Last year we committed $11m to Stage 1 of large-scale lighting upgrade across AGL’s operating facilities.

One of the first cabs off the rank for the lighting upgrade was Dredger 14 in the Loy Yang Mine, which was recently upgraded with 500 new LED lights.

But how much of a difference can a light bulb actually make?

While Dredger 14, involved the upgrade of 500 lights, this project will ultimately deliver more than 45,000 new lights across Loy Yang, Bayswater and Torrens.

Once the trial was complete, we worked on a post implementation review to assess how we’re tracking.

Increased efficiency

1. 60% reduction in energy used to power the lights.
2. Increase in net maximum capacity, or put simply actual light and brightness, with no additional fuel cost or emissions.
3. Reduction in unnecessary lighting of areas with enough sunlight using daylight sensors.

Longer life light means less upgrades

• The expected lifespan of a LED light fitting is over 50,000 hours, significantly more than previous lights, resulting in significantly less downtime for maintenance.
• The lifetime for LED lights with sensors is more than 10 years which is a significant increase in lifespan.

Reduced emissions

Once complete, we expect the whole project will reduce our carbon impact with an estimate reduction of 35,000 tCO2e/y – this is the equivalent of taking over 10,500 cars off the road for a year.

Better working conditions

Following the upgrade, the improved and consistent lux levels have led to “great improvement in the lighting in the field,” said Mine Production Manager Tim Murnane.