Vancouver Wharves Ltd.
The Story
"Installing energy-efficient fluorescent fixtures with occupancy controls in our warehouses is an innovative solution that has paid off in electricity savings and better lighting quality."
Gerry Becker, Vice President Operations, Vancouver Wharves Ltd.
The Situation
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Alan W. Winter, P.Eng. |
Vancouver Wharves Ltd., located in North Vancouver, is a commodity terminal that offers inbound and outbound services to shippers moving cargo to and from all regions of western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. The terminal handles mineral concentrates, pulp and paper, liquids, sulphur, fertilizers and specialty agri-products.
Vancouver Wharves maintains six unheated warehouses on its site for the storage and handling of pulp. Until recently, these warehouses were primarily lit with high-intensity discharge metal halide lights, which were kept on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Vancouver Wharves was looking for a solution that would improve the energy efficiency and lighting quality of its facilities.
The Solution
A Power Smart walk-through audit of the Vancouver Wharves site identified the opportunity for energy savings with a lighting retrofit. A business case was prepared that showed that new lighting using T5 high-output fluorescents with occupancy controls and centralized switching would dramatically improve lighting levels and reduce electricity consumption. As a Power Smart Partner, Vancouver Wharves was eligible to apply for financial incentives that would assist with project implementation. Vancouver Wharves senior management approved the project, and it was carried out in 2004/05 with expert assistance from a Power Smart Alliance consultant.
The project involved replacing 400-watt Metal halide fixtures with 54-watt T5 high-output fluorescent lamps in two warehouses. The new fixtures employ switchable ballasts which permit control by local occupancy sensors. The ballasts employ a technology which permits frequent switching without diminishing lamp life. When the warehouses are scheduled for operations, but are unoccupied, minimum light levels are maintained; when motion is detected – such as when a forklift enters the space – light levels are immediately increased. Also, the lights are connected to the terminal's programmable logic controller (PLC) system, which is scheduled to automatically reduce the lighting to safe night lighting levels when full lighting is not needed. The PLC is also used to gather historical data that can be analyzed to troubleshoot problems, and track and report on specific uses of energy.
The installation of T5-HO lamps in an open warehouse is an innovative retrofit. Normally, fluorescent technologies would not be recommended for such a space because standard T12-HO lamps are more sensitive to temperature extremes and have only 12,000 hour lamp life and poor light level maintenance. To overcome this challenge, sealed, enclosed luminaires were used that compensate for the lower ambient temperatures in the warehouses, and permit reliable cold weather starting for the 30,000 hour rated T5-HO lamps.
Vancouver Wharves is extremely pleased with the results of the project and is contemplating similar retrofits in its remaining warehouses.
The Benefits
Electricity savings
The lighting retrofit is saving Vancouver Wharves 2.1 gigawatt hours of electricity annually, worth $105,755 in energy cost savings each year.
Reduced maintenance costs
Group relamping is now possible every five years versus the current 18 months, since the lamp life is so much longer. Group relamping represents a significant saving because changing lamps in warehouses with stacks of product is a disruptive and labour-intensive task that requires moving out product and bringing in man lifts. Also, when a lamp fails now, there are other lamps still burning in the fixture to provide some light until it is convenient to replace the lamp, whereas metal halide must be replaced whether convenient or not.
Employee satisfaction
Longshore workers have commented on the dramatically improved lighting levels in the warehouses. Operations staff has embraced the energy conservation concept and is making innovative use of the controls to further reduce consumption.
Innovative solution
The Vancouver Wharves project shows that T5 high-output technology with occupancy controls is a cost-effective solution that can be successfully implemented in unconditioned warehouses.
Contact Us
Find out how Power Smart can energize your bottom line. Find out how if this solution could work for you. Call us today at 604 453-6400 in the Lower Mainland or 1 866 453-6400 elsewhere in B.C.
