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WESCO delivers for the Mining Industry
Energy
Opportunity: A copper and gold mining company wanted to reduce energy consumption and improve lighting quality at its mines in the southwestern United States.
WESCO Solution: In collaboration with Philips Lighting, WESCO visited the mines to perform a lighting audit of all areas. The customer received a free, detailed, customized lighting report identifying energy-saving opportunities to be realized from specific lighting updates and upgrades in the mine, concentrator, and SXEW areas. The analysis determined that by replacing existing T12 fluorescent lamps with more efficient T8 fluorescent lamps, the customer could reduce annual energy consumption by 1,576,674 kWh. At an average cost of $0.082 per kWh, this translates to an energy-cost savings of $129,283 per year. This savings is anticipated to cover the customer’s initial investment of $277,681 for the lighting upgrade within 1.49 years and yield a total savings of $1,358,497 over the 10.5 year average life expectancy of the new T8 lamps for a return on investment of 77.5%. In addition to substantial energy savings, the new T8 lamps produce less mercury waste than the existing T12 lamps and provide better quality lighting for a safer, more productive work environment.
Result: Reduced Environmental Impact, Increased Safety and Productivity, and More than $1.35 Million in Energy-Cost Savings!
