LED Lighting - An Energy-Saving, Cost-Efficient Solution for Any Industrial or Commercial Business

How LED Lighting Plays a Crucial Role in Reducing Lifetime Costs, Improving Safety, and Productivity While Improving Workplace Conditions for Manufacturing and Industrial Units...

There’s no question, any large manufacturing or industrial business is looking to reduce its overheads and lighting is a good place to begin. Even if the operating budget is not affected all that much by lighting costs, upgrading lighting to LEDs can be an effective way to significantly reduce facility and machine costs. 

In fact, lighting can account for up to 80% of a factory’s energy bill...

Not only this, consider a workplace where productivity, safety, and functionality of workspaces have all been improved as a direct result of the upgrade? 

Most factory/workshop units typically require lighting to be around 750 lux for safety - insufficient lighting could result in poorer-lit spots, a consideration for both safety AND productivity. Significantly older lighting units would be unable to meet this consistently throughout a unit - this could become a health and safety issue.

Then there are the high maintenance costs for older HID or fluorescent lights - they don’t last as long so regular replacement of bulbs is necessary. Not only this, not all housing for the lights is adequately rated (IP rating) which can cause heating/moisture issues.

In manufacturing units, typical color temperatures would be ideal between 4500k to 6000k based on the precise nature of work. Less than this might see a reduced level of productivity simply based on visibility. Color temperatures in this range are crisp and bright.

When should industrial users consider a redesign of the lighting system?

• The existing lighting solution is in poor condition
• Uneven light distribution
• Existing lighting solution does not suit the uses of the space (e.g., if there have been changes in the design, components, furnishings, or conditions in the space)
• The desired illumination or distribution cannot be achieved with the available retrofit options

It must be stated however that some industrial users may find fluorescent or HID technology better suited to their needs, but that may not be true for much longer given the rapid pace of advancements in LED technology. 

Resistance to an LED Lighting Upgrade for Commercial and Industrial Businesses...

So why then, are businesses a little hesitant to transition?

Largely, it’s down to setup cost and disruption -

But it should be noted, the initial purchase, setup, and installation of such a lighting upgrade for industrial and commercial units are only part of the life-cycle cost...

Because any financial decision-maker within a corporation can logically see from graphs, studies and such that over the long-term, LEDs out-perform traditional fluorescent, or HID (High-Density Discharge) or HPS technology.

LED setup costs - in comparison at least - are much higher, and businesses simply cannot “afford” the initial investment. It’s a huge outlay, no doubt about it. 

After all, their existing lighting does the intended job - but what if it could be more reliable, safer, and cheaper? That’s the question any large company should be asking itself - whether for warehouse, office or security lighting.

LED Bulb Lifetime

Lighting Technology Rated Lifetime (Hours)

Halogen Incandescent: 3,000 - 5,000 HOURS

Linear Fluorescent: 15,000 - 45,000 HOURS

High-Pressure Sodium (HPS): 15,000 - 40,000 HOURS

LED: 50,000 - 100,000 HOURS

What is An LED? For the benefit of this article, an LED light is a Light-Emitting Diode. Quickly defined - an LED is a “semiconductor device” which produces visible light when an electrical current passes through it. 

Now, as we move on to the benefits, let’s point out, there are several other considerations to factor in for any industrial premises - required light intensity, occupancy, height and position of factory lighting, etc - however, this will be covered in more detail in a separate article.

Benefits of LED Lighting for Industrial and Commercial Properties

Operational & Maintenance Costs - Energy consumption of LEDs are widely known to be significantly less - both domestic and commercial. For example, lighting controls that dim or turn off lights when they are not needed is another way to reduce operating costs.

Aside from this, their long lifetime and durability mean less replacement of units.

Simply put, LED is a more energy-efficient, longer-lasting, powerful and versatile lighting solution than any other technology available.

Technical Advantages of LED Lighting - Their efficiency: LEDs produce more light per watt than incandescent bulbs. Their efficiency is not affected by shape and size, unlike Fluorescent light bulbs or tubes.

Size: LEDs can be very small (smaller than 2 mm) and are easily populated onto printed circuit boards.

On/Off Time: LEDs light up very quickly. A typical red indicator LED will achieve full brightness in under a microsecond. 

Cycling: LED’s are ideal for use in applications that are subject to frequent on-off cycling, unlike fluorescent lamps that burn out more quickly when cycled frequently, or HID lamps that require a long time before restarting.

Dimming: LEDs can very easily be dimmed which can save on energy when a workspace is not in immediate use.

Cooler Light: In contrast to most light sources, LED’s radiate very little heat in the form of IR that can cause damage to sensitive objects or fabrics. Wasted energy is dispersed as heat through the base of the LED.

Much Slower Failure: LED’s mostly failed by dimming over time, rather than the abrupt burn-out of incandescent bulbs.

Their Lifetime: LED’s can have a relatively long useful life. Typical ranges are 50,000 to 100,000 hours of useful life. Compare this to fluorescent tubes typically are rated at about 10,000 to 15,000 hours (depending partly on the conditions of use).

Shock Resistance/Durability: LEDs, being solid-state components, are difficult to damage with external shock, unlike fluorescent and incandescent bulbs which are fragile.

Focus: The solid package of the LED can be designed to focus its light. Incandescent and fluorescent sources often require an external reflector to collect light and direct it in a usable manner.

Toxicity: LEDs do not contain mercury, unlike fluorescent lamps

Conclusion

LEDs are quickly becoming the future lighting solution for many businesses in industrial, manufacturing or indoor horticulture/agriculture. The cost of ownership is showing its advantages for business owners as they witness an increase in quality and lifetime affordability and a decrease in maintenance and operational costs.