BACKGROUND:

	THE SITUATION  Canadian Bio-Systems Inc. is an innovation-focused company that researches, develops and manufactures a wide range of products used in feed, food, industrial and environmental applications.

The company was established in 1984 and is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with manufacturing and warehouse locations east and west that serve customers around the globe.  All of the company’s products are based on a strong foundation of research and development.  Each is designed to deliver specific, clear benefits that represent safe, natural ways to improved performance, profitability and environmental stewardship.

Company leadership felt that the illumination in its Calgary manufacturing plant could be improved and that being environmentally responsible was a key part of their culture of innovation.  Krisjan Jones, operations director at Canadian Bio-Systems, turned to Nedco, one of the largest electrical wholesale suppliers providing a wide range of products for residential electricians and commercial contractors and large industrial organizations across Canada.  Darven Smetaniuk, lighting specialist at Nedco, said, “We looked at various lighting suppliers for Canadian Bio-Systems’ manufacturing and office areas in its Calgary location.  We went with SYLVANIA LED lighting products from LEDVANCE because of their solid performance and ease of doing business.  LEDVANCE gets us the products we need quickly and easily.  The team at Canadian Bio-Systems liked what they saw and gave us the green light to move forward with the installation.”  Jones said, “We are very proud of our facility and wanted to have better lighting for a more pleasing environment.  In addition, we liked the fact that switching to LED lighting helped us reduce our carbon footprint.”

THE SOLUTION

In the manufacturing area, metal halide high bays and traditional T8 fixtures were replaced with SYLVANIA Vapor Tight and High Bay LED Luminaires which deliver energy savings of up to 67 percent and last up to 120,000 or 150,000 hours, respectively.  Jones said, “Some of the areas in our manufacturing area are difficult to get to, so having lighting that doesn’t need to be replaced as often is a great benefit.”  Available in 25, 40 and 50 watt versions and delivering up to 140 lumens per watt, the SYLVANIA Vapor Tight Luminaire is IP65 rated, ETL Sanitation certified for NSF splash zones, and offered with integrated sensor and emergency backup options.  “We really like how sleek the SYLVANIA Vapor Tight is,” said Jones.  “They don’t just provide bright light, they look good doing it.”  Offered in 100, 200, 300 watt versions and delivering up to 123 lumens per watt, SYLVANIA High Bay Luminaires are light weight with a traditional design and interchangeable optics.  These luminaires are ideal in place of traditional luminaires, or as new installations, and offered in three wattages/lumen packages for use in warehouses, manufacturing facilities, big-box retail, gymnasiums, and loading docks.  “The hook to hook feature of the SYLVANIA High Bay Luminaire made it really easy to install since it literally could just be hung from convenient spots on the ceiling,” said Smetaniuk.

In the office and common areas, the traditional lighting was replaced with a variety of long-lasting, energy-saving SYLVANIA LED indoor luminaires and lamps.  The traditional fluorescent 2X4 and 1X4 troffers were replaced with SYLVANIA Edge-Lit Panels, environmentally preferable LED alternatives that offer up to 47 percent in energy savings.  Offered in three sizes for illuminating offices, retail or hospitality areas, the SYLVANIA indoor LED luminaires have a slim design that is beneficial for installation in tight ceiling spaces and offer low glare and uniform illumination.  SYLVANIA luminaires assure optimum light engine performance for extended service and rated life (≥50,000 hours L70).

Traditional T8 lamps were replaced with SYLVANIA SubstiTUBE IPS LED T8 lamps.  With a 50,000 hour life (L70), these LED T8 lamps are engineered to operate on existing instant start and select programmed rapid start electronic T8 ballasts.  Because the SubstiTUBE IPS LED T8 is not affected by switching cycles, occupancy or vacancy sensors can be installed with the existing instant start ballasts for optimal energy savings.  The 54 watt traditional fluorescent T5HO lamps were replaced with 25 watt SYLVANIA SubstiTUBE LED T5HO lamps which mimic the look of the traditional lamps with an optimized glass optic design and deliver energy savings up to 40 percent.  They are engineered to operate on select programmed rapid start electronic T5HO ballasts.  Both SubstiTUBE LED lamps provide instant light, contain no mercury, provide a uniform light distribution, and minimize labor and recycling costs.

The 50 watt traditional MR16 lamps were replaced with SYLVANIA ULTRA LED™ MR16 lamps, true halogen equivalent lamps when comparing lumen output and center beam candlepower.  These MR16 LED lamps use just 9W and are available in 15°, 25° and 35° beam angles.  They are available in GU5.3 base configurations and dimmable down to 10 percent.  The LED lamps also boast a 25,000 hours life (L70), providing 12.5 times longer life than halogen MR16 lamps which reduces maintenance costs. 

THE BOTTOM LINE

Jones said, “We really appreciate how clean and crisp our facility looks under the new lighting.  From start to finish, analysis to installation, everything went as planned which I appreciate and our employees really like the improved light levels.”  In addition to enjoying beautiful light, Canadian Bio-Systems is also benefiting from annual energy and maintenance cost savings of $4,400, thanks to the SYLVANIA LED lighting from LEDVANCE.  As a result of the LED lighting upgrade, the office building is saving approximately 43,019 kWh annually, resulting in an anticipated 10,500 kg of CO2 emissions also reduced each year.