National Steel supplier The Apex Group commissioned Shine On to assess its lighting energy efficiency.
Client: The Apex Group
Industry: National Steel Manufacturer
Interviewee: Group CFO James Coghlan
Sites: Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide
Project type: Full LED lighting upgrade of three sites across all areas including; manufacturing, storage, office and outside areas.
The Apex Group is an Australian owned and operated company with over three hundred employees nationwide across Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. Apex is a market leader in the manufacture of steel and steel building products and with a turnover nationwide; they are Victoria’s No. 1 independent roofing steel supplier and No. 2 steel distributor.
The project: LED retrofitting
Shine On was called upon to assess the lighting energy efficiency across three sites in Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia for a full LED lighting upgrade in all areas including manufacturing, storage, office and outside areas. Mr Coghlan explains that while their main objective was to reduce overheads and unnecessary energy consumption, there were other benefits, such as reducing maintenance labour, improving the quality of light and creating a safer working environment
Mr Coghlan said: “After being issued with an electricity bill for over $22,000, energy consumption was clearly putting pressure on profitability and the need to reduce overheads caused us to assess all the relevant line items. With the Government rebates currently available through the VEET Scheme, an LED lighting upgrade was a very attractive proposition.”
Selection process
“We decided to go with Shine On mainly due to their vertically integrated structure. They own the process from manufacturing product right through to post-installation which was very attractive as there was much less room for error. Their expertise in their field was impressive, and their competitive and persistent nature also helped,” said Mr Coghlan
He added: “The ability to manage every step of the LED lighting upgrade process by Shine On employees and procedures is their greatest asset.” Shine On controls the entire project, from product development and importation, through to sales, technical support, installation and warranty. This single vendor solution means they are able to deliver quality product and service at very competitive prices.
The result
Using a combination of LED highbays, canopies, tubes, downlights, panels, and floodlights, Shine On was able to dramatically reduce Apex’s lighting consumption and power costs by a remarkable average of 66%, this impressive saving will deliver a ten year energy cost saving of over $1,885,800.
The installation process was flawless: “we didn’t even notice the electricians were there during installation,” Mr Coghlan said. The result proved to be outstanding straight away, with the first energy bill dropping $6,000 which was above estimate and with only a part of that bill period being after the LED installation.
“Shine On showed outstanding customer service and project management from the beginning and we have referred some of our client’s. One of which is Rinnai who is now undertaking an LED lighting upgrade from Shine On,” said James.
Project specifics
Energy savings: 66% reduction
Payback period: 31 months
Annual lighting energy efficiency saving: 1,073,094 kWh
1st year return on investment: 43%
Greenhouse gas reduction: 1,449 tonnes per annum
Total 10 year saving: $1,885,800
