X-Glo underground LED lighting saves money, boosts safety

Sudbury-based X-Glo North America has been lighting the way underground for 10 years with its proprietary LED rope lighting. It is no secret that LED lights are significantly cheaper to operate than other types and that a well-lit underground is a safer mine.

LED lighting uses a fraction of the energy compared to conventional lighting sources such as metal halide or sodium lamps. With a typical power rating of 400 W, lighting a 100-meter distance with lamps consumes 4,000 W continuously. Compare this to X-Glo LED strip lighting which consumes only 9 W per meter for a total only 900 W over that same 1,000-meter distance. With thousands of meters of lighting requirements underground, it becomes clear how LED will save your mine money.

One of the pitfalls with conventional lighting is uneven light, referred to as “high and low spots” of luminescence that causes glare and confusion. This condition increases the risk of a hazardous work environment – especially when lighting failure occurs, leaving even darker areas with no lighting at all. LED strip lighting solves this by providing full lighting coverage, end to end, with no high or low spots, ensuring a constant and stable lighting solution. And with a 150° angle from ceiling to floor, your mine operators will feel safer leading to increased morale and performance.

Conventional lighting such as metal halide or sodium lamps are prone to premature failure due to the harsh environmental conditions in underground mines. As a result, these lighting systems are known to lose up to 50% of luminescence within the first four to six months, and rarely last beyond 12 months. Continually replacing lamps throughout the mine is costly and adds to your annual lighting energy costs in a big way. LED strip lighting is not affected by the mine environment and loses only about 1 to 2% per annum. X-Glo LED lights come with a five-year warranty with an expected lifespan of 10 years. And best of all, damaged strips can be repaired in 20-cm sections – saving time and money.

Learn more and peruse the catalog X-Glo LED strip lighting at www.X-Glo.ca.