There are many aspects to sustainability. Of course, it takes into account energy consumption and effective use of raw materials, but also includes recyclability, maintainability, and longevity. Many areas of our lives are changing to accept the concept of sustainability. People and companies are adjusting processes and products to help ensure that the activities we engage in and the products we produce are sustainable in the future. Industrial lighting is no exception.
Because it can be done easily, lighting optimization or renovation is one of the more common reforms to improve facility efficiency. It does not need to modify the existing structure, and by replacing traditional lamps with LED technology, it can reduce on-site energy consumption by as much as 80%. However, for the oil and gas industry, this change is not just about saving costs: safety must come first.
Compared with modern LED technology in the era of change, traditional lighting solutions clearly lack sustainability. Not only do they consume electricity, they also require more frequent maintenance, are not easy to recycle, and may contain harmful elements such as mercury. For heavy industry, the real question is not whether to switch to modern, sustainable lighting; it is more like a question of when. The advantages are significant, and LED technology provides a good return on investment, so in the future this change will benefit a lot and lose little.
Improving lighting energy efficiency can reduce energy consumption, reduce daily operating costs, and reduce carbon footprint. In fact, LED modules and latest-generation drivers used for ATEX lighting can achieve a net luminaire efficiency close to 180 lm/W. Combined with the use of intelligent lighting control technology, compared with traditional lighting technology, this can save up to 80% of a lot of cost. In addition, modern LED lamps are designed to directly replace traditional fluorescent lamp devices, making conversion very simple.
Ensuring safety in explosive environments For places with hazardous areas or explosive environments, safety must be the most important consideration, which means that tradition takes precedence over innovation. However, the latest LED technology has the necessary ATEX grades. These grades are mainly used in Europe to identify equipment certified according to EX (ATEX, Europe) and IECEX (Global) standards, and suitable for handling extreme temperatures up to 75°C. Or corrosive atmospheric conditions. This makes these solutions very suitable for use in petrochemical plants or offshore environments.
Plastic shell: It is not only difficult to recycle traditional lamps made of aluminum and glass, but they also cause more pollution in the manufacturing process. However, the use of modern plastics, such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), provides many benefits.
The manufacture of lamps is equivalent to 95% of its life cycle carbon footprint. In the past few years, the manufacturing process of plastic parts has been optimized, greatly reducing the carbon footprint left in the manufacturing process. In addition, plastics such as PMMA can provide a high level of protection to avoid water and dust. It also has strong corrosion resistance, making it ideal for lighting that may be exposed to chemical or salt aerosols. In turn, this will increase the service life of the luminaire and reduce maintenance costs, both of which reduce service life costs and increase sustainability.
Reaching new heights When luminaires are installed out of reach (for example, in tanks, pipes, or high bay applications), installation can be a challenge. Modern LED solutions using plastic housings have advantages in terms of lighter weight, ease of handling and installation. However, in addition, intelligent control and monitoring can not only provide more efficient cost solutions, but also provide engineers with predictive maintenance information, thereby avoiding unnecessary maintenance inspections and promoting more efficient maintenance activities planning.
Part of the digital revolution is called "Industry 4.0" or "Smart Manufacturing." Many organizations are advancing digital initiatives aimed at taking advantage of new levels of efficiency and business agility. Through intelligent equipment and intelligent control, the use of equipment is more and more optimized, and the efficiency level has reached a new height. Lighting is an important part of this "fourth industrial revolution" and requires a lot of savings.
The lighting and the simple structure associated with it allows the integration of smart devices, such as presence or luminescence sensors. These intelligent controls can increase the efficiency of LED lamps by up to 50%. By incorporating the lighting system into the communication network and using simple software, site managers can begin to understand the behavior of lighting and its energy consumption to further improve efficiency. Technologies such as presence sensors can also provide insight into the occupancy of places, not only to optimize lighting, but also to optimize the use of these spaces.
Where should we go in the future? Although modern lighting solutions have undergone major changes in sustainability, there are still some steps that need to be taken. Started to use biodegradable natural materials, but they have not yet reached a sufficient level of technological maturity or performance to become a real substitute for plastics. This immaturity means that new materials cannot yet guarantee the same chemical resistance, optical properties and mechanical resistance as polycarbonate, polyamide or PMMA. Companies such as Zalux are working hard to improve the materials used to manufacture their products, strive to achieve 100% recyclable raw materials, and analyze the use of innovative, recyclable, recyclable and biodegradable materials to make them viable manufacturing materials Prepare.
Zalux is working hard to create a circular economy for lamps by optimizing lamp manufacturing and innovations in technology and raw materials used. It continues to work to improve the sustainability of the manufacturing process, improve recyclability, and use more sustainable materials to develop products, reduce the carbon footprint of lamps throughout the life of the lamp and reduce the overall life cycle cost. For this reason, it applies eco-design technology in the development of lamps to consider the impact of lamps on the environment during their life cycle.
Summary The combination of modern LED technology and more deliberate housing material selection provides a safe, sturdy, reliable, and long-life lighting solution for the oil and gas industry. Today, the lamps have obtained all the necessary EX/IECEX certifications and protection levels to ensure smooth and safe operation even in the harshest environments.
The addition of intelligent monitoring and control technology ensures that the lights are only used when needed, and fully optimizes the maintenance cycle, thereby raising the lighting efficiency and sustainability to a new level. Compared with traditional lighting technology, this further increases the service life of the lamp and greatly reduces the overall life cost.
In the end, modern LED lighting solutions with intelligent control and design consider all aspects of sustainability, and are clearly the future winners of enterprises, human beings and the planet.
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Journal of Petroleum Technology is the flagship magazine of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, providing authoritative briefings and topics about the advancement of exploration and production technology, oil and gas industry issues, and news about SPE and its members.
ISSN: 1944-978X (online) ISSN: 0149-2136 (print)