How efficient LEDs and smart lighting helped cut emissions at IMI Norgren’s Buschjost factory

Discover how switching from halogen lamps to LED bulbs helped IMI Norgren set a shining example of sustainability at its Buschjost factory.

The inspiration

Light Norgren’s factories with hyper-efficient, sustainable, long-wearing LED bulbs – and drive energy expenditure way down.

One bright idea has a huge impact on emissions

Norgren is on a journey to cut its carbon footprint in half by 2025. To hit that target, the team have been exploring every possible way of making the business more sustainable. This project uncovered an area of the business where Norgren could save a significant amount of energy – and support its people too.

It all started with the lighting at Norgren’s Buschjost factory.

Halogen lamps were holding Buschjost back

The Buschjost factory used the same lights that lots of factories built in the 1980s and 1990s use: halogen lamps, installed all across the factory floor.

These lights used to be the standard, but they’re far from efficient. They use a significant amount of energy, and the plastic sockets of the lamps begin to crack, meaning the lights have to be replaced after around 20 years. The need to replace these bulbs on a semi-regular basis can be costly and cause a significant amount of disruption.

It was time for a change at Buschjost.

Early calculations suggested that making the switch from halogen lamps to LED bulbs would significantly reduce energy use and give the site team more granular control over their lighting. It would also reduce waste by equipping the factory with bulbs that would run better for longer.

It wouldn’t be an easy project. Upgrading the lighting at Buschjost would mean replacing approximately 1,700 halogen bulbs whilst keeping production running. And areas of the factory could be left without good lighting while the bulbs were being replaced.

But the leadership team at Buschjost were determined to make the change.

9,500 metres of floor. All lit with sustainable LEDs.

With a project of this size, most teams would choose to start with a small pilot project. Because of this, the Buschjost team initially planned to start by replacing the bulbs in a small area of the warehouse.

But with the 2025 carbon reduction deadline just around the corner, there was no time to waste.

Having seen the initial calculations, it was decided that the project should encompass the entire factory.

The project was aiming high. And it quickly paid off.

With so many bulbs to replace, Norgren needed the perfect partner. So they asked FANENBRUCK, a local but very experienced lighting company and independent energy consultant, to step in and provide energy-efficient, cost-effective, and sustainably sourced bulbs.

But sustainability doesn’t just mean switching to energy-efficient lightbulbs. To really maximise savings, every light needed to be placed in the perfect position. So that all of Buschjost’s people have the light they need to work comfortably without wasting energy by constantly lighting areas that are rarely used, or that benefit from lots of natural light.

So before work even began, the placement of each light was analysed. This process involved evaluating how each zone of the factory is used, if and when it received natural light from windows and skylights, and the light required for optimum working conditions. The control unit of the system uses KNX bus technology as a smart building management system, already in use for several applications in the factory including emergency lighting.

Of course, light is constantly shifting. An area of the factory that’s bathed in blazing sunlight at midday might be cast into shadow by mid-afternoon.

So detectors were installed all around the factory, so that the LED lights could adjust to changing light conditions over the course of each day. These sensors evaluate the light levels in the area, detecting the exact lux generated by sunlight, as well as secondary light sources like desk lamps.

Using the information from these sensors, the lamps can adjust their brightness automatically, perfectly lighting the area without wasting any energy. In particularly dark areas, the lamps can be lit 24/7; in other areas, the lamps will only turn on during particularly gloomy days or during certain periods of the day.

This added control over lighting conditions makes it much easier to create a comfortable environment for workers at the Buschjost site too.

Uncovering new possibilities

The project took four months to complete overall. But it was more than worth the wait.

Just installing the new lightbulbs already had a significant impact, reducing energy consumption at Buschjost by 10%, equalling 400,000 kWh per year. On average this is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 10 single-family houses.

But all of the extra efficiencies uncovered – enabled by the sensors and the ability to adapt lighting schedules and the brightness of the bulbs – helped deliver added benefits.

LED lights are more cost- and energy-efficient, but they also have a much longer life span than halogen bulbs. This is a lighting system that is now expected to last for the next 30 years, without replacing a single bulb.

For more information about how Norgren is reducing its carbon footprint – and unlocking new benefits for its customers and people in the process – click here.