A Reading List for a Human Workplace

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  Catalyst that changed the work environment

  Recently the chief engineer who supervised our project to implement energy efficient lighting systems in seven of their manufacturing facilities said he could not believe the change in attitude his employees have with the better lighting. They are more cooperative and friendly. He said that each facility has a personality. He is most surprised and impressed about the one located in an inner city industrial area which was rougher and less friendly before and is now so noticeably better.
  
  Our lighting project had the objective of replacing the old lighting system with an energy efficient system. Among the multiple objectives was to qualify the project for the tax benefits offered by the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005. This required that the light levels meet the standards recommended by IESNA (the Illumination Engineering Society of North America) and reduce significantly the light power density (LPD) as specified in ASHRAE standards.
  
  The owners and senior management did not perceive that the existing lighting was poor. Their focus was to reduce their electric bills at a reasonable cost so as to achieve a high return on their cash investment. The benefits of improved lighting were not considered as part of the economic justification to fund the project.
  
  Yet the improved lighting has been acknowledged by everybody (the owners, managers and employees) in each of the facilities as the major benefit of the project, making it the best cost cutting project ever done.
  
  One plant manager acknowledged he did not realize how dull his facility had become over time, and how much his employees expressed their appreciation for the improved lighting. The employees were very outspoken about how much better they felt. People were taking greater pride in their work area and cleaning up more than before. This may seem minor, but the lighting improvement has become a catalyst for changing the work place.
  
  Back in the inner city facility, a person said he could see more of his machine area and spotted several issues that needed to be corrected by maintenance. The chief engineer told us that one of his line managers noticed more rejects and he initially though something went wrong. The engineer chuckled and said how great that was for them, to discover their own problems before the products were shipped to their customers or they wasted additional time and materials that were already defective.
  
  One woman tow motor operator constantly thanked the engineer for weeks about lighting up the place. She confided that her anxiety for her safety has been eliminated and she feels better and more efficient doing her job.
  
  Many more interesting positive comments were made to the company's chief engineer. He said that the moral in his inner city facility had never been better.
  
  A couple of months later I was showing off this facility to a prospective client when I notice the place had been painted. I meet the chief engineer and complimented him about how great the place was looking. He said it was due to the lighting. The owners and management agreed that the new lighting showed them the way; and the place was too dirty. Everybody is into making it look great, so they painted walls, floors, lines etc because they were feeling an increase in pride.
  
  It was more than a feeling that the intangible benefits of better lighting was greater than the energy savings we accomplished. I asked the chief engineer: "How often have you heard your employees' thank you for implementing a cost cutting program?" He said it has never happen. This was the best, most rewarding project he ever implemented.
  
  I take great pride and satisfaction to accomplish so much for my clients - the quantified known savings and the unexpected impact lighting has on improving their operations.
  
  The financial benefits were as follows:
  Seven facilities - Composite Analysis
  Project sq ft = 721,045
  Annual kWh saved = 3,065,083
  KW saved = 462
  Percentage reduction in power used for lighting = 58.96%
  Annual savings per sq ft = $.39
  Annual O&M savings = $278,604 at current hours (66% of max 24/7)
  Annual ROI with EPact2005 benefits = 99%
  The LPD for the seven facilities ranged from .37 to .58 watts per square foot
  
  Tom Avery
  Consultant
  Energy Solutions Inc.
  Nashville, TN
  C: 615-594-0241
  O: 615-662-0027