Smart in the fast lane

When it comes to climate neutrality, the following motto applies: The sooner, the better. That is why logistics company Kühne+Nagel decided to renovate the entire lighting installation at two of their logistics locations in northern Germany. The reason for this is the high potential to reduce CO2 and costs, which can be achieved by switching to highly efficient and connected LED systems. As a full-service provider, we did the whole thing, and converted all areas in a short period of time, including light management and IoT functions.

Two logistics hubs with one mission - more sustainability

Our task was clear and simple, but at the same time complex and extensive: Refurbishing all lightings at two Kühne+Nagel logistics locations in Obergeorgswerder and Altenwerder (Germany) in a future-proof manner. In concrete terms, this meant: Equipping every single area, from the transshipment zone and assembly area to the warehouse and the outside areas, with tailor-made, efficient lighting solutions. Of course, including connected lighting systems, light management and Cloud connection. Thanks to our broad portfolio, we were able to implement all requirements from a single source. In Obergeorgswerder, the indoor luminaires were connected with the LiveLink Premium light management system, which is designed to control and monitor large projects with any number of light points. By combining this with presence and daylight sensors, energy costs can be reduced by around 26 percent compared to an unregulated LED solution. In the outdoor areas we have used LiveLink Outdoor.

The LED shuttle - performance in light strips per kilometer

One of the "biggest chunks" in Obergeorgswerder: The refurbishment of 44,000 m2 of handling space divided over five halls. The first step was to dismantle and dispose the 7.5 km old light strip. After that, we installed 7.5 km of our E-Line Next LED. Thanks to our LED shuttle, this process went very quickly, easily and sustainably. The principle: The lights are not being individually packaged or sent as a bundle on pallets (the way it usually works), but they are being pre-assembled on a five-meter-long transport system with wheels and delivered to the customer by truck. This simplifies and speeds up the installation process tremendously, as the LED modules do not have to be unpacked and there is also no waste for disposal. In Obergeorgswerder, the complete renovation of all luminaires including the 7.5 km light strip could be implemented in just eight weeks without interrupting daily operations.

Future-proof set up - predictive maintenance and heat mapping

By networking and connecting the lightings to the Cloud, the entire lighting system can be conveniently controlled and monitored in a unique way. Our digital service „TRILUX Light Monitoring“ monitors and analyzes the operating parameters of each individual light point in the lighting network. This data forms the basis for predictive maintenance, which is based on real needs instead of on fixed intervals. This lowers the costs and increases the security. Another big step towards the future: The solutions in Obergeorgswerder are IoT-ready and have been equipped with powerful 3-D sensors for so-called heatmapping via Plug & Play. The routes of people and vehicles in the halls are being displayed as a graphically presented frequency distribution on the building’s floor plan. In this way, ‘hot spots’ and danger areas can be quickly identified and eliminated.

More sustainability, efficiency and security today - and all the freedom for tomorrow

The renovation has paid off in every aspect: Replacing the conventional system by energy-efficient LED technology with light management, resulted in a significant reduction of the operating costs at both locations. A comparison of the electricity costs in October 2020 (after the renovation) and the year prior to the renovation (October 2019), shows a reduction in electricity costs of around 30 percent. At the same time, the quality of light has been increased, with sometimes surprising effects. In Obergeorgswerder, deaf employees feel much safer in their work environment thanks to the higher lumen packages. And when it comes to future viability, no wishes remain unfulfilled. With heatmapping, Kühne+Nagel has already implemented a location-based service for the lighting, and the systems can be upgraded with additional IoT components at any time via Plug & Play. In our opinion, today we are clearly on course for the future.