Raytec's Lighting Amnesty triggers positive response

19 Oct 09

CCTV lighting specialist Raytec reports that there has been a widespread positive response to last month's launch of its ground-breaking ‘scrap and save’ Lighting Amnesty campaign.

By Brian Sims

As reported on info4security, the scheme encourages organisations to switch from wasteful CCTV and security lighting to low energy LED lighting.

Prisons, utility companies, local authorities and private businesses have been among the first users to take advantage of the scheme, which Raytec estimates will save users thousands of pounds per year by helping them adopt energy efficient, long-life LED lighting technology.

Security installers and consultants have also responded quickly, and are encouraging their customers to take advantage of the scheme.

Assessments of lighting efficiencies

"In direct response to our campaign we have been contacted by organisations from around the country requesting site surveys to assess the efficiency of their lighting and to calculate their energy and cost savings," explained Shaun Cutler, Raytec’s managing director. "Our message, which is that both costs and CO₂ emissions can be easily reduced, seems to have struck a real chord in the industry."

One of the first major end users to respond has been a utility company which Raytec estimates has thousands of old-style lamps in need of replacing. The list of responders also includes colleges, community centres, council waste sites and private estates.

"We calculate that when you take into account higher running costs and money spent on replacing lamps that don’t last very long, an organisation using 100 CCTV or security lights could be wasting £45,000 per year," added Cutler.

Blue Mountain: keen on 'scrap and save'

Gordon Crewe, director of Blue Mountain Systems, is very keen on the ‘scrap and save’ concept. Blue Mountain has made a speciality out of installing and maintaining systems for, among others, stately homes, and the company has already been very successful in communicating the message that CCTV systems need dedicated lighting to work 24/7.

Now, Crewe can see huge potential in taking the next step and promoting the need to upgrade all old-style security lighting.

"We’ve many customers on our books who use inefficient lighting," said Crewe. "We’re really excited about the prospect of offering them Raytec’s state-of-the-art LED technology. Not only will we help them to cut costs and energy consumption, but we’ll actually be able to give them lighting systems that work better and deliver better security."

It’s not just the security applications Crewe’s interested in, though. The properties in Blue Mountain’s portfolio also include castles and stately homes illuminated by ‘heritage’ lighting. "Those lamps give off an enormous amount of heat, and that’s a sure sign that power is being wasted. We’re talking to Raytec about alternative, energy-efficient ways of doing the same job."

Potential for upgrading is 'massive'

Raytec firmly believes the potential for upgrade work is "massive", so too the savings to be made by customers (most notably when you consider the number of old-style lights in use in both the public and private sectors).

"The sums being thrown away probably run into millions of pounds," concluded Shaun Cutler. "We're determined to take a lead here and help end users reduce their bills."