Storage/Staging: Manufacturer saves 85% in lighting energy with intelligent LED system

The Westerville, Ohio management team of Worthington Cylinders, the world’s leading global manufacturer of pressure cylinders and tanks, was looking to upgrade its lighting system but knew the additional expense must be justified. After installing an intelligent LED lighting system, the company now saves more than a million kWh of energy each year, cutting energy costs by 85%.

Before the upgrade, the 177,000-square-foot facility relied on a series of aging 400- and 600-watt high-intensity discharge (HID) and high-pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs. The management team was concerned with both energy costs and the high maintenance burden associated with traditional industrial lighting.

Because oversized machinery is closely positioned within much of the production space, frequent re-lamping and re-ballasting of the old lighting fixtures was highly disruptive to the facility’s 24/7 manufacturing operations. The team, lead by plant engineering project manager Fred Timm, initially evaluated a series of basic LEDs with add-on sensors separately mounted throughout the facility. However, the projected energy savings did not justify the expense.

Instead, the team selected LEDs paired with a lighting control system. “We were looking for more than just incremental energy efficiency improvements; we wanted major savings that for the lifetime of the installation,” says Timm. “The new system enabled us to accomplish that goal with maintenance-free fixtures, better, higher quality light to facilitate our operations, and the ability to control how we use lighting and adjust settings as needed.”

The new low-wattage LED fixtures feature integrated occupancy and daylight sensing, power metering and wireless networking. The web-based lighting management software provides access to all lighting performance metrics and a simple interface for making adjustments.

Today, the facility is saving more than 85% in annual lighting costs while providing managers with control over how lighting is used within their facility. The system leverages available daylight where possible and eliminates costly and disruptive re-lamping and re-ballasting exercises. Together, these savings are on track to produce a return on investment within three years.

Digital Lumens
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