Fushi Copperweld's Brighter Idea: Lighting Retrofit Earns Award for 'Energy Project of the Year'

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• USA - English
• USA - English

FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn., March 25 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The Center for Energy Efficiency (CEE) at Middle Tennessee State University has granted its 2010 award for "Energy Project of the Year" to Fushi Copperweld (Nasdaq: FSIN)'s wire manufacturing plant in Lincoln County, Tennessee.

Sponsored by the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers, the prestigious award recognizes businesses, individuals, or organizations that demonstrate innovation in their implementation of energy efficiency projects. Fushi Copperweld's American operation was chosen to receive the award for having completed a total retrofit of the lighting grid at its 298,000 square-foot facility last August.

Lynn Patterson, Fushi Copperweld's facilities engineer, says that the need for a better lighting system in the plant was vital. "Our facility in Fayetteville opened in 1975, and still used the original lighting throughout." High-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps, which were the norm at that time, were a drain on the factory's maintenance budget, according to Patterson. "The HPS lamps burn at nearly 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, and require both a warm-up and a cool-down time of about 20 minutes before they can be removed for replacement or repair. If there is a power outage or the lighting system is de-energized for maintenance, we experience delays, which make our employees and maintenance crews less productive," he explains.

Replacing the HPS lamps with efficient fluorescent tubes, which operate at just 110 degrees Fahrenheit, not only means instant light throughout the plant, it lowers the ambient temperature, saves on cooling costs, and reduces the risk of danger to workers. "Those intensely hot HPS lamps, frankly, could have potentially started a fire if a lamp's outer glass were to shatter," says Patterson.

The Fushi Copperweld factory is in production 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but not every area of the plant is in constant use. The installation of motion-activated sensors throughout the manufacturing space and the offices enables maximum savings during downtime in zones where work is not actively being done. The lights cycle off in areas where no movement is detected, but instantly come on the moment an employee enters that part of the facility, or when a machine is turned on.

The fluorescent tubes are also brighter and give off a truer, whiter light than the yellow-hued luminescence of HPS lamps. There has been an increase of as much as 70% in the amount of available light in some areas of the factory. As well, the fluorescent tubes last about twice as long and maintain 93% of their initial lumens over time, compared to only 63% for HPS lamps. Studies have shown that better light also makes for happier employees, fewer errors, and increased productivity.

"The retrofit made operational sense," says Mike Beddoe, the plant's general manager. "The positive impact on the environment speaks for itself, but moreover, we can count on it yielding substantial financial rewards almost immediately." In just one year, the facility will reduce its annual electricity usage for lighting by nearly 66%- 2.1 million kWh- a reduction which, combined with tax and maintenance savings, will yield a total savings of approximately $300,000. Fushi Copperweld projects the new lighting scheme will have paid for itself in just eleven months.

Integrated Electrical Design (IED) of Nashville performed the retrofit with equipment by General Electric. Mark Dowell, principal of IED, says, "Fushi Copperweld was an ideal candidate for a total conversion to fluorescent lighting. We replaced over 1,300 fixtures with modern, energy-efficient lamp systems that will serve the company well for years to come, and provide better light at a tremendous energy savings."

The retrofit is just one component in a campaign at Fushi Copperweld to promote itself as an environmentally friendly leader in the electrical conductor industry. The company already recycles raw materials, and operates a very low-pollution factory. "We have robust process controls in place, and there is a great awareness amongst our employees that we aim to minimize our ecological impact," says Beddoe. "We take our responsibility to the earth and our local community very seriously, and do our best to be good stewards of the environment. Using less energy is another step in the right direction for us," he adds.

The CEE was established in 1999 to advance sound energy management practices. The award will be bestowed upon the company at a luncheon in Nashville at the Genesco Center on March 31 at 11:30 AM. Employees from Fushi Copperweld, IED and General Electric will be on hand for the celebration. Members of the press are invited.

About Fushi Copperweld

Fushi Copperweld Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Fushi International (Dalian) Bimetallic Cable Co. Ltd., and Copperweld Bimetallics LLC, is the leading manufacturer and innovator of copper-clad bimetallic engineered conductor products for electrical, telecommunications, transportation, utilities and industrial applications. With extensive design and production capabilities, and a long-standing dedication to customer service, Fushi Copperweld is the preferred choice for bimetallic products worldwide.

    For more information, please contact:

     Thomas Horton
     Director of Global Marketing
     Fushi Copperweld Inc.
     Phone: +1-615-428-3333
     Email: [email protected]
     Web:   http://www.fushicopperweld.com

SOURCE Fushi Copperweld Inc.