How LED lighting can benefit your University- Graduate with a first class honours in lighting!

With recent cuts in government funding now taking effect, there has never been a more ample time for Universities to invest in LED lighting technology. Effective lighting technology can improve the quality of your environment, help meet sustainability goals and improve the well-being of your staff and students. Investing in LED lighting and control systems will bring immediate benefits including; reduced energy consumption and on-going maintenance costs.

Lighting equates to around a quarter of a University’s energy bill, this figure can be reduced by using energy efficient LED lighting and lighting management systems. Monitoring energy use across an entire University is no easy task; it is difficult to know how much energy is being consumed by each area and how to minimise this. Installing a lighting management system allows you to see and monitor lighting energy consumption within each area. Using this information, you can then consider how this consumption could be reduced, taking into account which areas are being occupied, for what, and how frequently. In areas where permanent lighting is unnecessary, presence detection sensors, timed switching, dimming and or daylight harvesting strategies could be utilised to drive down energy consumption and cost.

Some of the benefits of using energy efficient lighting are not immediately obvious; for example by ensuring lighting is only turned on when it is needed, less heat is generated and therefore less air conditioning is required. An overall reduction in lighting use means reduced energy consumption, lower emissions, smaller energy bills and a “greener” carbon footprint.

In today’s competitive environment, attractive LED lighting can help reinforce your brand image, strengthening your appeal to students, parents and business partners alike. Due to increased environmental awareness, choosing a “green University” may be an important factor for the next generation of students, there fore the lower your carbon footprint the more attractive your University will become. Likewise, business partners will be more likely to invest in research facilities or hire spaces available for corporate events if the University’s environmental policy matches that of their company.

Creating the right environment for learning is an essential goal for any University, their aim is to create spaces that are comfortable for students and lecturers which are also flexible enough to suit different tutorial needs. Using intelligent LED lighting the same space can be used for a multitude of activities; a space can be altered, literally with the flick of a switch transforming it into a completely different environment. Flexible LED lighting can be used to:

•          Project you University colours - reinforcing your brand identity
•          Give public spaces a WOW factor- making a lasting impression on students and their parents
•          Support themes and events around campus throughout the year
•          Create attractive, high-tech spaces to hire- attracting commercial interest
•          Transform a simple lecture theatre into a multimedia theatre
•          Stimulate students when energy is low by altering frequency and intensity of the lighting
•          Calm hyperactive students during lectures again, by altering the frequency and intensity of the lighting

Using LED lighting products can help transform your University environment. LED lighting is an investment which will start to repay itself the moment it is installed; that’s good news for you, good news for your budget, your staff, your students and your carbon footprint.

For more information or to begin your LED switch-over visit our website http://theledspecialist.co.uk/ or call the office to speak to one of our informed lighting specialists 0118 950 7125

Simply LED, for Sheffield Simply Food Store

Marks and Spencer’s Simply Food store in Sheffield is the first store within the UK to be lit using only LED lighting making it M&S’s most sustainable store. The store’s sustainable, bright, enticing lighting is achieved by combining Philips’ LED luminaires with Philips’ Dynalite management control system.

Philips Dynalite Control System

The LED lighting has been installed in across the store’s car park areas, back of house and shop floor, and has given the store energy savings of 25-30%. The installation of the new Philips Dynalite control system could further increase these savings!

In addition to these initial energy savings, thanks to the LED’s long lamp life, the store will also benefit from reduced maintenance costs as the need for re-lamping will be eradicated. Another benefit to the installation of LED lighting is there will be no discharge lamps to dispose of, meaning M&S avoid incurring WEEE charges.

Philips Maxos Trunking

Customers will be enticed into the store’s entrance due to the lighting ambiance created by Philips Blast and Graze luminaires. The remainder of lighting within the store is produced through a combination of Maxos trunking and StyliD fixtures. The store’s food chillers are all fitted with the latest generation of warm white LED modules; these make the merchandise look as attractive as possible. LED fittings and wall marker lights illuminate the store’s outdoor areas, creating a pleasant and safe environment in the car parks. 

Philips StyliD

To make maximum use of the natural daylight which pours in through the windows, M&S have utilised the daylight harvesting setting offered by Philip’s Dynalite control system. The daylight harvesting setting follows the rhythm of natural daylight and automatically dims the luminaires within each area ensuring a constant level of light is maintained in each working space. The control system can also be set so it switches off entirely as the daylight takes overs, further increasing the store’s energy savings. 

Alison Burnley, Store Manager at M&S Simply Foods Sheffield said: “We are delighted to be opening  this new Sustainable Learning Store in Sheffield which is the most environmentally friendly store M&S has ever built. The eco friendly Philips lighting systems we have in place have contributed to this and ensure that we create a fresh modern shopping environment for our customers.” 

Without a doubt, employing such initiatives as LED dimming and daylight harvesting M&S is one step closer  to achieving its ambitious energy reduction targets, setting an example to us all.

