PROJECTS & COLLABORATIONS
College sets sustainability example for higher education institutions
The further education college, Halesowen College, has installed smart lighting as part of its latest environmental initiative, making up to 85% energy savings compared to the previous system. Halesowen has the ambitious target of reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2032 and 75% by 2037 (compared to 2019 usage)
S
upporting the national drive to make Britain a clean energy superpower, Halesowen College has already implemented a number of projects. This includes recycle collection points at all campuses, electric vehicle charge points, and a dedicated coach service to students. To upgrade the lighting system, the college partnered with Uni Smart Solutions, a managed service provider for sustainable buildings, and Siemens Financial Services (SFS), a specialist finance provider. Innovate UK, the UK ‘innovation agency’, introduced Uni Smart to Halesowen; and SFS is Uni Smart’s exclusive financing partner.
If buildings could talk
According to the World Green Building Council, buildings represent 39% of global energy-related emissions. Smart technologies can significantly reduce this impact. Lighting alone contributes up to 25% of energy usage, according to Uni Smart – and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems – is responsible for up to 60%. For new building projects, Uni Smart starts by gathering consumption data. Chris Goff, managing director, Uni Smart, likes to ask, “If buildings could talk, what would they say? Are they too warm, too cold, too full, or draining too much energy?” Next, Uni Smart recommends solutions from its IoT product suite, EcoPulse. Traditional, fluorescent and LED lighting uses more energy than state-of-the-art smart lighting controls; smart lighting is up to 75% more energy-efficient than LED. This is why lighting is often addressed first, ensuring energy efficient bulbs are used, lights are switched off in unoccupied areas, and that failed lighting is quickly detected and fixed. Attention then shifts to air temperature and occupancy, ensuring each area of the building is controlled and used efficiently. Customers
have full access to data from installed devices; Uni Smart also provides regular reports to estate managers, removing the burden of analysis.
Investing to save
The challenge is not to convince building owners and managers of the benefits of smart technology, but to encourage capital-strapped organisations to invest. With over two decades of experience using asset finance, Chris starts this conversation with customers early on. Energy efficiency projects typically pay for themselves over time; smart finance solutions can be structured to align with these savings. Uni Smart also maintains installed systems
to prevent degradation, protect customers’ investment and ensure ongoing savings. SFS is Uni Smart’s sole finance partner, thanks to the financier’s expertise in smart building technology in the field, and its commitment to sustainability-focused projects. For Halesowen’s lighting project, SFS provided a master lease facility. The college can draw down for each installation, rather than applying for a new lease each time.
Corinne Youren, director of Estates at Halesowen College, said: “We have used financing before, for assets such as IT equipment, but this was our first time partnering with a financier for smart building technologies. The master lease solution meant we simply had one structure, and one set of terms and conditions”.
Switching up lighting
Uni Smart’s smart lighting automatically turns off when not needed and adjusts to sunlight levels to maximise natural light. Centralised control allows facility managers to schedule lighting ‘scenes’, track usage, and resolve issues remotely, cutting maintenance costs. Each light includes a built-in energy meter. The initial project (covering three of 13 buildings) achieved up to 85% energy savings versus the old system, and a net 20% saving in operational costs. Corinne said: “Thanks to these economies and the efficiency of the finance solution, Uni Smart’s Building Managed Service will be the standard for our sustainability and building refurbishment programme moving forwards.”
Wood Street lighting gets a sustainable LED upgrade
After being approached by building services engineering consultancy Hoare Lea, lighting manufacturer Future Designs explored the feasibility of upgrading the existing fluorescent lighting system at Wood Street London EC2 to the latest LED technology. Under its carbon careful initiative, Future Designs adapts fluorescent end-of-life luminaires to LED
A
fter being approached by building services engineering consultancy Hoare Lea, lighting manufacturer Future Designs explored the feasibility of upgrading
the existing fluorescent lighting system at Wood Street London EC2 to the latest LED technology. Under its carbon careful initiative, Future Designs adapts fluorescent end-of-life luminaires to LED However, this project presented a unique challenge – the lighting system was integrated into the chilled beam air-conditioning system, making it impractical to remove the luminaire carcasses from the beams. Following an initial site survey, Future Designs
proposed developing a bespoke gear tray to house the LED engine, driver, and, where necessary, emergency lighting components. This solution, the installation of new gear trays, was costed, approved, and progressed to the next stages. These trays replaced the obsolete fluorescent components while retaining the original housing. The client opted to reuse the existing L-shaped etched optical diffusers, maintaining the visual design of the office lighting. A prototype was then produced and underwent photometric testing to confirm compliance with CIBSE LG7 standards. The prototype was installed for
20 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER APRIL 2026
review by Hoare Lea and the client, over a three-week evaluation period. Following approval, Future Designs were instructed to commence full manufacture of 1875 new LED replacement luminaires. Wood Street is a fully occupied office building, so the installation was carefully phased across 5 floors over a 12-month period to minimise disruption.
The LED adaptation delivered a 50%
reduction in energy consumption, directly translating to a 50% carbon saving. Additionally, reusing the existing luminaire carcasses prevented the extraction of approximately 1.936 tonnes of iron ore, providing a further carbon reduction of approximately 3.9 tonnes.
The successful completion of the
project provides the client with a state-of-the-art LED lighting system offering improved efficiency, sustainability, and reliability. The new system carries a 7-year warranty and utilises LED boards with an expected lifetime in excess of 50,000 hours, significantly outperforming the now obsolete fluorescent lamps, which had a lifespan of only 14,000 hours.
Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38
