The green agenda dominates the UK building and construction sector, in particular the redevelopment of the country's educational establishments. The Building Schools for the Future programme is the biggest single Government investment in improving school buildings for over 50 years.
Protecting the environment, sustainable building, saving energy, reducing carbon emissions: these are the green issues being addressed during this ambitious building programme. Eliminating unnecessary use of lighting is proving to be an extremely effective method of cutting an educational building's carbon footprint.
Systems from Ex-Or monitor the presence of occupants and measure the amount of natural light available and then automatically switch lights on and off, and dim or brighten them, as required. Ex-Or's equipment is helping schools and other educational establishments around the UK to dramatically cut costs and save energy. Their systems are being incorporated into both new-build and refurbishment developments.
“University of Manchester specifies Ex-Or lighting controls”
Ex-Or won the contract to supply lighting controls throughout the University of Manchester, the country's largest single-site higher education institution. The University is embarking on the biggest programme of capital investment ever seen in British higher education. It is spending £350 million to deliver eight new buildings and 15 major refurbishment projects.
Faced with escalating energy costs of up to 80 per cent, and the requirement to reduce carbon emissions, the University of Manchester sees energy conservation as a critical factor in their building programme hence the specification of Ex-Or equipment.
Of its total energy budget of £15 million, £9 million is accounted for by electricity use. The University estimates that lighting alone accounts for around 50 per cent of the electrical load. With 10,000 staff and 35,000 students it is equivalent to the entire lighting load of a typical town.
“Saving in electricity use of 69%”
To test the savings Ex-Or could deliver, the University first measured the amount of electricity used in a trial area, then installed Ex-Or detectors, and took the same measurements again. These showed a saving in electricity use of 69 per cent.
Corridors, meeting rooms, computer suites, science labs, reception lobbies, office areas and lecture theatres are just some of the locations in various University of Manchester buildings where Ex-Or LightSpot and Ex-Or MLS Digital Managed Lighting System equipment has been installed.
Lighting can account for up to half of a typical school's electricity use. With electricity usually accounting for half of the total energy bill there is the potential to save 25 per cent of the entire electricity load.
“Energy savings on major PFI project for schools”
Building services consultants Pick Everard recently completed the design of all the lighting for a major education PFI project for five schools; luminaires with a value of around £380,000 were supplied by Concord:marlin. Individual schools include Lakeside Primary School and Da Vinci Community College in Derby where the lighting is being controlled by Ex-Or LightSpot presence-detecting controls.
Ex-Or has completed a contract to install lighting management systems throughout the prestigious West London Academy. Areas where lighting is controlled by Ex-Or include offices, classrooms, performance arts theatre, sports hall and even a ¼ mile long corridor. It is estimated that lighting control is delivering a 45 per cent saving off the electrical load at the West London Academy.
Annual savings of £27,000
Some Local Authorities have been reaping the benefits of Ex-Or lighting controls for some time now. Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council installed Ex-Or systems throughout 30 of its schools resulting in an annual £27,000 reduction in its electricity bills.
Similarly, Telford and Wrekin Council in Shropshire cut thousands of pounds a year from the electricity bills at three of its schools. The cost of installation was recouped in less than five years and the council has been enjoying cost savings year on year ever since.