Lighting Audit for Municipalities and Companies and Financing for Lighting Modernization, Both Outdoor and Indoor

Conducting an Energy Audit of Lighting is intended to achieve two main goals:

Firstly, it allows determining how much electrical energy can be saved through implementing changes (lighting modernization or entirely new investments). Furthermore, it helps determine whether they are worth considering, in other words, whether they are cost-effective.

Secondly, after conducting the Lighting Audit, you can apply for funding for the planned investment. If implementing the investment helps achieve energy savings, municipalities or businesses have the chance to receive additional funding, including from NFOŚiGW – the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, WFOŚiGW – the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, as well as through Norwegian Funds and White Certificates.

At Energy Trend, we conduct all types of lighting audits, including:

• Street Lighting Audit – mainly concerns lighting on streets, sidewalks, bike paths, and in parks. It is commissioned by cities and municipalities. The most common reason for this audit is the desire to obtain funding from programs like SOWA – Energy-Efficient Street Lighting or RPO (Regional Operational Programs).

We conduct an inventory of street lighting, including all lighting points, and place them on a map using geolocation. We also document them in photographic form for your convenience. During the lighting audit, we focus on various aspects such as types of luminaires, poles, substations, streets, and their parameters, including power, height, spacing between them, angles of inclination, distances, etc. Based on this information, we can propose the most optimal LED street lighting project for your municipality, which is more efficient than previous solutions and will help save energy costs. Perhaps it is also worth considering an intelligent lighting control system? You will learn all about this from the report after conducting the audit.

We also offer Internal Lighting Audit, which can be divided into three subgroups:

• Industrial Lighting Audit – we conduct it in manufacturing plants, warehouses, and large retail stores,
• Office Lighting Audit – we also offer it in hospitals, small shops, shopping malls, offices, and schools. Conducting this type of audit allows you to obtain EU grants for LED lighting,
• Specialized Lighting Audit – which includes emergency lighting, temperature-resistant lighting, explosion-proof lighting, plant lighting, and more.

The lighting audits are conducted in accordance with the guidelines based on the following legal acts:

• The Act of May 20, 2016 on Energy Efficiency;
• The Regulation of the Minister of Energy of October 5, 2017, on the detailed scope and method of preparing energy efficiency audits and methods of calculating energy savings;
• PN-EN 12464-1:2012 Light and Lighting – Lighting of Workplaces – Part 1: Indoor Workplaces

For Street Lighting Audit, the following documents should be taken into account:

• Regulation of the Minister of Transport and Maritime Economy of March 2, 1999, on the technical conditions that public roads and their location should meet;
• Regulation of the Minister of Transport and Maritime Economy of May 30, 2000, on the technical conditions that road engineering facilities and their location should meet;
• The Act of March 21, 1985, on public roads;
• The Act of July 7, 1994 – Construction Law;
• The Act of January 29, 2004 – Public Procurement Law;
• “Standard PN-EN 13201:2016, which pertains to road lighting;
• CIE 115:2010 – Light of Road for Motor and Pedestrian Traffic;
• CIE 13201-1:2014 – Road lighting-PART 1: Guideline on selection of lighting classes;
• CEN/TR 13201-1:2016-02, Road lighting, Part 1: Guidelines on the selection of lighting classes;
• PN-EN 13201-2:2016-03, Road lighting, Part 2: Performance requirements;
• PN-EN 13201-3:2016-03, Road lighting, Part 3: Calculation of lighting parameters;
• PN-EN 13201-4:2016-03, Road lighting, Part 4: Methods of measuring lighting efficiency;
• PN-EN 13201-5:2016-03, Road lighting, Part 5: Energy efficiency indicators;
• Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure and Construction on the technical conditions that public roads and their locations should meet;
• Guidelines for Pedestrian Traffic Safety Organization. Guidelines for Proper Pedestrian Crossing Lighting commissioned by the Ministry of Infrastructure in December 2017;
• Regulation of the Minister of Energy of October 5, 2017, on the detailed scope and method of preparing energy efficiency audits and methods for calculating energy savings.
• Act of May 20, 2016, on energy efficiency.

• From experience, we know that as a result of conducting a lighting audit and implementing changes, a company or municipality can reduce energy consumption costs by up to 50%, and sometimes even more.
• Conducting an audit and carrying out the modernization will also ensure that the lighting complies with standards, which not only results in lower energy consumption and better environmental care but also in increased safety and employee efficiency. (Yes, scientific studies have proven that light intensity and color can increase workplace productivity by up to 20%).
• Thanks to the lighting audit, you will find out how long it will take for the investment in new lighting to pay off;
• We will secure financing for you – both from state and EU funds (programs such as SOWA and RPO). After all, they are the goal of virtually every lighting audit!

