The lighting industry is soldiering on in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. A survey by the LIA (Lighting Industry Association) to discover the effect of the lockdown on the industry found 89% of members are keeping their businesses open in some form. The most operative functions are sales (95%), dispatch (90%) and accounts (87%). However, it would be foolish to ignore the scale of the challenges facing the industry.Lighting businesses are running at an average capacity of around 45% and approximately 44% of staff are currently furloughed. The good news is only 4% reported that they had made any redundancies as a direct result of the lockdown.
This article was first published in the June 1st 2020 issue of Warehouse & Logistics News, subscribe to the magazine by clicking here.
One firm carrying on in spite of the current challenges is Aurora Lighting. The company offers warehouses the opportunity to upgrade to LED lighting and to add smart technology. LED upgrades can save up to 70% in energy costs, with smart technology adding a further 50% in savings. LEDs use up much less electricity and last much longer than traditional incandescents, halogen light bulbs and energy efficient light bulbs.
On a similar note, traditional light sources, such as incandescent and fluorescent, are being phased out due to short life spans, high energy consumption and of course meeting the latest legislation and building regulations.
Concord, architectural lighting by Sylvania, has launched TubiXx, which meets the demands for modern installations with its long lifetime and highly efficient LEDs that meet building regulation demands.
EcolightingUK has also reported an ability to keep going during these tough times. The firm was specified for the LED lighting at a new build 495,000 sqft clothing and home distribution centre in Hatfield as part of a five-year transformation plan for a large UK retailer. The existing site, which opened recently, was formerly used by another retailer and has been converted into a mechanised clothing distribution centre and serves 150 stores in the South East and employs more than 500 people.
Specialist energy efficiency consultancy UK Energy Watch has installed LED lighting for cutter grinding company Techni Grind. This reduced energy and lighting costs by 74%, saving £7000 a year, and improved Techni Grind’s carbon footprint.
Getting back to that survey by the LIA, 71% of LIA members reported having a recovery plan in place ready for the removal of lockdown measures. It is great to see the industry thinking positively and looking forward with a view to how it will progress beyond the current challenging season.
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