Plantool, a successful Leamington Spa based plant hire operator, had a number of buildings used for storage and maintenance of a range of plant and machinery.
All of the spaces required effective lighting to manage and maintain the plant effectively. Plant hire is a very competitive business and ensuring that all the equipment is properly looked after is essential.
Plantool were interested in reducing their operating coats and also reducing their maintenance costs through updating their lighting. However selecting from the range of options and identifying reliable equipment required specialist advice.
They were approached by Damion Godwin of Power LEDS to see whether they could take advantage of the range of power efficient and reliable LED type lighting units. Power LEDs have been engaged with the LED market for several years and have selected a range of reliable and cost effective suppliers to service this new market.
Power LEDs carried out a free lighting survey and agreed that there would be major cost and maintenance benefits from changing to their products from the existing lighting units. Typically the combined consumption of the old units was 3.8kW, equivalent to £ 1,700 per annum assuming electricity costs at £15 per kW/hour. The new units use less than 1.5 kW, giving a saving of over £1,000 per annum. Power LEDs range of lighting solutions from bulbs for desk and office lighting through to commercial and industrial products can be applied to all of Plantools operations with a payback based on current electricity prices of less than two years.
Plantool will also benefit from rising energy prices- they are not going down so if energy continues to increase in price the real saving could be as much as doubled over the life of the new lighting. If all the lights were replaced even at present day values this would save six times more per annum.
Added to that the need to replace tubes and bulbs frequently has gone along with the precautions needed to work safely at height and cherry pickers costing around £30/ hour. Plus disposing responsibly of the sometimes dangerous bulbs can be a chore in itself.
Some LED lights, tubes especially have a limited lighting foot print leaving pools of darkness above the bulb. Power LEDs tubes can provide a full 220 degrees of illumination whilst having the same operating efficiency.
One last bonus for Plantool- the "strobe effect" from some types of fluorescent lights was absent so those who are sensitive to such problems, and there are a surprising number, would find that it's gone away leaving only clear bright light.
