Luxonic’s Ecodim range, for example, uses clever technology to maximise energy savings by using natural light and adjusting light output accordingly. The luminaires are available with linear fluorescent, compact fluorescent and LED light sources for surface, recessed and suspended lighting systems to suit a wide variety of applications. 

Cold Move is a company that has significantly reduced its energy costs by installing a lighting system that features Ecodim technology. The company, which specialises in temperature controlled storage and distribution, replaced the lighting in freezer and ambient dock areas with Luxonic Icelux LED and CRP Ecodim luminaires in a bid to become more energy efficient. 

The Icelux LED has been designed by Luxonic to work efficiently in the extreme temperatures of a cold store environment, and therefore the freezers at Cold Move, operating at -23°C, present no problem. The efficiency of the Icelux LED allowed the old 400W sodium light fittings to be replaced by 120W in the Luxonic fitting. In addition, the efficacy of the LED technology allows a doubling of the light level for lower power consumption. 

As the freezers in the cold store contain mobile racking and have a low occupancy, Luxonic’s Ecodim system is equipped with dimmable high frequency control gear to reduce the light output of the luminaires when areas are unoccupied. An integral presence detector in each luminaire at Cold Move allows the light levels to dim to 10% of the maximum output 3min after the area is vacated, and to switch it off completely after 15min of inactivity. This results in a reduction in energy usage of 85%, saving over £30,000 annually on running costs. 

Dave Roberts, engineering manager at Cold Move, commented: “The installation has been working on our site for several months now and we have already seen a huge reduction in our lighting electricity costs. This installation with the addition of the sensors has given us a lighting solution that is fit-for-purpose and has great cost benefits.”

Passive Infra Red (PIR) detectors are used to monitor occupancy of a space which links to the Auto On/Off feature allowing the light to be turned off if the designated area is not being used. An Auto On/Off to Dim feature can be applied which co-ordinates the dimming of light levels when no occupancy is detected, as opposed to turning them off completely, which provides a low level background luminance. 

The luminaire can dim up or down according to the light contribution from daylight with the daylight link feature, maintaining the required illuminance by measuring reflected light via a reflective surface located underneath the sensor. The daylight link technology can also be prevented from switching on in the first place when natural light levels exceed requirements even when occupancy has been detected with the daylight inhibit feature. 

The Ecodim technology can be applied to a variety of Luxonic luminaires including the Alterlux and Industrialux ranges, allowing the Ecodim functions to be used in various situations. The Alterlux range includes the Alterlux Harmony which is a single lamp intelligent luminaire for recessed installation and the Alterlux Surface Ecodim that’s designed for either surface or rod suspension applications. The Industrialux range is an enclosed IP65 T5 luminaire that is durable and dust resistant for warehouse environments that provides efficient and effective lighting for large open areas while using the Ecodim technology to reduce energy costs to a minimum as the automatic on/off and dim controls eliminate any need for manual intervention.