Norsk Hydro

Driving Holistic Energy Management with Norsk Hydro

Energy Oasis's partnership with Norsk Hydro showcases how holistic energy management can yield financial benefits, environmental sustainability and improved working conditions. Through intelligent LED installations and a circular economy approach, we've achieved significant carbon savings and transformed Norsk Hydro's work environment.

Our collaboration with Norsk Hydro began with the installation of intelligent LEDs at their Tibshelf and Cheltenham locations. The projects required different approaches due to varying complexity but resulted in considerable carbon savings and enhanced working conditions. A commitment to sustainability saw us source LED lights from Low Energy Designs that incorporated aluminium from Norsk Hydro itself.

Project Background

We undertook the Tibshelf project swiftly, completing it within three weeks, while the more extensive Cheltenham project was carried out in phases over 2-3 months. Our focus was not just on energy efficiency, but also on creating brighter, more pleasant workspaces. We've since completed Phase 2 at the Tibshelf cast house, overcoming challenges such as high temperatures and the need for innovative emergency lighting solutions. Phase 3, set to begin soon, will revamp the main building at Tibshelf.

Our Approach

Energy Oasis installed intelligent LED systems, achieving a remarkable 75% cost savings on lighting circuits at Cheltenham alone. This equates to reducing carbon emissions by 175 tons annually. We also adopted a circular economy approach, sourcing LEDs from Low Energy Designs that utilised Hydro's own aluminium.

Our Innovative Solution

The before and after images from Hydro Cheltenham below, showcase the power of energy-efficient lighting and the impact of our holistic energy management solutions.

The results have been dramatic. Besides the substantial carbon savings, employees at Norsk Hydro have reported improved working conditions. The feedback affirms the positive impact of our solution on health and safety, fostering a conducive work environment.

Impressive Results

Our partnership with Norsk Hydro is set to scale new heights. We're planning a Phase 4 project in Cheltenham's anodizing areas, expected to yield an impressive 80% carbon reduction, and we're exploring solar PV solutions for all Norsk Hydro sites. The first solar scheme is slated for operation by Q4 2023.

Future Plans

Client Testimonial

To give some background on our lighting; we had installed LED lighting about 4-5 years ago, but still had some fluorescent and sodium lights. The light levels were much lower than we required to perform the tasks safely or accurately. As a result, additional task lighting had been installed to provide more light, this however was casting shadows in the working areas. We also had some specific requirements in the cast house, in addition to better light levels. We needed to ensure that the lights over the casting area would remain on, and at full brightness, in the event of a power cut (not drop to normal emergency lighting levels of 1 Lux) which would allow a timely and safe shutdown of the casting process.

We engaged Energy Oasis who are an Energy Consultancy and Management firm that specialise in Energy Monitoring, Reduction and Generation for energy intensive businesses. We have worked with them previously at our site in Cheltenham and were really impressed with the outcome.

Energy Oasis provided us with a comprehensive lighting design, for the cast house, spent time listening to our requirements in terms of light levels in specific areas, and how we wanted to enhance our health and safety requirements. They then managed and delivered the project, working with the rest of our team during and after the shutdown period. We have increased the lux level from an average of 75 lux per sq metre, to 550 lux per sq meter. All the lights have individual controls which include microwave, so they turn themselves on and off which helps us save money, reduce our carbon footprint and increase the lamp life.

The kelvin range of the lights is 5200k, day light, this is really important as we use overhead cranes, requiring the operators to look up during the crane operation; the old LED task lights were blinding them by being too bright (they were cool white, 6000K). They have installed a battery back up so that if we have a power cut 6 lights over the casting area stay on full power for half an hour allowing us to shut down safely.

We are looking forward to our continued journey with Energy Oasis, improving the lighting on our other sites, along with a few other projects…

— Richard Eaton, Sustainability Manager at Tibshelf

At Energy Oasis, we believe in the transformative power of holistic energy management. Contact us today to explore how we can help you achieve financial benefits, reduce your carbon footprint, and improve your work environment through energy-efficient solutions.