For more information about this project or any of the products featured visit our website http://theledspecialist.co.uk/ or call the office to speak to an informed sales advisor 0118 950 7125 

Philips' LED downlighters transform Dartmoor Zoological Park’s restaurant and conference area

The incredible story of Dartmoor Zoo is the subject of the best-selling book and film ‘We Bought A Zoo’. In 2006, the Mee brothers took a leap of faith without any experience to fall back on, purchased a run down zoo. Thanks to the brothers' tireless efforts, the estate has now been bought back to its former glory and a number of facilities have been improved. After the renovation, a remaining area of concern was the restaurant which was illuminated by outdated 2 x 26w compact fluorescent down lights.

Alex Smale, the zoo’s Business Development Manager said: “We reached a stage where only 40% of the fittings were working and those that were on were not giving out much light. The fittings were also very unattractive and certainly didn’t create the right impression.”

Philips’ solution to this problem was to replace the existing fittings with 32w Luxspace LED recessed down lighters. The benefits of using these lamps include; improved lighting performance, minimal installation costs and energy savings. 

Divided into zones, the Luxspace fittings are controlled through Philips OccuSwitch DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) which delivers an enhanced level of control. Through this system, lighting is linked to photocells so that it can be automatically dimmed in relation to natural daylight. The system is also linked to the occupancy detectors; ensuring lighting in unoccupied areas of the restaurant is dimmed to around 20% of the full light output. 

Staff and visitors approve of the new lighting, Alex Smale enthused: “It has made a fantastic difference to the restaurant and we’ll be saving a massive amount on energy costs. There will also be big savings on maintenance, thanks to the long life of the LED lamps”.

Philips is also supplying new lighting in the zoo’s’ cat houses with the aim of creating a better environment for the keepers. This lighting upgrade is part of the zoo’s plan to reduce its environmental impact, the zoo works closely with Bicton College in Salterton to promote environmental awareness. Together, these two organisations are working towards creating an education centre within the zoo. 

Integral Lighting Unveil Their New Range of LED Panels

The Imandra range from Integral contains eight LED panels; using simple design and no-nonsense engineering, these luminaries deliver a superior and efficient light output at a competitive price.These retrofit panels are perfect for customers looking to reduce the overhead costs of LED lighting; they have a high build quality and under-cut the competition in terms of prices. The panels are delivered complete with an integrated driver, it's push-fit connector enables quick and easy installation and reduces maintenance costs. 

Using the latest LED technology Integral Imandra panels offer a range of solutions for recessed installation in a wide range of commercial applications where a suspended grid ceiling is installed. The panels are back-lit with LEDs aligned vertically across the whole face of the unit providing a beam angle of 110°. The luminaires produce an even density of computer-screen friendly light making them ideal for applications including offices, meeting rooms, corridors, communal areas, schools and retail. 

The Integral Imandra panel range contains panels with dimension of 600 x 600 and 1200 x 600; the 600 x 600 range is available in 35 and 40 watt, producing 3200 and 3800 lumens respectively. The 1200 x 600 panels are available in either 70 or 90 watts producing 6500 and 7800 lumens respectively.  

The luminaires emit a cool white light (4000k) and provide a lifetime of up to 50,000 hours. Panels are finished with a polycarbonate diffuser which has been tested by a UK based laboratory and passes BS782-0:2004 Method 508A as required by safely regulations. The Imandra range also contains panels with an emergency back-up version compliant with fire exit and escape regulations. The integrated emergency function ensures that in the event of a mains power failure the panel will continue emitting light for a minimum of three hours.

If you would like more information about any of the above products visit our website http://theledspecialist.co.uk/ or call the office 0118 939 3218 and speak to one of our informed sales team

Discover how much you could save with Philips' lighting solutions...

Invest in LEDs and save £££ through the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme

Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) have been introduced as part of a nationwide scheme to reduce carbon emissions. This scheme allows businesses who invest in energy-saving technology to write off the total cost of said equipment against their taxable profit as a 100% first-year capital allowance. The scheme is managed and promoted by the government appointed Carbon Trust, who create and update the list of approved technologies. 

Although lighting is a non-listed product on the ECA scheme's technology list, individual products can qualify for ECAs if they meet a certain criterion. Tax relief can be claimed on the purchase and installation of LED lighting and LED controls. The scheme hopes to help reduce carbon emissions (which contribute to climate change) by encouraging businesses to invest more freely in new energy efficient technology. Your ECA claim can be made as part of your annual tax return and, at the discretion of your local tax office, you may be awarded tax relief for not only the cost of lighting but any other direct costs such as installation or transportation. 

With regards to lighting, the ECA scheme focuses on encouraging businesses to purchase equipment which automatically switches on and off or dims lighting, therefore saving energy. A number of lighting control categories are ECA eligible including both individual or combinations of; timer controls, presence detectors with associated switching controller, daylight detectors with associated switching and/or dimming controller and networked controls system. White light LED luminaires’ eligibility for ECA is mainly dependant on their light output efficiency; the criterion differs depending on the lighting application.

Several of our LED products, exceed the ECA criteria and qualify from the performance perspective. Although the high prices may be off putting at first, when considering the whole life cycle maintenance and operating costs of your lighting, opting for low cost non-LED lighting can prove to be false economy. The ECA scheme means that businesses can offset a significant part of the product and installation cost against taxable profits in the year of purchase, providing a cash flow boost and incentive to invest in energy saving LED equipment. 

Further information on this scheme is available from HMRC's website - www.eca.gov.uk/etl