Arnsberg, February 2022 - rauch Möbelwerke was founded in 1897 and is one of the largest manufacturers of bedroom furniture and wardrobe ranges in Europe.   The company was looking for a full-service refurbishment solution for the outdated lighting system at its headquarters in Freudenberg, Baden - and holistically for the production, administration and outdoor areas. In addition to high-quality and efficient light for the approximately 103,000 square metre site, a custom-fit financingwas a must. TRILUX convinced with its wide-ranging solution portfolio and a tailor-made financing and service concept that achieves high savings from day one. The refurbishment will take place during ongoing operations, with completion scheduled for June 2022.

With around 1,600 employees and three locations in Germany, rauch Möbelwerke is Europe's largest supplier of high-quality wardrobe and bedroom furniture. The company headquarters in Freudenberg comprises Plant 3, a 90,000 square meter production area, and around 13,000 square meters of administration and workshop space. There are also extensive outdoor areas. The lighting system at the site, which was built in the early 1970s, was outdated in all areas and was incurringenormous energy and maintenance costs .Rauch GmbH & Co. KG was looking for asolutionto reduce operating costs just like the CO2 footprint- and found the perfect partner in TRILUX. As a full-service provider, the lighting expert is taking over the retrofitting of the entire site with innovative LED solutions. In addition, a customized financing concept was developed in close coordination with rauch, through which the investments for the refurbishment can be financed from the savings in operating costs and subsidies. After the retrofit, the calculated energy costs for lighting will fall by around 74,000 euros per month; CO2 emissions will be reduced by 2,200 tons per year. 

Turning old into efficient: The refurbishment with 18.6 kilometres of customised E-Line NEXT LED saves 74,000 euros in energy costs per month.

18.6 kilometers E-Line NEXT LED - everything perfectly spruced up 

Particularly demanding is the lighting of the five production halls - gigantic hall aisles in which huge machines, the so-called "all-rounders," perform all the woodworking, such as sawing, milling, drilling and gluing. During operation, this creates significant air pollution. The perfect luminaire for these challenging environments: the E-Line NEXT LED from TRILUX. Lighting technology and protection class of the extremely versatile light strip can be precisely adapted to any application, for example as an IP64 solution with lumen packages between 7000 and 9000 lumens for production areas.

For maximum efficiency and transparency, the continuous rows are networked with the LiveLink Premium lighting management system and combined with sensors for presence and daylight detection. Practical: The luminaires can be monitored online via a cloud interface and the TRILUX Monitoring Services. Creavo LED recessed ceiling luminaires and the Finea LED light channel are used in the office and administration areas. The outdoor areas are also part of the refurbishment program. In the delivery zone, rauch relies on the Jovie LED post-top luminaire, and in the covered shunting zones (trailing roof), powerful Mirona Fit LED high-bay luminaires provide excellent, energy-efficient light and greater safety. 

The conversion during ongoing operation makes it visible: On the left, the new E-Line NEXT LED lights up; on the right, the old existing solution is still doing its best.

What a difference: In the foreground the old, inefficient existing lighting, in the background the new economical E-Line NEXT LED.

The focus of the refurbishment campaign: the E-Line NEXT LED as a smart continuous row system with lighting technology and protection class individually adapted to the application.

Buying, renting, subsidies - professional and objective comparison 

After a comprehensive potential analysis, it was clear that high energy savings could be realised by refurbishing with a controlled TRILUX LED solution. However, the question of the perfect financing solution had to be clarified. Four different options were discussed in detail, including balance sheet-neutral financing with the TRILUX "Light as a Service" rental model. Here, the customer receives state-of-the-art light in top quality for a monthly rental payment, off-balance sheet and without own investment. And TRILUX as a full service partner takes over all tasks around installation, maintenance and operation of the system.  
After extensive calculations and an objective comparison of the various financing models, rauch opted for a customised purchase option - among other things, in order to take advantage of the KfW subsidies from the pot of the Federal Funding for Energy-Efficient Buildings BEG for the LED transformation. As rauch would like to place the operation and maintenance of the system in professional hands, the deal was combined with a service contract with TRILUX for five years. 

Further locations planned - with TRILUX to the optimal financing solution

The conversion of the headquarters in Freudenberg has been taking place since the end of July 2021 during ongoing operations as well as on weekends, with final completion scheduled for June 2022. rauch plans to use the lighthouse project as a blueprint for the conversion of other locations. "We develop a customised investment and service concept for each customer and each project - ensuring an optimal result," says Sebastian Stieber, Project Manager Financial Solutions and Services at TRILUX, explaining the successful model. 

"Whether purchase, instalment plan, leasing or "Light as a Service" rental - thanks to our broad portfolio, we can find the optimal financing for every need, even for unusual framework conditions," says Stieber. Which TRILUX solutions and which financing model rauch will rely on for the refurbishment of further locations will be decided appropriately as part of individual project planning.