Helicopter factory leases lights and cuts carbon by 725 tonnes
A so-called ‘lighting as a service’ project for a manufacturer of helicopters and defence equipment is set to cut carbon emissions by an estimated 725 tonnes per year.
Defence contractor Leonardo is leasing the luminaires installed across 14 buildings at its site in Yeovil, Somerset, once home of Westland.
The company has signed a 10-year Lighting as a Service (LaaS) agreement with Signify that includes the full turnkey installation of LED fittings with Interact lighting management software.
The lighting in each building is designed to deliver a consistent light level for the 3,300 personnel.
The Interact connected lighting system uses sensors to ensure that the LED fixtures are only turned on when an area is occupied. When there is sufficient natural daylight, the LED fixtures will automatically dim to compensate. This maximises lighting energy savings while ensuring a safe working environment.
Interact provides Leonardo with the ability to make changes to lighting groups and zones, as well as adjust sensor settings in order to optimise or react to operational changes.
The performance-based contract guarantees light-level performance for the duration of the agreement. Crucially, the execution of the new lighting system does not require upfront capital investment – instead, Leonardo pays Signify an annual operating fee.
The model enables Leonardo to realise cash-positive savings from the first year. Once completed, the programme is expected to reduce Leonardo’s location-based carbon-dioxide emissions by an estimated 725 tons per year, supporting Somerset Council’s Climate Emergency Strategy.
Leonardo is one of the biggest suppliers of defence and security equipment to the UK MOD. The Yeovil site specialises in end-to-end helicopter manufacturing, training and maintenance services to operators worldwide.
‘In the traditional method of lighting procurement, organisations get their lighting by purchasing and maintaining their lighting equipment,’ Derk Bots, commercial leader for Europe Office & Industry at Signify told the Circular Lighting Report.
‘Light as a Service turns this around and encourages organisations to take a step towards a more sustainable future by making the switch to LED lighting or upgrading their systems to connected lighting and reap the benefits of data and IoT, so they can create spaces that adapt to their needs, making them more efficient, connected, and sustainable.’
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