Optimised lighting for a large logistics facility

Logistics and warehousing are crucial to the success of a modern store. Goods move only when necessary. Income and costs guide the optimisation of the flow of goods. The same logic applies to lighting in logistics facilities – a smart control system in the background optimises the lighting. Lights are on only when necessary.

Read more about the large-scale lighting reform at Broman Logistics and its successful outcome.

The lighting challenges in logistics facilities

Broman Logistics is the logistics company of Broman Group. This successful group is best known for its Motonet and AD VaraosaMaailma chain stores.

Broman Logistics’ logistics centres are responsible for optimising the purchases, imports and warehousing of stores across Finland and are thus a key part of the group’s business. Established in 2010, the large logistics centre in Hyvinkää covers 43,000 square metres. In 2018, Broman Logistics acquired a 19,000-square-metre central warehouse in Kerava.

Central warehouses are large and challenging facilities in terms of lighting. In the Hyvinkää warehouse, for instance, the high shelves, long corridors and a ceiling rising to 12 metres make it difficult to install and maintain luminaires and to achieve sufficient light output in every corner of the warehouse. The narrow aisles of the shelves, the office space on two floors and the loading bays serving as hubs for flows of goods each set their requirements for effective lighting. Not to mention the forklift charging area, the robot area, the waste room, the social facilities and many other places that require lighting in the enormous property.

The challenges of past lighting at Broman Logistics’ central warehouse could be summarised in three issues: inadequate lighting power, energy and maintenance costs of lighting, and poor lighting control. In some places there was enough light, while in other places the workstations were quite dark. As a whole, the light was not optimal for all spaces and tasks.

Lighting optimisation with Greenled

In Broman Group, there has been a very determined effort to improve the lighting in all spaces. In recent years, lights in all the group’s own properties have been replaced by LED lighting to save energy. In the Hyvinkää logistics facility, a reliable partner was responsible for the lighting reform. The same partner had already been used in Motonet chain stores, so the group had extensive experience of the cooperation.

“When you order lighting for your own use, you plan the right lighting and seek the best solution. In Hyvinkää, various manufacturers were tested, and finally Greenled was selected, which turned out to be a good choice. The lighting is not tied to a brand, instead, the features matter, and Greenled has done well in that respect.”

Tommy Juntunen, Project Director, Broman Group

In Hyvinkää, careful testing and background work were required especially for high spaces with forklift shelves rising to 12 metres in order to get right lighting uniformity. Actual work was started on the basis of trial installations and lighting power measurements as well as careful planning and scheduling. The lighting reform of the central warehouse in Hyvinkää was completed in four stages, and now the whole 43,000 square metres is illuminated by Greenled.

In addition to light, the intelligence behind the lighting plays an important role in logistics and warehouse properties. A smart lighting control system optimises lighting according to need and use. A concrete example of the benefits of this is the less used spaces in the warehouse. Lights operating with motion detectors only turn on when there is movement in these spaces. The same intelligence is utilised in the office space of the warehouse. When a person takes a break, the lights switch off automatically, and energy savings are achieved.

“It is of great importance in the storage spaces that the lights are on only when needed, and this is a significant change compared to the past. The forklifts and various machines operating in the warehouse, as well as employees on foot, turn on the lights as they enter the aisles between the shelves. The lights are on briefly and turn off when motion in the area stops.”

Tommy Juntunen, Project Director, Broman Group

Modern lighting control systems allow individual luminaires to be adjusted, even from headquarters. On, off, dimming – this is how easy it is to control the lighting in the entire building. The intelligence in the background also reports any luminaire faults as well as other problems, easily and directly to the lighting control interface.

The trade sector is under transition, and logistics and warehousing will play an increasingly important role in the future with online shopping. Broman Group’s goods arrive from all over the world into a warehouse, from where they are distributed according to the needs of the chain. To complement the Hyvinkää logistics facility, Broman Group has also acquired the former central warehouse of Anttila in Kerava. The first improvements already made to the property include a redesign of the lighting and its smart Osram ENCELIUM™ lighting control system. These were also executed with Greenled.

Broman Logistics’ central warehouses in Hyvinkää and Kerava – summary of actions

• Extensive lighting reform for 43,000 m2 and 19,000 m2 logistics facilities
• In the Hyvinkää central warehouse, 65% energy savings have been achieved with the new lighting compared to the old lighting
• In addition to indoor lighting, outdoor lighting of the properties has also been renewed
• New high shelf lighting for the automatic warehouse that illuminates shelf space up to 30 metres
• Motion detectors throughout the property in basement, storage and office spaces, as well as daylight sensors and microwave detectors