LED LIGHTING

Here at MANN & SCHRÖDER COSMETICS we enlisted the help of a professional lighting consultant in 2016 and decided to convert to LED lighting at both our plants in Siegelsbach and Hüffenhardt. The idea for the LED lighting came about when we took stock of the existing situation and asked how much power the lamps were consuming and how good the indoor lighting was. This led to a planning process to design the optimum illumination for each individual room and a calculation of the energy savings.

The electricity saved on lighting in the entire company will amount to around 60% = 406,000 KW.

LED lighting is not only energy-efficient but it also has a number of other advantages.

LED light generates less heat and emits no UV light so materials do not become brittle and do not fade. It is also a long-life source of light requiring little maintenance. One of the most important benefits, however, concerns the health of the employees. LED light does not flicker, reducing the rate of eye fatigue and lengthening the concentration span. This is a great advantage, especially in shift work. The high proportion of blue light in the LED spectrum leads to a reduction in the melatonin content in the blood which is why LEDs are often referred to as healthy lights.

“We are gradually converting the rooms one by one to LED lighting in accordance with workplace guidelines and DIN standards,” explained Maren Janke from the health & safety team. All the outdoor lighting has already been replaced at the Siegelsbach site. There were still some old mercury lamps in use here which were guzzling a lot of energy. The LED lighting has made the outdoor area much brighter and consumes significantly less power.

Another advantage of LED lamps is their disposal. Old incandescent bulbs with mercury had a short lifetime and had to be changed frequently and disposed of as hazardous waste. LED lights may not last forever but they are at least guaranteed a service life of 10 years. If they stop working, they can simply be disposed of with the normal waste. By replacing all the lighting fixtures at both sites, we will cut the electricity consumed by lighting by more than half and our employees will benefit from better, healthier lighting. The environment also has two causes for celebration in that, firstly, the LED system requires fewer resources for power and, secondly, there is no hazardous waste.