Glamox lights up offshore wind with smart solutions

How many lights does an average home have – 60 or so? Now compare this to an offshore wind project. According to Andresen, there are 5 000 or more. “A few years ago, a large project such as one in the oil and gas industry would employ three full-time electricians just to maintain the lighting,” he explains.

In addition, the marine environment creates special challenges. Salt, water, chemicals, vibrations and impenetrable steel structures can make offshore lighting more complex than land-based solutions.

“Digitalisation is the best way to meet all of these challenges,” he adds.

Glamox delivers light management systems for marine and offshore vessels and facilities.

“We combine quality luminaires and good design with innovative technology, including IoT sensors. The result is a smart, connected and energy-efficient lighting solution,” says Andresen.

Of course the system meets all maritime lighting requirements, including interior lighting, floodlights and searchlights, explosion-proof luminaires and navigation lights. But there is much more.

The hub of the system is Glamox Connect, a cloud-based dashboard solution for centralised monitoring. The solution monitors all lighting devices 24/7 and provides data on activity, maintenance and energy consumption. It also tests emergency lights and automatically runs emergency reports.

“Operators have complete control of their lighting installations, even from onshore,” he says, noting that most companies want to reduce offshore work hours for cost and safety reasons.

The systems are scalable, and all light fixtures are manufactured sustainably.

Easy monitoring brings a host of benefits. First, it reduces energy consumption and costs, in part by ensuring that lights are turned on only when in use. “Our solution can reduce energy use from lighting by up to 90 per cent, so significant savings are possible,” says Andresen.

Lights can also be dimmed to appropriate levels. This not only saves energy, but reduces light pollution, providing a more natural environment for workers and wildlife.

Moreover, 24/7 monitoring allows for proactive maintenance, stopping problems before they start and avoiding costly breakdowns. The result is lower life cycle costs and a longer system lifetime.

Plus, there is an intangible benefit. “Our solution brings peace of mind to owners, managers and operators,” he says.

Growth in two market sectors suggest a bright future for Glamox lighting systems. The European market for smart lighting stood at USD 3 418 million in 2019 and is expected to increase by 19.6 per cent by 2030. At the same time, the European Green Deal calls for an increase in installed offshore wind capacity by 25 times by 2030.

“We are continually innovating for the offshore and marine sectors. Soon our systems will be controllable from a smartphone,” says Andresen.

Based on 10 years of success in innovative smart solutions for land-based lighting, Glamox has moved into lighting for open ocean aquaculture, work boats, response vessels and electric ferries, and now in into the offshore wind industry.