Lighting in the Department of Energy and Climate Change
(D.E.C.C.) has been replaced with energy efficient, cost effective LED light
sources. Since their installation, member of staff have commented on the
improved brightness levels and lower energy consumption.
Prior to the upgrade, the offices at 3 Whitehall Place were
illuminated by T5 fluorescent lamps. Some argue that T5 and LED lamps have the
same energy saving features; building managers often opt for T5s due to their
low cost. The D.E.C.C. believe a clear advantage of opting for LED light
sources is their localised control system which turns lights off if rooms are
vacant and dims them down to 5% as natural daylight pours in.
During the make-over, the fluorescent lamps on all 8 floors
of Whitehall Place were replaced with 1,300 Philips LED fittings.
In their own case study D.E.C.C. stated: “Compared to
retrofits in most comparable buildings, which tend to use relatively
inefficient T8 tubes, the energy savings are slightly lower, however they are
very significant.”
The project spanned for 26 days and cost £401,000, during
this time the building’s heating and cooling system was also upgraded. Since
these two renovations, the energy consumption in Whitehall place has reduced by
almost 30%, majority of these energy savings can be attributed to the lighting
switch-over.
The D.E.C.C. anticipates annual savings of around £22,000,
predicting an addition £7,000 saving on maintenance costs. They said: “There
are additional savings to be had from the switch to LED lighting in the form of
lower maintenance costs- it is claimed that LED luminaires typically last 5
times as long as the fluorescent equivalent.”
This refurbishment is part of the government’s recently
announced UK Lighting Sector Strategy. This new initiative intends to slash
energy consumption and encourage innovation in lighting.
Aside from the obvious energy and maintenance savings, the
lighting overhaul has other benefits. A D.E.C.C.
spokeswoman reported that responses to their questionnaire showed that, 71% of
workers at Whitehall Place found that the LED light sources improved the
lighting in their work space.
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