The second reason is economic efficiency. If we compare lamps of the same power, it is obvious that diode elements are several times brighter and more durable than competitors. The conversion of lighting systems to LED sources allows us to achieve almost three-fold energy savings in comparison with fluorescent lamps. Besides, the economic effect from the introduction of LED lamps was further enhanced by the decision to apply "smart lighting" technologies in warehouses. Lights turn on automatically when workers come to the warehouse, and go out on its own if there is no one in the room, and also this technology allows you to adjust the brightness levels of the lamps if necessary.

– The start of the project was very difficult and labour-intensive, - recalls the EMS specialist Alexander Kubarev. – Before starting large-scale work, we needed to conduct an experiment to understand how accurate the technical conditions we had chosen were. We installed several lighting devices with sensors in the equipment warehouse and for some time we observed and took into account the comments of the staff on the timing and brightness of the lights. After we came to the necessary parameters, we had to sort out the old lamps installed during the construction of the plant on our own in order to install new LED lamps in them. In addition to technical work, there was a lot of organizational work. We agreed with the finished goods warehouse to free up space for the installation of a telescopic lift. The work, by the way, was carried out at the height of about eight meters. And in order not to interfere with the normal functioning of the warehouse, we changed the lamps only on weekends. Sometimes working for 12 hours.

After the installation of lighting in the finished products and equipment warehouses, it was decided to install similar lighting in the plastics warehouse and in the service centre. The latest ultra-bright lamps with LED units, sensors, fittings for mounting were purchased.

– It was in these rooms that we first used the type of lighting that can be fully called "smart". – says Alexander. - Sensors that can read information about movements or changes in natural lights transmit information to the controller, which controls each lamp individually via Wi-Fi. There is special AWADA program that is installed on a computer or phone. With its help, you can control each lighting device or a group of lamps from anywhere in the factory.

Economical and eco-friendly

The third and at the same time one of the most important reasons for replacing fluorescent lamps with LED is that all fluorescent light sources are filled with mercury vapour.

Mercury is an extremely dangerous chemical substance, toxic to all forms of life in any condition. Therefore, the disposal of mercury, fluorescent and other lamps containing this chemical element should be carried out in accordance with strict requirements established by the regulatory documentation.

– Within the framework of compliance with the international standard of environmental management systems ISO 14001, Beko plant is actively working on improving environmental efficiency, – says environmental engineer Aliya Gilmullina. – One of the most important areas of this work is to reduce the amount of hazardous waste. We have already written about how waste is classified by hazard classes, as well as about the rules for sorting it in the territory of the plant, in MY BEKO magazine No. 3 (51) for September – October 2021 in the article "Waste to income". And today I will remind you once again that mercury lamps are the only representative of the waste group of the 1st (highest) hazard class at our factory.

It is necessary to collect and store mercury lamps that are already used only in special rooms, separately from other types of waste. Their transportation in sealed containers and further disposal can be carried out exclusively by a certified operator in accordance with the requirements of Article 16 of the Federal Law "On Production and Consumption Waste". According to Aliya Gilmullina, more than 1,700 mercury lamps per year were out of operation at Beko plant and required replacement, which amounted to more than 0.6 tons of particularly hazardous waste. Accordingly, in addition to potential environmental hazards, they required significant organizational and financial costs in terms of ensuring proper storage and transfer to a specialized company for disposal.

So, let's summarize – LED lamps are brighter, have a longer service life, are environmentally safe and cheaper to handle, including in terms of their disposal. Therefore, it is not surprising that the plant intends to continue improving energy and environmental efficiency in this way. And the electromechanical service of the enterprise intends to further develop smart lighting systems at the plant.