Installation of Chalmor’s Intelligence light fittings at GF Smith’s facility in Hull is enabling the company to reduce its lighting operational costs by 89%, with an 87% reduction in carbon emissions. The project formed a key element in a wide ranging raft of measures being undertaken by GF Smith to reduce its carbon footprint.

Chalmor’s Intelligence is a versatile fitting that combines long life, high efficiency T5 fluorescent lighting with a range of integrated controls. At GF Smith, these include ceiling microwave dimming sensors (CMD) that modulate the fitting, via dimming, in relation to presence and absence of occupancy and daylight levels.

GF Smith is a speciality paper merchant that has been sourcing high quality and unusual papers and card for the graphics and printing industries for over 100 years. The company also has the capability for embossing and laminating paper and manufacturing standard and bespoke envelopes. High visibility is an important criterion in its manufacturing and warehousing operations, particularly for picking coloured paper and card.

Forty-four Intelligence fittings, mounted at a height of 14m, have replaced 47 x 400W high pressure sodium (SON) fittings; improving lighting levels and colour rendering while reducing the installed electrical load by over 30%. The six-lamp Intelligence fittings with multi-wattage, dimmable DALI control gear use 4 x 49W T5 lamps, with 2 x 80W high output lamps in the centre. This arrangement provides GF Smith with their required lux levels, whilst providing a high level of flexibility in the control of lighting.

“With the SON lamps we were unable to control the lighting in relation to demand based on either occupancy or daylight levels because of the re-strike times for these lamps,” explained GF Smith’s Process Manager Tony Stewart. “As well as saving on installed electrical load, the Intelligence fittings reduce energy consumption through enhanced control,” he added.

Further savings are also being achieved through greatly reduced maintenance costs, as the Intelligence T5 lamps provide an average operating life of 24,000 hours, compared to 8,000 for the SON lamps they replaced. Enhanced control, resulting in the lighting being used less, will extend re-lamping schedules even further.

An additional major benefit was the inclusion of integral emergency lighting in selected Intelligence fittings; this means GF Smith no longer has to maintain a separate emergency lighting system.

“We have been delighted with the quality of the fittings and the functionality of the sensors, as well as the professionalism of the Chalmor team – it is clear to me that customer service is a high priority for Chalmor,” commented Operations Manager Lars Stryg.