Tasked with lowering energy consumption, JCC carried out a complete LED retrofit in the main manufacturing plant, office and reception of Dennis Eagle, the refuse collection vehicle manufacturer.

Dennis Eagle have been manufacturing in the Midlands since 1907, producing the body and chassis of over 1,000 vehicles per year. This large operation requires a vast amount of indoor space, from fabricating to painting, the full process is carried out in house.

Understanding the value of sustainability and the impact producing their vehicles can potentially have on the environment, Dennis Eagle continually seek innovative ways to lower their energy consumption and carbon footprint.

The 400W HID lighting in their manufacturing plant had always caused issues, often failing and producing a poor light output. For a long time HID was the only option for large warehouse facilities, as no other lighting solution could provide the required output. However, in recent years LED lighting has developed significantly and can now deliver greater light output than 400W HID lamps, whilst using far less energy.

The requirements for Dennis Eagle meant a retrofit installation with minimal downtime was necessary, to avoid any disruption to the manufacturing process. JCC’s solution was to therefore directly replace the 400W HID lamps with Toughbay Circular 230W. Perfect for open area illumination and at 100LpcW, Toughbay Circular is an extremely efficient and cost effective source of light, as displayed in the cost saving calculation below.

400W HID vs 230W Toughbay

Based on 261 days at 12 hours per day at £0.15 kilowatts per hour
Annual costs include lamp replacement programme and disposal of 180 HID lamps

The cost saving and maintenance benefit of LED was clear to Dennis Eagle, yet it was only after installation took place that the workers noticed a significant improvement in the quality of light. The high CRI of Toughbay Circular improved the ability to see the true colours of the vehicles after being painted, which made a significant difference to quality control. Furthermore, the improved light ensured the finer details of manufacturing the vehicles were completed with precision and ease.

In addition to Toughbay, Skytile 28W was installed to directly replace the 4x36W T8 fittings installed in the office and reception area. The smooth, even light distribution and consistent colour temperature of Skytile ensures optimum working conditions at desk level, making it a popular choice for office applications. Compared with its T8 predecessor, Skytile provides an outstanding 100 LpcW that result in energy savings of over 60%.

“JCC’s lights deliver the crisp, bright light we needed in our manufacturing plant and offices. The success of this installation, along with the maintenance and energy saving means we will only be installing JCC Lighting in the future.” 

Chris Longden, Site Engineer