"Realize huge savings by cleaning your light reflectors"

Dust that flies around in the air and is attracted by the fixtures gets burnt and hinders the optimal reflection of your supplemental lighting. Exactly how much light is lost and how much that costs in terms of used energy can be calculated. As Marcel van den Bogert from Lightshine knows, this can lead to the decision to clean the reflectors.

Marcel van den Bogert

"We have recently had our assessment laboratory refurbished, in collaboration with Hortilux, so that we can take measurements even more accurately. Every year, there is a few percent extra of dirt on them and therefore we need to measure very accurately," says Marcel. "We can measure all existing fixtures and then calculate the difference in relation to new reflectors. We make a report of this. We save the information, so that we can follow the results of individual clients. Also, with the help of the assessment report, we can calculate for the client the potential profit in relation to light production and therefore energy use."

The assessment laboratory. The fixture can be placed in the black box on the left and the reflection is measured. Calculations are made on the computer, the results interpreted and archived.

An example: when a grower uses lights for 2000 hours per year, the reflector per fixture takes 1% off. If the used energy per fixture costs about 125 euros per year, that results in a loss per year per fixture of 1.25 euros. If your multiply that by the number of fixtures used by the grower, then you're quickly talking about thousands of euros.

Storage of the fixtures

Growth

Often, reflectors are cleaned every year. That prevents the burning on of dirt and therefore the reflector lasts longer. In 70% of cases, the grower removes the reflectors himself, in 30% of cases, Lightshine does that for the client. As can be seen by the growing clientele, people are quickly recognising the importance of washing the caps. "Last year we bought a robot that can wash several caps at once. With this and our new assessment lab, we are making strides. We are therefore going to expand and we have bought a new plot next to our existing premises on Bovendijk in Kwintsheul."

For the expert: a look inside one of the machines.

Canada
Lightshine now has 4 machines with which they can visit customers throughout the whole of the Netherlands and neighbouring countries. In principle, the machines can be operated by one man. Recently, there is now a machine in operation in Canada. "We have only visited for a few days. Things are really spread out there, not like here where you can drive everywhere. Therefore, we installed the machine centrally and we collect the reflectors. The grower takes them off themselves and we take care of the transport (collecting and returning).

CleanCarts
In conclusion, Lightshine is expanding the business and there is a new business on the cards: CleanCarts. Marcel has developed a machine that can clean shopping trolleys, baskets and trolleys. "You can see that shopping trolleys and baskets are often not clean because of intensive use. Research has shown that shopping trolleys often have more bacteria than a toilet seat," says Marcel.

In order to get CleanCarts off the ground, a new account manager has been taken on. The machine is currently being built and will be ready at the end of July. "A very different kettle of fish, yes," laughs Marcel, "but also exciting: something completely new!"

For more information:
Lightshine
CleanCarts BV
Marcel van den Bogert
Bovendijk 18
2295 RZ Kwintsheul
T: +31 (0)6-28903311+31 (0)6-28903311
F: +31 (0)174-271493
E: marcel@cleancarts.nl
www.cleancarts.nl
www.lightshine.nl