LIGHTING & CONTROLS


ILLUMINATING WAYS TO SAVE


ENERGY AND ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY TARGETS


Companies seeking to minimise energy consumption in the face of rising costs can achieve significant savings by re-evaluating their lighting systems, as James Foster, OCTO national sales manager at Ansell Lighting, explains


R


educing energy consumption is a priority across all sectors. But while lighting may


not seem the obvious place, a smart lighting system can present very real opportunities to make impactful savings, while also supporting sustainability targets and helping companies to meet the health and safety requirements for safe and comfortable illuminance in the workplace. What’s more, it can create spaces which play a subtle but essential role in supporting the wellbeing of staff. Installing or retrofitting a cloud-hosted smart


lighting system, even on a large scale, does not require major infrastructure changes and causes minimal disruption, as there is no hub or wiring to be fitted and modern LED lamps are compatible with all the main voltage systems. A smart system provides light only when and


where it is needed. It removes the onus on individuals to control lighting and enables companies to create lighting schedules which fit around shift patterns, working hours or seasons.


SMART LIGHTING BENEFITS The benefits of LED lighting are well publicised. Highly energy efficient, they use around 80% less energy than traditional alternatives. Maintenance is also low-cost as LEDs last for around 30,000 hours without overheating or developing faults. A smart LED lamp sells for only a couple of


pounds more than a standard LED lamp but, used in conjunction with a lighting control system such as Octo, it can take energy efficiency to whole new level. Energy saving functions offered by a smart


lighting solution include: • Daylight harvesting - this employs smart sensors which measure the amount of natural light available and supply just enough electrical light to obtain the required uniform


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illuminance in a space.


• Absence and presence detectors - these are programmed to detect when somebody enters a room, triggering the luminaires to provide light as long as the room is in use. The minute the last person leaves the room, the lights automatically switch off.


• Corridor functionality – in larger buildings, lights along the length of a corridor can be programmed to be dimmed or switched off when nobody is detected in the space, but will instantly provide illumination throughout its length when a person enters it. Of additional benefit, dashboard controls


add ultimate user control to allow building managers to accurately measure energy usage in real time. Energy data is measured at each connected light point and visualised on the dashboard, providing insights into how much energy is consumed per area on an hourly, daily, monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. By combining this information with other data


such as presence detection, shift patterns and work activity rosters, it is possible to establish how energy use can be optimised by adapting lighting schedules to fit operational needs. It can also provide data across multiple locations, so building managers can examine the data to compare sites, benchmark usage and identify opportunities


to reduce energy use and therefore costs. There are also productivity and wellbeing


benefits. An automated lighting control solution can be programmed to recreate the natural light patterns which are known to support our circadian rhythm, or ‘body clock’, which is vital to health and wellbeing. Programming this type of lighting would not


only benefit the three million-plus people the Trades Union Congress (TUC) estimates are currently working night shifts, but also support productivity and help reduce sickness absence.


A SUSTAINABLE OPTION


Lighting accounts for almost 5% of global CO2 emissions. The Climate Group has calculated that switching to LEDs could save more than 1,400


million tons of CO2 and avoid the construction of 1,250 power stations; while the Carbon Trust estimates that automatic sensors alone can cut electricity use by up to 40%. When a smart lighting system can deliver


low energy use, reduced carbon footprint and quantifiable cost benefits for clients, it is hard to argue against adopting it as a ‘first choice’ solution.


Ansell Lighting https://anselluk.com


ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Winter 22/23 35


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