LED there be light
Strong financial considerations ultimately helped
convince the Management Team. "Though LEDs are
more expensive, they last longer and use 70 per cent
less energy. In the first year alone, we reduced our
energy consumption by an amazing 2.5 per cent. LEDs
save money, they are safer and they allow us to fulfil
our promise of being more sustainable."
One doubt remains. LEDs shine less brightly over time,
so the question was whether they would be able to
fulfil their promise of a long lifespan. "We negotiated
some tough guarantees from the supplier, but we're
still taking a risk. We are willing to do that, because
we believe in the benefit of LEDs."
This enthusiasm carries over into 2011. Vrumona
will consider LEDs for its outdoor lighting and for its
production hall. For the time being, the first success
is fact. As Pier says, "Every time I enter the hall and
look at the LEDs I think: we did it!"
Netherlands
Vrumona is Heineken's manufacturer, marketer and
distributor of soft drinks in the Netherlands. When
the 1,750 fluorescent lamps in one of the major
distribution halls had to be replaced, the company
considered switching to LED lights.
LEDs last longer, contain no dangerous chemicals and
use electronics to generate visible light only, meaning
they are more efficient. In addition, and of great
importance in a manufacturing environment, they
do not make it seem as though some moving parts
are stationary when in fact they are not.
And yet, there was some scepticism. "LEDs were
more expensive to buy, we wondered whether they
produced the right quality of light and we didn't know
whether they were rugged enough," says Pier Snieder,
Safety, Health and Environment Manager at Vrumona.
A test facility with two types of LEDs was set up in the
hall. "One type couldn't handle the vibrations, but
people were enthusiastic about the other. Forklift
drivers enjoyed the light, saying it allowed them
to better read their instruments and the small print
on crates."
Sustainability Report 2010
