Sustainability

At Power Gems we believe manufacturing is at the forefront of issues of sustainability and social responsibility. It is our philosophy – based on our Three Pillars of Sustainability – to offer high-quality, innovative products manufactured responsibly.

The manufacturing of products requires raw materials to be pulled from the earth, and in electronics some of those materials are so rare and expensive that they result in armed conflict. The subsequent shipping and processing can consume a large amount of energy and may involve hazardous or polluting procedures. Further along the chain, the manufacturing process often becomes labour intensive which puts pressure on wage levels. Throughout their lifetime many products continue to consume energy, a particular consideration in the lighting market, and when the product reaches the end of its life disposal or recycling can be complicated.

These are among the reasons that manufacturing is sometimes seen as a dirty and problematic industry, which has caused many western governments to turn their backs on this important sector.

Of course, any discussion about sustainability should start with a reduction in consumption. Still, there’s no getting away from the fact that people want and need an amount of ‘stuff’ and that stuff has to be manufactured. To do this sustainably and responsibly, we believe it’s important that manufacturing isn’t treated as a backwater activity, but as an open, modern and vital part of society.

The Three Pillars of Sustainability

Manufacturing

Manufacture responsibly, develop supplier and staff partnerships.

Over the past 50 years, so much manufacturing has been offshored, many people don’t believe it’s possible to create high-quality products in a high wage economy such as the UK. We don’t share that view, perhaps that’s why we are a rarity, a western manufacturer used to dealing with high budgets and high quality.

Our supply chain is ethical and traceable. We use conflict-free materials – ensuring components are not made from the mining of 3TG minerals (tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold) used to fund fighting or in conditions of human rights abuses.

Owners, Phil Ellams and Patrick McGuane, personally identify and select trustworthy subcontractors; the majority are from within a 30-mile radius, which keeps product miles to a minimum and makes it easy to visit facilities to check working practices.

Once we select a subcontractor, we treat them as partners. While we expect value for money, we don’t relentlessly trade subcontractors off against one another, which inevitably leads to poorer working conditions further down the supply chain.

We ensure subcontractors operate to high standards, and that they are also making money from the work. If your subcontractor is not making money, we believe, then everyone has a problem. They’re going to find ways of cutting corners and standards will slip.

We’re a small company, and Patrick and Phil personally hire each member of the Power Gems team (providing family-sustaining wages, benefits, a career path, and a safe work environment). We recruit for values first and skills second, and unlike bigger companies, good intentions don’t get lost in management structures or departmental meetings. People know how they are expected to behave without prescribed protocols or mandatory policies.

We specifically target people of every imaginable background through our staff recruitment. Where possible, we guide and develop employees into new roles through training and education.

Product use

Reduce energy consumption in use by efficient design.

Power Gems was founded in 1991 with one aim – to make the most efficient HMI ballasts in the location lighting market using leading-edge technology such as silicon carbide power devices.

As a pioneer in using this technology for lighting applications, we are able to offer smaller, lighter and more reliable ballasts. We fill a niche, we understand our chosen market, and we continually develop products for the efficient use of energy.

Despite arc technology being well over one hundred years old, modern HMI lamps have surprisingly high efficiency, which still compares well with LED. Over the last thirty years this has allowed end-users to produce light using one-sixth of the energy consumed by tungsten lighting.

However, we recognise an increasing demand in the lighting market as LED efficiency continues to rise, and there is imperative to remove mercury from the system.

As a consequence we have poured R&D effort into developing new LED products and have a portfolio of designs in development. We are seeing success with LED at lower powers, but it’s clear that HMI remains a good choice for efficient production of light at higher powers.

Product end of life

Maximise product life, make it easy to recycle.

We know our product is going to end up in a recycling scheme, but we design Power Gems with an exceptionally long life to reduce waste. Typically 20 years, which far exceeds most power electronics.

We encourage and help people to service products themselves so that they can get the maximum life out of them. We keep parts available for longer than most (10+ years).

The innovative design of our modular construction allows for swap outs so that modules can be returned to the factory for more complex repairs. It’s about simple things such as designing slide-in panels rather than glueing the product together and leaving space to be able to work on the components.

When it comes to the end of the product life, you can separate the materials for recycling. We make it as easy as possible with few welded assemblies or potted components.

What can we do better?

Some problems are hard to tackle, such as the use of air freight. We often have to move product quickly and time is of the essence in the film business where lead-times are counted in days not weeks, so it’s quicker to fly product.

We try to minimise plane miles where possible by holding stock near the studio or production, through our network of stockists.

We recognise there’s work to do, but we actually feel optimistic about the future of manufacturing in a sustainable manner, and also providing high quality and rewarding employment.

There you have it, our approach to sustainability – get the design right, the manufacturing right, ensure a long product lifespan and get the disposal right. We’ve got it.