Uplifting Solution for Elevator Manufacturer

Staff -- Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 10/1/2000

In the course of renovating its Bloomfield, Conn., service center, Otis Elevator received a $27,000 incentive from Connecticut Light & Power Company and is expected to save more than $16,000 in annual energy costs by switching from traditional metal-halide lamps to a more energy-efficient, pulse-start technology. In addition to saving energy, the new lamps also improved lighting conditions in the facility's fabrication area where precision parts are assembled and repaired.

"The lighting quality has substantially improved," says Richard Bolduc, facility manager for Otis, a leader in the manufacturing and service of elevators, escalators and moving walkways. "The facility is brighter with less wattage consumed, meaning less energy use. That is exactly what we wanted to accomplish."

Most lighting renovation was in the fabrication area, where several hundred 400-watt, standard metal-halide lamps were replaced with the same number of 320-watt pulse-start lamps; original fixtures remained in place. While the lamps save energy, they also provide 106 lumens per watt (lpw) compared to 90 lpw from the existing lamps. An additional 15 lamps were replaced in the facility's storage area, but because high light levels were not as critical, wattage was dropped from 400 to 250 per lamp.

As a result of the renovation, energy-consumption savings of 195,000 kilowatt-hours annually and a reduction in maintenance costs are expected. The new lamps are said to provide better lumen maintenance and longer life than the 400-watt lamps. A body-arc tube helps improve color uniformity and enable faster warm-up and restrike times.

"The job was seamlessly performed with minimal disturbance to our busy operations." Bolduc says, "And the new metal-halide lighting has been a hit with everyone."

For more information about Uni-Form pulse-start lamps from Venture Lighting International, circle 102 on the Reader Service Card.