Long Service Life
Study proves: Double life of MK Illumination light chains and low power consumption
MK Illumination is aware of the responsibility the company has towards people and nature.
Our goal is to minimise the negative environmental impact of our activities and to play our part in a sustainable economy. That is why we have had the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) of our light chains – the basis of all festive lighting – calculated by external experts from the consulting firm denkstatt.
The PCF provides info about the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with the use of our products. This provides transparency for our customers and makes it easy to comprehensively compare our light chains with those of our competitors.
On the methods
The Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) was calculated in kilograms of CO2 equivalents for a defined functional unit. This facilitates comparability of different products. The PCFs calculated for our products included the following processes:
- Emissions from mining and providing the raw materials
- Emissions from usage of the light chains over a 10-year period with 650 lighting hours per year
- Emissions from recycling and disposing of the light chains at the end of their life
The electricity mix in three different countries (AT, GB, DE) was used for calculating the CO2 emissions. The MK Illumination models “Classic MK Light Chains” and “MK Eco Series”, each 20 metres long and with 120 LEDs and weighing 1.4 kilograms each were examined. The calculation was based on a usage period of 10 years and considered in different scenarios with the electricity mix in the three countries AT, GB, DE. The end of use during the 10-year period was set at a 50% loss of luminosity. For evaluation purposes, the PCF of competitor products of the same design (same power consumption and material composition) was also calculated.
Facts and findings
Materials and usage are the decisive processes for determining PCF. Due to the lifetime of MK Illumination products being twice as long, the PCF for materials is only half that of the comparative product. If the emission levels of the materials are the same in each scenario, the level of emissions from usage changes greatly with the choice of electricity at the point of use. So, for the MK Illumination products in AT and GB, the PCF from usage has a similar magnitude to the PCF of the materials. In DE, the emissions from usage are around 70% higher than those of the materials. The energy-saving products make it possible to halve the emission value from usage.
The recycling and disposal of the light chains, on the other hand, release only minimal greenhouse gas emissions.
To sum up, it is clear that the more than twice as long service life of MK Illumination light chains and their high electricity efficiency also have a positive impact on the emissions footprint of our products. Over their entire service life, classic MK light chains have a carbon footprint that is 36% smaller and MK Eco Series light chains one that is 52% smaller than the comparative products examined. For comparable products with an even shorter service life, the difference is up to 75% and 81% respectively.
Interpretation
Our quest for delivering the highest quality is also visible in the emissions footprints of our products. The up to 110% longer service life of our products is a real asset in this area. Our light chains need to be replaced less often. This saves resources, halves emissions during production and prevents emissions during recycling and disposal. In the usage phase, the up to 50% lower power consumption of the MK Eco Series with 50% higher power efficiency helps to save emissions.
In the usage phase, the environmental impact of our light chains can be further reduced by using green electricity.
All so our lighting concepts really do leave those who see them with long-lasting pleasure.
Let us plan and visualise a unique light experience for your space
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