When businesses search for “how much can LED lighting save in a warehouse?”, most articles quote broad percentages.
30%.
50%.
Maybe 70%.
But in large-scale distribution environments, when lighting is redesigned properly and paired with intelligent controls, the outcome can be significantly greater.
At Claire’s Accessories’ UK Distribution Centre, the result was a 96.2% reduction in lighting energy consumption.
Yes… 96.2%.
You can view the full project here → (Link to Claire’s Case Study)
Large warehouses and distribution facilities often operate:
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Long shifts or 24/7
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Across extensive floor space
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With high ceilings
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With changing racking layouts
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With fluctuating occupancy
Lighting in these environments frequently accounts for 20–30% of total electricity use, sometimes more.
In Claire’s case, the site was operational and compliant. Nothing appeared broken.
But the system was not optimised for real behaviour.
Lights operated at full output regardless of:
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Occupancy
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Daylight contribution
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Shift variation
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Zone-specific requirements
That is where waste quietly accumulates.
The real breakthrough was not simply installing modern LED fittings.
It was layering intelligent control through our EnabLED™ Smart Lighting Control System (Link to EnabLED page).
This allowed the lighting to respond to:
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Occupancy detection
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Daylight harvesting
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Zoned behaviour
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Live performance data
The result was not theoretical savings.
It was measurable, monitored, and optimised.
Energy usage dropped by 96.2%, with ROI achieved in approximately 18 months.
Projected savings exceeded £150,000 over five years.
Many businesses ask:
“Are smart lighting controls worth it?”
In smaller sites, LED alone can deliver significant savings.
In large distribution centres, controls are often where the major gains sit.
When lighting only operates where and when it is genuinely needed, waste disappears.
This is particularly true where:
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Large zones sit idle for periods
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Forklift traffic is intermittent
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Natural daylight contributes
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Layout changes occur
Modern warehouse lighting should adapt to operational reality.
You can see other lighting & smart control projects here → (Link to Lighting & Smart Controls Projects)
With UK electricity pricing volatility and increasing non-commodity charges, controllable energy consumption matters more than ever.
Lighting is one of the fastest-return infrastructure upgrades available.
Distribution centres that installed early-generation LEDs 8–10 years ago are often sitting on significant additional opportunity.
Technology has moved on.
Operational pressures have changed.
Energy economics have shifted.
The key takeaway?
The Claire’s Accessories project proves something important:
Lighting upgrades are not about swapping fittings.
They are about redesigning behaviour.
If your distribution centre has not been reviewed recently, it may be operating under assumptions that no longer make financial sense.
We offer free, no-obligation site visits to show:
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Current lighting performance
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Behaviour-based savings potential
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ROI timelines
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Compliance alignment
