Hornby Hobbies cuts energy use by 61% at Kent dispatch site

British model railway manufacturer, Hornby Hobbies, is reducing carbon emissions by 38 tonnes per year at its Kent warehouse by upgrading the sites lighting system.


Hornby, which dispatches a wide range of model trains, cars and aircraft from its warehouse in Thanet, Kent, found that its “outdated, inefficient lighting” at the site was driving up energy and maintenance costs as the system switched on solidly for 16 hours a day.

Tackling this, the company has updated the warehouse’s lighting system by installing low energy LEDs with built-in presence sensors, reducing its consumption by 61% and saving over £7,000 a year on its electricity bills.

Hornby Hobbies engineering service manager, David Huddart, said: “The lights in the aisles of the warehouse were switched on at six a.m. and not turned off until ten p.m.

“But, it’s evident that there were many aisles lit without any activity for lengthy spells. Leaving the lights burning for no real reason. This was a particular problem, since the sodium lamps [SONs] we were using were very energy-inefficient and often needed replacing,” he added.

According to Huddart, the “orange glow” given off by lights made it difficult for staff to read labels and pick stock, while the health and safety issue of poor lighting was also a concern.

Leigh Stringer

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