Reducing Ship's Energy Consumption through Accommodation and Cargo Spaces Lights Automation

The effective use of energy proposes using less energy to achieve the same goal. The International Maritime Organization started using criteria for ship's energy efficiency in 2013, when the new International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, Annex VI, was adopted. The purpose of the Annex is to improve the ships' energy efficiency through the use of new technologies such as improved hull design, and new propulsion systems, including innovations in energy management. One of the topics for improving the car carriers' energy efficiency is the constantly working lights in the superstructure and on the car decks. Lights' energy consumption may be negligible on most ships, but on car carriers, the consumption is of greater magnitude. This article presents a survey of the improvement of energy consumption on board a car carrier during regular voyages as well as the cost-effectiveness of introducing light control automation. The authors of this article review an example of light automation set up to control the lights in a ship's superstructure and on the car decks. The implementation of such a system and the different types of automation are also reviewed. This research is towards new regulations, established by Maritime Environment Protection Committee and implemented in shipping since 1 November 2022. Conclusions for practical use are extracted.

Automated summary

The effective use of energy involves using less energy to achieve the same goal. The International Maritime Organization has implemented criteria for ship's energy efficiency since 2013 in order to improve energy efficiency through new technologies such as improved hull design and energy management innovations. This article presents a survey on the improvement of energy consumption on board a car carrier, focusing on the energy consumption of constantly working lights in the superstructure and on the car decks. It also reviews the cost-effectiveness of introducing light control automation and explores different types of automation systems.