LIGHTING & CONTROLS
product in 2021. An EPD is a third party verified carbon audit of the full lifecycle of a product, from manufacture through to instillation and disposal. We chose the EPD route for three
But as buildings have become more
energy efficient, embodied carbon has risen in proportion, and the industry has realised that Net Zero will remain out of reach unless it’s reduced.
So where does lighting and M&E fit into a building’s carbon?
When you break down the fabric of a building, the biggest sources of embodied carbon tend to be the likes of steel and concrete – particularly when you factor in large-scale manufacture, transport and instillation. These are big, bulky materials containing a
relatively small number of ingredients, and makes the majority of a building’s embodied carbon relatively easy to calculate. Lighting and M&E on the other hand contributes much less to that total, and is also harder to calculate, containing more complicated electrical components, such as circuit boards, drivers and LEDs. This presents manufacturers with a challenging decision: do we take an active role in quantifying the impact of lighting, and
reduce our embodied carbon now, or, do we first wait for the industry to decide the data and information they want and need? The reason why this is a big decision is that measurement and reduction cannot be achieved overnight. It’s a significant time and financial commitment that gets bigger with each product you deliver. At Whitecroft Lighting, we decided to begin quantifying the embodied carbon in our products (using third party verification), and then crunching that data to re-imagine some of our products. We began building reusable and
replaceable modules into our products a few years back. Our aim was to extend their lifespan by increasing product circularity, and we wanted to measure the environmental benefits of these changes. Quite early on in this journey we began to better understand the broader value of circular product design, and how circularity could redefine how we work with our customers toward longer-term partnerships, and deliver significant carbon savings. On the carbon measurement side, we secured our first Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), on our Flight Vitality
Klingenburg hp BSEE May22.qxp_Layout 1 6/4/22 08:11 Page 1
reasons: firstly because our customers were increasingly requesting them; secondly because we wanted to better understand the carbon impact of our products; and thirdly to pinpoint where the value in circularity, or cradle-to-cradle, is for the environment and our customers. The EPDs give our customers the benefit of full carbon transparency, and supported our decision to reimagine our high-volume LED flat panel unit using the circularity principles outlined earlier. An increasingly commoditised and cost driven product, installed across hundreds of offices, schools universities and hospitals each year, the LED flat panel felt like the place we could have the biggest impact. The resulting Cascade Flex was specifically designed to minimise the use of all materials, but particularly plastics, which were reduced by 67 per cent (the equivalent of 68 plastic bottles). The product was also made reusable with
a replaceable central cartridge which can be refurbished and reused multiple times. Not only is this good for the environment, but also allows the customer to upgrade by changing the aesthetic, or introducing new features such as wireless controls. Using CIBSE’s TM65 embodied carbon calculator, we established that over a 40-year life span, Cascade Flex has the potential to deliver a 46% embodied carbon reduction when compared to our standard 600x600 recessed flat panel. Diversifying our product range by
introducing some genuinely disruptive thinking and design has felt like a very positive step for Whitecroft, but it’s also important to say neither myself, Whitecroft Lighting, nor anyone else in the lighting and M&E market has all the embodied carbon answers at this present time. What is great to see is that we are not alone. There are currently several exciting collaborative lighting industry initiatives focusing on benchmarking, and the delivery of reliable data, and these will ultimately support our customers’ aspirations to deliver low impact buildings. We’ve followed the London Energy
Transformation Initiative’s (LETI) mission, that circularity should be the best way to deliver lowest embodied carbon through repeated reuse, but none of us can see into the future, and none of us know exactly what customers will want in 10 years’ time.
In the meantime, we must all seek to push the boundaries, and innovate the best we can with the data we have available.
PCH Series Condensing Gas Fired Heater Modules
inclusion in air handling units to provide a high
They may also be used for replacing steam systems (where a supply air fan already exists) to enable changeover from central boiler plant
All models complete with:-
• • Low NOx (class 5) emissions • Stainless steel heat exchanger •
Contact us on 01303 275598 to discuss how we can help you
Unit 8 The Glenmore Centre, Shearway Business Park, Pent Road, Folkestone Kent CT19 4RJ Website:-
www.klingenburg.co.uk Email: -
info@klingenburg.co.uk. Telephone: - 01303 275598
Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER MAY 2022 27
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