Energy savings brochure

Rockwell Automation Retrofits for Efficiency With Fast Payback

Project at a Glance:
Who: Rockwell Automation
What: 600 fixture retrofit from HID to linear fluorescent high bay
Where: Mequon, WI
Contractor: Spectrum Electric
Products: H Series Linear Fluorescent High Bay, 6-lamp (T8)
Annual Energy Savings: 2783928 .kWh, $44,240
Payback Period: 2.20 years

Ruud Lighting and Rockwell Automation share the goal of providing solutions that help businesses succeed and grow. The products of both companies help conserve power, maximize employee productivity, reduce operating costs and comply with regulatory requirements. Rockwell Automation provides power, control and information systems and services to customers in automated manufacturing. Ruud Lighting helped Rockwell Automation achieve that goal in its Mequon, Wisconsin manufacturing facility by supplying more than 600 linear fluorescent high bay fixtures to retrofit the existing HID high bay fixtures.

Rockwell Automation’s Mequon facility is part of a three-building complex of 571,000 square feet located on 48 acres in Mequon, Wisconsin. Employing more than 800 people, the facility assembles and tests AC and DC electronic drives and drive systems. The retrofitted facility houses key processes, such as placing surface mount components, automated insertion of through-hole components, wave soldering of printed circuit board assemblies, light assembly and final test of drives and drive systems. Proper illumination is essential to completing these processes.

When Rockwell decided to retrofit its facility with more efficient lighting fixtures to reduce energy costs, it looked to Spectrum Electric to perform the retrofit. To accomplish it, Spectrum Electric tapped Ruud Lighting’s proven ability to deliver energy efficient products on time. The timetable for the retrofit added considerable challenge to this project. Ruud proved more than able to deliver products on a demanding retrofit completion schedule before the end of Rockwell’s fiscal year. Ruud built the first 100 fixtures in a week and then supplied more than 500 additional fixtures in the next four weeks to complete the project. “Building the first 100 fixtures in five days and supplying 623 fixtures in five weeks was fantastic!” said Al Czajka, Project Manager for Spectrum Electric. “It was one of the most impressive accomplishments I’ve seen in 21 years in business.”

The Rockwell Automation retrofit consisted of replacing 626 400-watt MH high bay fixtures with 6-lamp T8 linear fluorescent high bay fixtures in a one-for-one replacement. The results were improved light levels with a dramatic energy cost reduction. By replacing the existing HID fixtures that consume 455 watts per fixture with the linear fluorescent fixtures that consume 228 watts per fixture, the annual kWh reduction was 278392.8. The total kWh reduction was 737332.32 for an annual electrical cost savings of approximately $44,240. In addition, Rockwell Automation received a $41,667 rebate under an incentive program sponsored by WE Energies. The return on Rockwell’s investment is a 2.2-year payback period.