Taking a dim view
The Centro Corridor fitting can be combined with multiple motion sensors to reduce lighting costs by up to 90% compared with a ‘normal’ fitting
It may have the suspicion of an oxymoron about it, but intelligent dimming is a very real idea, and it’s very much available in centro’s innovative corridor lighting solution. It could save you a lot of money.
How much energy does industry use in lighting? How much does it waste? Although precise answers are hard to give for either question, we can be sure of one thing: it’s a lot, on both counts. In fact, while statistics vary, many sources estimate that lighting accounts for some 20% of total industrial energy consumption, and that it is responsible for 20-40% of electricity cost in most organisations. Other sources estimate that a typical SME can expect to save around £20,000 a year merely by adopting more efficient lighting systems.
This, of course, is unlikely to come as a surprise. In recent years, the need to reduce carbon footprint has become part of the public consciousness, and an attempt to cut energy costs is now pretty much a reflex action by management across all sectors of industry and commerce. But, while the problem itself might not be news, there still remains much debate about the solution – especially in the lighting arena. After all, various low-energy technologies are now available, and others are appearing on the horizon. Which one is likely to be most effective over the long-term for your application may not be completely clear.
That’s where ERIKS can help. With many experts in energy saving and a comprehensive understanding of lighting technology, we’re ideally placed to advise you on the optimum solution for your needs. Of course, the solution our engineers will recommend always depends on the specifics of the application, but one highly innovative system which is increasingly appropriate is the Centro T5 Corridor Fitting. Perfect for usually unoccupied areas such as stairwells, stores, warehouse areas and corridors with many doors or narrow aisles, the Centro Corridor fitting can be combined with multiple motion sensors to reduce lighting costs by up to 90% compared with a ‘normal’ fitting!
The obvious question is: how? How does the Centro system cut energy consumption so dramatically? The answer to this is, in principle at least, simple – by ensuring that lights are only on when they’re needed. But the Centro solution isn’t just an ordinary system based on presence detection. On the contrary, it uses an intelligent dimming system that taking presence-controlled lighting to a new level by offering not only energy efficiency, but enhanced comfort, safety and security, too. This is a major differentiator from conventional options.
Intelligent dimming as at the heart of the Centro system. When no-one is present, the light is smoothly dimmed to a lower lighting level (10%) instead of being switched off completely. However, when someone enters the controlled space, a light level of 100% is available immediately. This means that, if the sensor fails, the lighting is already working at 10%, ensuring minimum health and safety levels are maintained and further cutting costs by adding to the lifespan of the installed tube. Because any number of motion sensors and luminaires can be connected in parallel, long corridors or large areas such as underground garages can be fully covered.
And the Centro system offers more than just superb functionality – it’s easy and cost-effective to install, too. In fact, thanks to a straightforward connection between the Centro control gear and the motion sensor, wiring is very simple, and the entire system requires just a few standard components. The Centro luminaires are available with IP65 ingress protection, and the high frequency versions give an average 40% energy saving over the standard switch-start version. When used with a T5 fluorescent tube, they last – on average – 12000 hours longer between lamp changes.