Train warehouse on track for savings

Model railway manufacturer, Hornby, dispatches a wide range of model trains, cars, aircraft and more from its warehouse in Thanet. However, there were concerns that outdated, inefficient lighting in the warehouse, which was switched on for 16h/day, was driving up energy and maintenance costs.

"The lights in the aisles of the warehouse were switched on at 6.00am and not turned off until 10pm,” comments David Huddart, engineering service manager at Hornby Hobbies. "There were many aisles without any activity for lengthy spells, so lights were left burning for no reason. This was a particular problem, since the SON lamps we were using were very energy-inefficient and often needed replacing.

"We also had concerns about the poor light quality of the SONs,” he adds. "The orange glow given off by lights made it difficult for staff to read labels and pick stock. The health and safety issue of poor lighting was obviously one we were keen to resolve.”

LED vs. fluorescent

With key priorities being low energy consumption, long lifespan and good light quality, Hornby’s David Huddart felt that all signs pointed to LED being the best solution.

"I originally wanted to buy LED lighting and we had lots of LED demos,” says Huddart. "However, I felt bombarded with the massive amount of LED variants. I began to realise that LED lighting is still in its infancy, so I couldn’t be sure whether the LED products I was being shown could deliver what they said on the box or not. I discussed these concerns with a rep from City Electrical Factors and he suggested I look at the latest T5 tubes.

"My impression of fluorescent was that it was a bit out-of-date, not too efficient,” he says. "But I found that the Tamlite HILUX range was able to deliver energy savings, long lamp lifespans and good light levels – and it was a well-established technology. In short, T5 fluorescent proved to be everything we were looking for. Even better, HILUX had the option of built-in sensors, so that we could easily control the lighting and stop lights being left on needlessly.”

Intelligent technology

Hornby installed 93 Tamlite HILUX units throughout its warehouse. Carried out by Hornby’s in-house electricians, the installation process went very smoothly. The low-profile fluorescent luminaires, with their white painted steel construction, are fitted with T5 fluorescent lamps and VISION 103 sensors. The integrated sensors mean that each unit automatically detects both occupancy and daylight levels, ensuring the lights are switched on only when they are needed.

Huddart explains: "Since the installation of HILUX, the lights in the aisles are switched on at a base level of 10%. When someone walks down the aisle or a forklift enters the space, light levels automatically increase to 80%. This means the warehouse isn’t in complete darkness, but we’re not wasting energy lighting empty spaces at full brightness. This not only saves energy, but extends the lifespan of the lamps.”

In addition to the new automatic control options, Tamlite’s VISION 300 hand-held programmer allows the lights to be reprogrammed by hand, at ground level, if necessary. 

"The new lighting has been a huge success,” says Huddart. "The light quality has far exceeded expectations. The bright, white light from the fluorescent lamps enables staff to easily read the labels on products and pick stock much more efficiently.”

The HILUX units have also delivered cost savings. The long lifespan of the lamps means maintenance needs have been reduced to almost nil. The new lights have been in place for a year now and there has only been one failure.

According to Tamlite’s calculations, the energy consumption of the new lighting is 61% lower than the old lighting. That is equivalent to a financial saving of £7065 a year  and an annual carbon saving of 38.1t of CO2. Due to the use of occupancy sensors, Hornby is likely to be saving energy above and beyond these calculations.

Despite his initial misgivings, Huddart has found that T5 is more than able to compete with LED, producing the good light quality and low energy consumption that warehouse environments require.