Saving the earth
In the rush to save energy and reduce emissions, it's easy to forget the sheer range of potential solutions. Dr Tom Shelley reviews some of today's most powerful options
Maintain power
With the cost of unscheduled downtime for some engineering and manufacturing companies running into hundreds of thousands of pounds a day, plant engineers are under pressure to ensure continuous production. Yet with more pressure being put on machines, due to smaller equipment running at faster speeds, correct maintenance is critical.
Making light work
There's more to cutting lighting energy costs and carbon emissions than the luminary technologies themselves. Brian Tinham reports
Hazardous electrics
Hazardous areas demand properly certified equipment – and that applies to maintenance kit, too. But cost and efficiency are also key. Gordon Low examines the issues
Light fantastic
With government and regulators calling for industry to consider environmental issues, to drive down energy consumption and to rein-in waste, selecting commercial lighting has become more than just a simple 'cost versus illumination' equation. For instance, the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive, which came into force on 1 July, now places obligations on users and producers to handle electrical waste in a prescribed manner. In some instances, the price of compliance is now being passed on to customers in the form of a WEEE levy - so your choice of lighting technology and supplier might have additional cost implications.
Lighting - Control systems come out of the shadows
In the early days of lighting, the first person into the office, building or workshop generally just switched the light on at a wall location, interrupting the power supply and causing a surge of demand for power throughout the plant. At the end of the working day, the opposite activity took place and made no allowance for the need for different levels of illumination at different workplaces, from start to finish.
Lighting the way
As plant engineers and facilities managers continue to seek out ways to reduce costs and improve efficiencies, one key area often overlooked could have significant impact. Brian Wall reports on the control and use of lighting
Gorgon’s Ex-lighting saves local sea turtle population
Cooper Crouse-Hinds reports that it has engineered an explosion-proof fluorescent light fitting for the Chevron-operated Gorgon project, at Barrow Island, that specifically minimises disturbance of the local sea turtle population.
Alighting on lighting
Equipment for illumination, both internal and external, is not standing still. Brian Tinham sheds some light on the technologies and their application
Clear vision
Selecting the right lighting for a plant or building requires some understanding of current options. Brian Wall explains