How an aluminum smelter saved $240,000 / year
2 440
fixtures replaced
$296,000
in financial incentives
$240,000
in annual savings
Located in the heart of Quebec’s industrial sector, this large-scale aluminum smelter is a strategic site specializing in aluminum processing. The plant includes several buildings dedicated to critical operations: production, handling, technical areas, laboratories and support services. As in many heavy industrial facilities, lighting plays an essential role in ensuring team safety, work quality and operational reliability.
Challenges and objectives
The smelter sought to significantly improve the lighting performance of its facilities, as many fixtures showed clear signs of aging and resulted in high maintenance costs. Certain critical areas suffered from insufficient or uneven lighting, creating shadows, blind spots,and suboptimal working conditions.
Following a comprehensive site lighting audit, two clear objectives were established:
- Modernize all lighting systems while optimizing operating costs.
- Enhance safety and visibility in all work areas, particularly those where operations take place at heights or in sensitive environments.
Management wanted a solution combining energy efficiency, operational performance and visual quality, while maximizing available financial incentives.
Our solution
We designed a targeted solution covering all buildings, with a simple, robust and high-performance approach: a one-for-one replacement of all existing fixtures with modernized LED solutions, increasing light output where necessary. The new devices are dimmable, allowing brightness to be adapted to the actual work needs areas, while maximizing energy savings.
This modernization provides an immediate gain in visibility, reduces shadows and improves lighting uniformity, which translates directly into better working conditions and increased safety. The project also eliminated aging fixtures that were costly to maintain and often energy-intensive, replacing them with robust units designed for demanding industrial environments.
Results achieved
Increased safety and better visual comfort
The approximately 15% increase in lighting levels, combined with a color temperature better suited to industrial environments, improves risk perception and facilitates daily operations.
Significant reduction in operating costs
The complete conversion to LED technology allows the smelter to save $240,000 per year, while considerably reducing maintenance interventions.
Performance and lighting consistency
The new fixtures eliminate shadows and ensure the visual uniformity essential in critical sectors, optimizing work quality.
A profitable project supported by financial aid
Thanks to E’nergys’ structured approach, the smelter was able to obtain $296,000 in financial aid, thereby reducing its initial investment and accelerating the return on investment.
2025-2026
Years of completion
Industrial
Sector
$1.6M
Investment
$240,000
Annual Savings
$296,000
Financial Incentives
3,260,000 kWh
Electricity savings
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