Industrial Lighting as a Service: Case Outotec Turula

Traditionally, industrial lighting is considered an investment. Outotec Turula took a different approach and purchased led lighting as a service with a leasing agreement. The new lighting solution saves 70 % of energy and the leasing agreement releases capital for the core business. Moreover, workplace safety and productivity are improved with higher light levels and better light quality.

Read the whole story of Outotec Turula’s lighting renewal.

Building machines

Outotec Turula is a subsidiary and owned by Outotec Oyj, a listed Finnish company providing process technologies and services for metals and mining, industrial water treatment, alternative energy, and chemical industries.

Located in Eastern Finland, Outotec Turula is a machine shop specialised in building machines for the mining industry and export. With a total of 17 500 m² of warm space, the people working at the facilities manufacture the machine parts by welding, machining and surface finishing. At the facilities, the machines are first built, then tested, taken apart, and finally packaged and sent to the customers.

Aiming at energy-efficiency, safety and productivity

Sustainability is at the core of all Outotec Oyj’s operations. The company is committed to following the obligations of energy-efficiency legislation and the ISO 50001 standard and significantly cut down on energy consumption.

At Turula subsidiary, the commitment to save energy started with researching where the building was using most of the energy. The research revealed that lighting was second in energy consumption, right after heating. Burning at full power throughout the day, the high-pressure sodium vapour lights were consuming more than 700 000 kWh of energy each year.

While the energy savings drove the decision to renew the lighting, there were other motives that were just as important. The management of Outotec Turula wanted to improve the lighting conditions of the facility since lighting was known to have a significant effect on occupational safety and productivity.

With a high-ceiling of 11 meters, the light output of the high-pressure sodium vapour lights was not enough to reach all the way down to the floor. Thus, the EN-standards of lighting levels were not fulfilled in all parts of the facility. Moreover, the quality of the light was not optimal to perform the work tasks on-site.

“If you can’t see well, it results in quality deviations and possibly workplace injuries. When there’s more light, there’s more comfort, productivity and safety. Though energy savings came first, these factors were just as important to us.”

Marko Hyvärinen, Production Development Manager, Outotec Turula

Reaching the energy-saving goals with lighting control

Outotec Turula’s ambitious energy-saving goals were reached with LED luminaires and smart lighting control.

The challenge of the old lighting was not just the luminaires but the fact that the luminaires were constantly on. Even if only a part of the spaces were used, the luminaires were burning at full power in the entire facility.

Today, the facility has Greenled’s energy-efficient Sigma luminaires and the property is equipped with high-bay motion detectors. The detectors automatically switch the lighting on and off according to the use of each space. This way, Outotec Turula saves 70 % in energy costs compared to the old lighting.

“Lighting control with motion detection fits really well since we have many different work shifts. Whenever light is needed, it’s there. And only there.”

Marko Hyvärinen, Production Development Manager, Outotec Turula

The lighting installation is connected to the ENCELIUM^TM light management system with a visual 3D user interface. With the system, the light levels of each space and each individual luminaire may be flexibly adjusted and altered to fit different work tasks.

The light management system also helps to predict haulage needs and quickly react to any operational anomalies. It shows the details of each individual luminaire, so there’s no need for regular maintenance check-ups. At Outotec Turula, the LED luminaires and the control system have significantly reduced the man-hours spent on lighting maintenance.

Industrial Lighting as a Service

Outotec Turula purchased the lighting solution with a leasing agreement that has a fixed monthly cost over the agreed service period. Instead of making an investment, the purchase process was agile and released capital for the company’s core business.

The lighting solution was delivered as a turnkey service by Greenled, including the assessment, design, installation and commissioning of the lighting solution. Purchasing lighting as a turnkey service saved Outotec Turula resources and helped them concentrate on their core business.

“Greenled’s expertise made our life a lot easier. As a purchaser, we didn’t have to use much of our own time to manage the project, which could have easily led to delays or errors. All of the calculations and contracts were really transparent, the luminaires were delivered as agreed and commissioned as agreed. Rarely have I come across projects that run this smooth.”

Marko Hyvärinen, Production Development Manager, Outotec Turula

On a monthly basis, the energy savings of the new lighting exceed the monthly cost of the leasing agreement. After the service period, the new lighting solution will continue to save energy, resulting in small lifetime costs and significant savings over the lifetime of the luminaires.

Key results of Outotec Turula’s lighting renewal

• Complete lighting renewal as a turnkey service
• New lighting with a leasing agreement that releases capital for the core business.
• Positive cash effects: the energy savings exceed the monthly cost
• High-quality LED lighting solution with higher light levels and better light quality
• Improved workplace safety, productivity and comfort
• 70 % savings in the energy consumption of the lighting
• 114 tons less CO² waste per year