 1.69 tonnes of CO2 per year.

1.69 tonnes from the burning of one light bulb for one year. Let us put that in context of the aforementioned vehicle or air travel topics. For a typical medium sized 1.5l family saloon car to generate the same CO2 emissions it would have to travel 14083 km - this for many people is their annual mileage.

The CO2 emissions from that one light fixture is also equivalent to one adult's share of the CO2 emissions on a full international flight from London Heathrow to Denver in the USA; and back again! A warehouse or industrial facility therefore with 300 to 400 lights is equivalent to the whole aeroplane!

There are obviously literally thousands of warehouses and industrial facilities across the UK, with potentially millions of such light fittings or equivalents, many burning 24/7, but what can be done to affect this matter. Obviously warehouses or production facilities cannot work in the dark.

Until recently there was not a viable replacement option for industrial lighting which is commonly suspended from heights of 5m or 6m and up to 16m. Whilst some low energy fluorescent fittings can be effective at lower mounting heights, the increased numbers needed above 6m to match the light levels delivered by conventional industrial lighting would negate any energy savings.

In the last year however, Award Winning UK company Somar International Ltd has been working with companies such as Rolls-Royce plc, British Ceramic Tile, Heinz and Imerys to demonstrate that significant savings can be delivered whilst maintaining or even increasing light levels within industrial scenarios up to 16m.

Remarkably the savings delivered by Somar's Powerboss Eluma Intelligent Lighting solutions are typically in the region of 60% to 80% of the lighting energy usage and costs within such a facility. Warehouse lighting can account for 50%, 60% or even higher percentages of a sites entire electrical energy bill.

These savings are delivered through the highly efficient design of the patented lighting fitting itself and also a built-in sensor which senses both ambient daylight and the presence, or lack of presence of workers in the vicinity. The fittings are then automatically dimmed/brightened or switched off/on individually in order to maximise savings.

At British Ceramic Tile Ltd (BCT Ltd) in Newton Abbott 370 x 400W metal halide fittings were replaced by Powerboss Eluma and not only is BCT Ltd saving in excess of £87,000 per annum but a 75% reduction of CO2 emissions (approximately 500 tonnes CO2) has been delivered.

Whilst there is currently a growing concern over so-called "Green Washing", Somar is assisting UK companies such as British Ceramic Tile and Rolls-Royce who are dedicated to driving forward real change in energy policy and management within their organisations.

Roger Williams, CEO of the UK Warehousing Association comments; "It is very important that UKWA members work with leading technology companies such as Somar to implement energy related projects which, can not only generate substantial environmental and financial benefits, but also allow those companies to continue their current working practices ".

The Government, through the Carbon Trust, has tried to create a marketplace where companies will target energy related projects by making 0% free loans and free energy surveys available, yet despite £20 million being available to UK SMEs this year, in the past the Carbon Trust has struggled to give it away.

In essence, it could be argued that the current policies, however valuable, will simply make a few people feel guilty about driving their cars or going on holiday; people who ultimately will pay the extra tax and still travel. Whilst there is a definite requirement in certain areas for policies which are focused on change of habit, by embracing new technologies within industry environmental benefits can be generated whilst not stopping, and indeed enhancing, the current working methods.

Would it not be more valuable for those decision makers in industry to be forced to take the real lead of proactive companies such as Rolls-Royce and BCT Ltd? These organisations are implementing new technologies, such as Somar's Powerboss products, which can deliver potentially enormous environmental benefits and hence dramatically assist in the UK actually meeting its 2050 Greenhouse Gas targets. The fact is, by assisting in meeting these targets; those companies will make substantial cost savings and help protect profitability at a time of high energy costs.

Critically, new technologies such as Somar's Powerboss Eluma help reduce maintenance costs, namely replacement of lamps and hence reduce the environmental waste associated with lamp disposal. Whilst, conventional lamps in certain circumstances need to be replaced as often as once a year, the lamps used with Powerboss Eluma are guaranteed for 3 years. On failure these new technologies meet the new European environmental WEEE and RoHS standards for the disposal of waste products from the manufacturing process.

For further information please contact:

Somar International Ltd. - Powerboss Eluma, United Kingdom, Tel: 01872 223000, Fax: 01872 264325

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How much lighting contributes to carbon emissions

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