Every Lighting Audit concludes with the preparation of a comprehensive report, often spanning several hundred pages, which should include the following information:

• The subject and purpose of the audit, specifying precisely which lighting will be inventoried and what outcomes we aim to achieve;
• The first part also includes a description of the investor, which can be a municipality, institution, or company;
• We always familiarize ourselves with the source data before conducting the audit, which we briefly describe in the report;
• We conduct lighting audits based on legal acts, so a reference to them should be included in every document of this kind;
• Next, we move on to addressing parameters, guidelines, classes, and the selection and requirements we have for the lighting;
• Later, we describe the actual state of the current lighting and include photographic documentation. In this section, we also present the calculation methodology, analyze energy consumption, and conduct an environmental analysis;
• Next, we conduct a review and describe the proposed solutions, including various options along with cost estimates, and determine the potential energy savings achievable. Then, we compare the mentioned options to help your municipality or company choose the best solution. The report may also include a proposal for intelligent lighting control or even the purchase of lighting fixtures from an external company.

1. At the beginning, we need to find out which fund your municipality or company wants to obtain funding for lighting modernization from. If you’re not sure yet, we will review the available funds, familiarize ourselves with their requirements, and propose one of them.
2. After selecting the source of funding, as part of the loyalty vision, we conduct a detailed inventory of the current lighting along with photographic documentation.
3. Next, we move on to the stage of creating street or interior lighting projects. We always take into account energy efficiency requirements, current standards, and the needs and feedback of the client before we begin working on the lighting project. We use the DIALux program to assist in designing optimal street and interior lighting, including the appropriate distribution of light intensity in different planes.
4. We create a report from the Lighting Audit, in which we present all possible options, along with detailed descriptions and costs, so that you can choose the best one for yourself, and of course, we will be happy to assist you in this. Only an audit conducted by us will help you compare lighting from different manufacturers according to your guidelines.
5. Once the solution has been identified, we prepare a application for the chosen fund from the following options: NFOŚiGW (SOWA Program – External Lighting), WFOŚiGW (RPO Program), Norwegian Funds, or White Certificates.
6. Then we assist in selecting the appropriate contractor for the planned investment;
7. After its completion, we conduct a post-execution lighting audit to verify if everything was carried out according to the initial plans.

• We conduct every Lighting Audit according to strict guidelines. We know from experience that every detail matters when applying for funding. We always keep this in mind, which is why we guarantee the acquisition of funds from the chosen source. However, if this does not happen, we will not charge our fee.
• As part of the Lighting Energy Audit, we provide expert advice at no additional cost. We assist in preparing a tender for the manufacturer of LED lighting fixtures.
• Thanks to our collaboration with the majority of lighting manufacturers available in the Polish market, the LED lighting designs we prepare will be fully tailored to the expectations and needs of your institution.
• For every Street Lighting Audit, we prepare a free application for obtaining White Certificates. The value of this additional and complimentary service can reach over 100,000 PLN. Your municipality or company will receive it completely free of charge;
• We are insured for 1,000,000 PLN in civil liability, which means that in the event of unforeseen damage, we will cover the costs of repair at our expense;
• We have years of experience, and hundreds of Lighting Audits and other projects we have completed have been positively verified by numerous institutions;
• Our energy auditors are members of the Energy Auditors Association and the Association of Energy Certifiers and Auditors.

1. What is SOWA – Energy-Efficient Outdoor Lighting?

This is a form of funding, partially repayable loan, from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW) for outdoor lighting, including street lighting, for cities and municipalities. Its goal is to reduce air pollution emissions and achieve energy savings. You can apply for this form of funding when the municipality plans to modernize its outdoor lighting.

2. What is RPO?

Each province has its own Regional Operational Programme (RPO), co-financed by the European Union. Its goal? To contribute to the region’s competitiveness, economic stimulation, employment growth, and more. RPO covers various areas, including culture, environment, tourism, health, and entrepreneurship. It’s worth applying for these funds for lighting modernization in municipalities because they cover most of the costs, even up to 90%.

3. What is DIALux?

It’s a program that helps create outdoor (e.g., street) and indoor (office, industrial, etc.) lighting projects.

4. Why is it worth choosing LED lighting?

It is exceptionally efficient, has a longer lifespan, and proves to be more cost-effective than outdated solutions.

5. How much does a Lighting Audit cost?

The cost of the audit for businesses starts at 5,000 PLN, while for municipalities and cities planning street lighting modernization, it starts at 10,000 PLN for every 1,000 fixtures.