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HM
Land Registry has been impressed by
the performance and reliability of the
Ex-Or energy saving equipment in operation
throughout the government agency’s
estate.
Ex-Or
has made such a positive impression
that its sophisticated, high-performance
MLS Managed Lighting System has been
installed throughout the Land Registry's
office building in Tunbridge Wells.
The
Ex-Or MLS has been installed in virtually
every area of the Land Registry’s
regional offices in Peterborough, including
open plan and cellular offices and interview
rooms.
The
Ex-Or MLS brings three major benefits
to all buildings where energy efficiency
and the quality of lighting are important
factors. Lights switch on and off, or
dim and brighten, according to occupancy
and natural levels of daylight, always
ensuring optimum levels of light which
help promote higher staff productivity;
and all current and declared legislation
and building regulations are met.
Howard Green, accommodation officer
at Peterborough District Land Registry,
explained that a responsive new lighting
system was needed in the five-storey
1970s-style building, which comprises
110,000 square feet of office space
and accommodates 500 staff.
"We
were plagued by light fitting failures
in the existing system," he said.
"Because of its age and design,
many blown tubes could not be replaced,
as connectors had broken and spares
were not available.
"We
were also concerned at the size of our
electricity bill and unnecessary use
of lights. We had no control whatsoever
over lighting in open plan areas, which
cover about 90 per cent of the building.
Manual switches were turned on at 6am
by security staff and not switched off
until 7.30pm, regardless of need. So
we felt there was substantial room for
improvement.
"We
had to comply with legislation, the
Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment)
Regulations. They stipulate that lighting
should be appropriate for all tasks
usually performed at the workstation,
without glare and reflections. Our old
system did not comply, but The Ex-Or
MLS meets all the legal requirements."
Howard
commissioned a survey from consulting
engineers, the John Melville Partnership,
who recommended a managed lighting system.
"I
was perfectly happy with that arrangement,
as I knew that Ex-Or had been used with
a great degree of success in other Land
Registry buildings," he added.
"The next task was to sell the
idea to our staff, so we drafted in
Ian Lloyd, the agency’s energy
manager, together with representatives
from Ex-Or. They gave talks and showed
videos about MLS, and we also distributed
newsletters. One of our main aims was
to make employees aware of the benefits
of the system, and show them how it
could improve their working environment."
Ex-Or’s
specialist installation and commissioning
service was a further bonus. Said Howard:
". Ex-Or fitted the most appropriate
equipment in the best locations with
very little disruption and fuss. Not
only was the task completed on schedule
and within our budget, we also have
the protection of a comprehensive on-site
warranty. And if any upgrading work
is needed in the future, it will make
sense to call Ex-Or back to continue
their excellent service."
The
system was installed during a three
month period. The entire project was
carried out at night to prevent disrupting
staff. Luminaire bodies were manufactured
in a special shade to exactly match
the pressed steel ceiling tiles. They
were individually made to fit non standard
apertures in the ceiling. And since
the existing light fittings were part
of the air conditioning system, the
new luminaires incorporated an air extract
handling facility. Care was taken to
match the air handling characteristics
of the original installation to retain
system balance.
Whereas
old light fittings included three 85
watt lamps per luminaire the new luminaires
comprise two 58 watt tubes, so power
consumption is down to 116 watts. The
downward light output of the new luminaires
is vastly superior to the original fittings,
and the system's high-frequency regulating
ballasts are much more efficient than
the quick-start technology of the 1970s.
Tri-phosphor T8 lamps also offer particularly
good colour rendering and high efficiency.
"Now
the lights are hardly noticed by our
staff, because the light quality they
give can hardly be distinguished from
natural light. The Ex-Or MLS is vastly
superior to our old system, and employees
do appreciate the absence of glare on
their computer screens," said Howard.
"We
are already seeing large savings in
electricity costs and a reduction in
our maintenance budget. Not only do
lights stay off when they are not needed,
but as they automatically dim to the
correct output, virtually none of them
ever operates at full power, so the
system is very energy-efficient. Another
advantage is that there is no need for
electricians or technicians to alter
the settings or groupings of luminaires,
as it can be done quickly and easily
using Ex-Or's sophisticated hand-held
programmer.
"We
are also very impressed by the way the
system can be 'zoned', or concentrated
on a particular person or group of people
working in an open plan area. Ex-Or's
system means that they are not just
spotlighted and surrounded by intimidating
darkness, but are linked by ‘corridors'
of light to exits, toilets, lift lobbies
and landings.
"New
zones can easily be re-programmed from
floor level using a handheld programmer,
so there is no need to call in an electrician.
This aspect is very important, as project
groups using the open plan areas are
constantly re-grouping in response to
changing work patterns."
We
are absolutely delighted with the reliability
and efficiency of Ex-Or's MLS system,"
he concluded. "Not only does it
meet all our current needs, it is flexible
and innovative enough to meet all our
future requirements."
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