Both Ocean Steel and Strescon call Saint John, New Brunswick home with offices and plants across Atlantic Canada and northeastern United States. They are part of the OSCO Construction Group, a collection of companies operating in concrete, construction, and steel.
Strescon’s 34,000sq. ft. Saint John site develops and produces precast concrete products and environmental solutions, including pipe, box culverts, manholes and catch basins, and wastewater treatment systems.
Ocean Steel’s Saint John location is a 120,000sq. ft. production facility that includes over 1,100 feet of crane-ways and the capacity to fabricate large-scale pieces using state-of-the-art technology for construction projects of all sizes. Ocean Steel is a dynamic workplace with welders, fitters, and crane operators all working collaboratively.
Safety is always top priority for both Strescon and Ocean Steel. Having a well-lit space ensures maximum visibility for welding operations, and also an added safety precaution to avoid the dangers associated with tripping over materials and machineries in busy manufacturing environments.
PROJECTED ENERGY SAVINGS
Project Cost: $221,845
Project Incentive: $58,160
Estimated annual energy savings: $27,320
Estimated maintenance savings: $10,000
Simple payback: 6 years
Having had worked with other efficiency agencies in their facilities out of province, they were excited to engage NB Power’s Industrial Energy Advisors on their lighting projects in New Brunswick.
Working with the Industrial Energy Advisors, they were able to quickly work together and easily submit the appropriate paperwork to access incentives and help them upgrade their lighting technology.
Ocean Steel Lighting Upgrades
With the Industrial Energy Efficiency Program’s Prescriptive incentives, Ocean Steel was able to replace their high bay lighting technology and de-lamp (reduce lighting fixtures) as well. They replaced 216 old, metal halide fixtures with 166 new, LED fixtures.
Strescon Lighting Upgrades
Strescon’s project allowed them to take advantage of the Prescriptive incentive without pre-approval because their incentive was below $10,000. They were able to replace their metal halide, high bay lighting with 31 new, LED fixtures.
Project Benefits
The project benefits in this case are pretty clear: fewer lights, that are newer and more energy efficient, will cut Ocean Steel’s power consumption by half while also creating a better and brighter working environment.
In addition to reduced wattage and increased light distribution at both sites, the new LED fixtures also require less frequent maintenance - a process that required a lot of effort and equipment like scissor lifts and boom cranes, and resulted in production disruptions. The improved lighting has created a more efficient, productive work environment, and happier employees.
“It’s a win-win. The lighting works better, it cost less, and we are doing our part for the environment. Every bit helps,” said Justin McLean, Facilities Planning Assistant.
