Industrial Facilities Set the Stage for Energy Efficiency & Sustainability

There are many reasons for an industrial company to contact Current: improving operations and maintenance, driving energy savings, and meeting their corporate sustainability standards. The list goes on and on.

At Current, we have solutions that meet a variety of company goals, whether we’re upgrading light fixtures to optimize energy spend, introducing solar technology to reduce carbon emissions, or creating an intelligent environment to drive future innovation. Current's integrated approach to energy and the Industrial Internet of Things helps industrial organizations rethink operations at every level: processes, people, and power.

THE SITUATION

Current works with industrial companies of all kinds, from metal forging to aerospace manufacturing, automotive manufacturers and more.

For several of our industrial customers, improving an existing lighting solution was the first step in driving energy efficiency. These customers' needs ranged from reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs to creating innovative, intelligent environments that built on their lighting investments.

THE SOLUTIONS

Energy efficiency for these industrial facilities started with LED technologies. For one L.A. area metal forging company with inadequate lighting in their manufacturing area, Current conducted a comprehensive energy and lighting audit — resulting in a complete LED retrofit solution using our AlbeoTM luminaire. The Albeo ABR1 and ALV1 fixtures delivered nearly 35,000 lumens while reducing energy consumption by approximately 40%.

Another industrial customer, the leading producer of flat rolled steel in the Western U.S., needed to increase visibility and safety in its mills. They needed to increase light levels to provide a safer environment for manufacturing workers, so Current installed 32 LED products throughout the facility, resulting in improved lighting and an annual savings of $1,182,391.

But improved lighting capabilities and reduced energy consumption weren’t the sole benefits of LED integration for this group of industrial customers. A paints and coatings manufacturer found a long-term solution in Current’s Albeo ABV1 high bay LED fixtures. Aside from double the lumen output and 67% energy savings, the new system’s long-life of 100,000 hours meant nearly eliminating lighting-related maintenance costs, a savings of >$130,000 over 10 years.

THE RESULTS

In addition to lower energy/maintenance costs and improved lighting, Current also helped these industrial customers work toward their respective sustainability goals. For the world’s largest tire and rubber company, we deployed our 925 Albeo ABV high bay LED fixtures to enable the customer to decrease their wattage per fixture by 51%. Next, we implemented the Daintree wireless control system, which provided the building with specified zones for dimming schedules, as well as exhaust fan controls for even more energy savings.

Together, these smart enhancements resulted in a 60% reduction of annual lighting-related energy consumption and significantly lowered maintenance costs—giving the company more control of their lighting and aligning to their sustainability goals.

Similarly, an automotive supplier specializing in the manufacture and marketing of systems and components for the automotive industry, viewed reducing energy and greenhouse gas emissions as critical to its sustained success. For a new construction facility, Current installed 230 Albeo ABV1 fixtures, helping the company keep its energy costs low and providing the exact lighting level they required.

THE INNOVATIVE FUTURE AHEAD

While these industrial customers have made great strides in optimizing energy spend, gaining savings, and improving processes, there is more work to be done to remain at the forefront of the industrial revolution. With the industrial internet expected to grow to more than 50 billion connected assets by 2020, progressive industrial facilities are finding ways to work smarter, not harder.

By putting the infrastructure in place to allow them to build on their lighting investments with additional business productivity solutions, this group of industrial customers will be able to unlock new opportunities for operational efficiencies, business outcomes and new revenue streams.

Want to see how you can make your environment more efficient?
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