In April 2012, 50 units of E·COOL, a next-generation energy-saving fluorescent lighting system produced by Optrom, Inc., were installed on a trial basis on the NYK-operated car carrier Pyxis Leader.
After having tested performances of brightness and durability as well as the attachment mechanics during a one-month voyage, all lighting on Pyxis Leader will be changed over to the E·COOL system while the vessel is in dock this summer.
E·COOL has superior features both in terms of energy-saving capabilities and economic efficiency, such as smaller power consumption, longer operating life, greater brightness, and gentler lighting on the eyes that is free of flickering, which is achieved by using a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), the same that has been used for years in LCD monitors.
Because cars are driven on and off car carriers by drivers, bright lighting is desired for the entire cargo hold area — comprising up to 12 decks — to prevent accidents. Accordingly, more than 2,000 lighting units are installed on areas of a vessel — including the engine room and crew accommodations.
It is estimated that E·COOL can result in a power savings of around 40 percent over conventional fluorescent lighting systems. When all lighting systems are replaced with E·COOL, CO2 emissions on voyages will be reduced by up to 1 percent. Moreover, the rated life of the E·COOL system is about 40,000 hours, a significant increase over the 6,000 or so hours for the existing fluorescent lighting system, which will reduce the workload on the crew in replacing units, maintenance for fluorescent lighting, and trouble during cargo operation due to any abrupt outage by a conventional fluorescent lighting system. NYK will promote the installation of E·COOL on other car carriers when they are in dock.
Optrom, Inc. is headquartered in the Tohoku area, which was hard hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and the company has been carrying out a campaign to supplement its ongoing activities for reconstruction by donating a part of the proceeds of E·COOL unit sales to the affected area. Proceeds of NYK’s purchase will thus help fund donations made throughout the fiscal year by way of the Japan Philanthropic Association’s Philanthropy Bank to NPO organizations working in Sendai.
Through its environment-conscious activities, NYK continues its efforts to support areas devastated by disaster, while contributing to environmental conservation and the realization of a sustainable society.
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Source: NYK, May 9, 2012