Greenlite Group is saving energy and cutting the maintenance burden at 625 Howdens Joinery depots

We provide lighting design, supply, installation and maintenance for the UK’s largest manufacturer and supplier of fitted kitchens.

The challenge

Warehouses can be high-risk environments, so lighting has an important role in creating a healthy and safe environment for staff.

But as warehouse facilities managers know, repairing and replacing failed lighting can be time consuming and expensive. There is the cost of hiring a cherry picker to gain access to high ceilings, not to mention the disruption and downtime caused by cordoning off areas where lighting has failed.

So when Howdens Joinery, the UK’s largest manufacturer and supplier of fitted kitchens, approached us to devise a regular lighting and electrical maintenance programme for its 625 depots, we also asked, ‘what if you could significantly reduce the maintenance burden through modern, efficient lighting design?’

Our solution

First, we devised a planned maintenance schedule for all Howdens depots, which included regular re-lamping, electrical testing, appliance in use (PAT) tests and emergency lighting testing. This keeps the lights on and ensures that Howdens is compliant with health and safety regulations. We also provide a reactive ‘call out’ service for issues and failures – we have a network of engineers across the country so there is always someone nearby to help.

To reap longer term cost saving benefits, we also designed a number of modern, efficient lighting upgrades across Howdens depots that would improve illumination, and save significant costs on energy and maintenance. Our calculations showed that the lighting upgrades would have a life expectancy of 10 years, dramatically reducing the requirement for lamp replacements and generating an expected lifetime saving of £25,000 per store.

Since 2015, we have designed and installed lighting upgrades at many Howdens depots. In time, Howdens plans to refit all of its depots across the UK with 100% new lighting technology.

What was the outcome?

• Planned lighting and electrical maintenance keeps the lights on and ensures compliance with health and safety regulations
• Reactive maintenance ensures that problems are fixed quickly, minimising ‘downtime’.
• New, efficient lighting upgrades have seen significant energy and maintenance savings: a typical depot will save more than £25,000 over its life cycle, and the upgrade will pay for itself in under two and a half years.