Merson Group saves £13,000 a year on lighting improvements

Through a Resource Efficiency Scotland programme, Mabbett provides lighting improvements and energy cost savings for Merson Group.

Approach and Delivery

Based in East Kilbride, Merson Group is a specialist group of companies delivering signage projects and rainwater management systems.

Mabbett were brought in by Resource Efficient Scotland to carry out a funded lighting audit of the main warehouse and office areas of the East Kilbride site. The following opportunities were identified through the audit:

Dimmable LED technology:

• In the warehouse and production areas, high intensity discharge lamps were used to supply most of the light on site. Some of these lights were poorly located, meaning little useful light was actually being produced. Mabbett recommended that the existing lighting system be replaced with dimmable LED technology, fixed at a suitable height, to provide better uniform illumination and improve the workplace environment. In addition to this, the high life expectancy of LEDs will create a lower need for maintenance and lamp replacement costs.

Effective lighting controls:

• All light fixtures were being controlled by a single unlabelled distribution board, which made it difficult for staff to know how to switch off lighting in unused sections without affecting other areas. This meant lights were often left on constantly when not required. Mabbett suggested that savings could be achieved using ‘zoning’: a clear, well-labeled system making it easier for staff to turn off lights in specific areas when they are not required.

Office improvements:

• Mabbett also suggested several changes to office areas that would provide further cost savings. These included re-wiring some circuits to help with zoning, getting rid of some extra lights in well-lit areas, and installing occupancy sensors.