Supporting a

healthy environment

The ‘sustainable life’ strategy, developed by Unilever, outlined several goals for the center’s development. The lighting had to be brightened to a normative level, creating a productive working environment and making the area more attractive. It also had to meet specific requirements for maintenance and energy consumption.

Philips began with a light audit to assess the current system. It became apparent that by upgrading the light sources, we could reduce the total amount of fixtures needed. The T8 fluorescent bulbs were replaced with more efficient T5 ones. As a result, the total number of luminaires was dropped from 2,136 to 1,674. The new lights create an optimal working ambience, with bright, clean illumination.

The new system is controlled by an intelligent lighting system, which adjusts the intensity of the bulbs according to the amount of daylight available. This has a cost-saving effect, as artificial light is never used more than necessary. In addition, the reduction in luminaires means that Prologis will spend less time and money on maintenance.

The energy savings from the new warehouse lighting total about 40% a year. This amounts to 219,000 tonnes of C02. Thanks to the cost savings delivered by the new system, the investment will be paid back within four years.