Project Description
GNV following the led relamping by site s.p.a., gnv ships became more efficient and eco-sustainable
GNV, a company that operates ferry boats and that is part of the MSC Group, chose to go with SITE’s Vivila LED technology and with its energy-saving engineering skills for modernising the lighting systems aboard their fleet, with a view to gaining a multitude of benefits in terms of energy efficiency and environmental protection, as well as obtaining “white certificates” from the GSE (Italian Energy Service Manager).
Client:
GNV founded in 1992 by Aldo Grimaldi and now part of the MSC Group, is one of the leading shipping companies in the Mediterranean with a fleet that is among the youngest in the world. Operating 14 ships, of which 7 boast Green Star certification for environmental quality, GNV operates 12 international and 7 Italian routes, to and from Sardinia, Sicily, Spain, France, Albania, Tunisia, Morocco and Malta. In addition to transporting passengers, GNV (Grandi Navi Veloci) is intent on expanding its “Autostrade del Mare” (Sea Highways) for transporting also cargo and vehicles.
Business objectives:
The project was required in order to improve a return on investment that had already been made, by increasing energy efficiency of lighting systems to render the 7 certified ships, deemed by the company to be among its most important, compliant with naval standards. A retrofit operation was therefore called for in order to modernise the lighting systems and replace analogue lamps with LED lamps. Another important objective was to avoid disrupting or impeding the ships’ travel schedules, the staff’s daily work and passengers, trying to make the most out of stops at the various ports in order to complete installation and relamping operations.
Solution:
GNV has been supported by a single partner throughout the project development and implementation phases. Right from the early phase of study for establishing specifications for a project that initially covered a single ship, the Splendid, SITE was able to present an estimate of all the advantages and benefits that the use of LED technology would bring to the company and to its environmental ranking. These estimates allowed GNV to take the decision to extend its investment to the other 6 ships of its fleet, amounting to the installation of 70,000 LED lamps by project completion. SITE’s extensive experience in designing and building technological energy-saving systems played a very important role in making this entire project a success. It involved adopting a structural strategic and operational approach that was shared with the client and specifically included:
- In-depth analysis of all needs;
- Definition of requirements and problems that the new lighting system had to deal with and either meet or resolve;
- Selection and sharing data of the devices to be used;
- Drafting a Retrofit Project and a Business Plan for a technical and budgetary assessment;
- Execution of the relamping operations;
- After-sales multi-annual assistance and monitoring;
- Consumption monitoring, operation results certification and obtaining Energy Efficiency Certificates (TEE) or White Certificates.
For SITE, the standout challenge of this project was, besides the counting of all lighting devices aboard each ferry, was to select, engineer and install each individual system in compliance with the strict environmental and energy standards regarding the naval industry while maintaining the look of the various hospitality areas and operation rooms on board.
Advantages:
GNV gained significant benefits from the conversion to Vivila LED lamps. The transition to using this innovative technology allowed the company to benefit from a significant reduction in:
- The consumption of fuel used for powering the on-board lighting system;
- CO2 emissions, by 2,785 tons per year, measured against the earlier approximately 3,980 tons per year: a 70% reduction;
- The consumption of energy required for operating the ship’s lighting system, by 59%;
- Heat emitted by the lamps;
- Maintenance costs, by 25%, thanks to the VIVILA LED products’ longer life (about 50,000 hours);
- The costs of disposal of products that must be replaced, as such products last 3 to 8 times longer than those based on traditional technologies.
The considerable cost reduction was also accompanied by other benefits and indirect advantages resulting from this project. GNV could now apply to receive Energy Efficiency Certificates, also known as White Certificates, from the GSE. In addition to the greater protection of the marine environment, the client could now offer its passengers an improved visual comfort, thanks to the greater lighting performance provided by LED technology. In short, the project improved travel experience, optimised the degree of liveability in all rooms, making them safer and more comfortable.
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