Overview

Gary Smith

Director, Product Management Venture Lighting Technologies, Inc.
Solon, Ohio

Proper plant lighting can be one of the most significant factors in improving your company s bottom line. Study after study has shown that proper lighting increases worker productivity and decreases absenteeism, which will improve profitability.

In addition, companies can improve lighting while decreasing energy cost. Pennsylvania Power and Light (PP&L) upgraded its lighting and produced an energy savings of 69 percent. PP&L subsequently found that they received a 13 percent increase in productivity and a 25 percent decrease in absenteeism. This gave PP&L a 540 percent return on investment (ROI) on the $8362 spent on the project.

To properly choose, plan, and implement a successful lighting system, you must assess your needs, determine the light source, and consider creating multiple designs. Boeing decreased lighting power usage by 90 percent with a lighting retrofit, creating an ROI of 53 percent. This does not take into account the 20 percent improvement in defect rates that were encountered after the lighting upgrade.

DETERMINE LIGHTING CRITERIA

How much and what type of light do you need? That depends on the type of work that is being performed. A quality-control inspection area typically needs far higher light levels than a raw material storage area. Don t fall into the trap of lighting your entire plant at a single level. This is the easiest thing to do, but it will often end up...