Gateshead Civic Centre, Gateshead
- Lamp efficacy
Lamp efficacy
Ensuring the lamp efficiently converts electricity into light (lm/W).
- Ballast classification
Ballast classification
Controlling the electricity supply to the lamp (Energy Efficiency Index).
- Luminaire distribution
Luminaire distribution
Controlling light emission using optics which bend and shape the light to the correct location.
- System efficacy
System efficacy
Combining optical and thermal control within the luminaire (luminaire lm/W).
- Presence/absence detection
Presence/absence detection
Providing lighting only when it’s needed.
- Daylight detection
Daylight detection
Reducing waste light during daylight hours.
- Constant illuminance
Constant illuminance
Producing the correct lighting levels for the duration of the maintenance period.
- Task-scene setting
Task-scene setting
Allowing the user to set scenes and adapt the lighting to different tasks.
- Timed off
Timed off
Automatic cut-off to turn all lights off during unoccupied hours.
- Task lighting
Task lighting
Lighting task areas with the correct amount of light.
- Zoning of lighting
Zoning of lighting
Zoning lighting in accordance to occupancy patterns or window location.
- Maintenance schedule
Maintenance schedule
Tailoring maintenance schedules in accordance to product age, performance and environment.
- Waste light
Waste light
Eliminating waste light which does not hit the intended target.
- Reflectance
Reflectance
Taking advantage of light which is reflected from the surface within the space.
- Visible smart metering
Visible smart metering
Enabling results of actions to be quickly seen as increased or decreased energy use to encourage responsible energy consumption.
Better light for a third the cost
Gateshead Council in North East England has a lighting scheme in the Civic Centre offices which is an example of how modern lighting and energy management techniques have been combined to produce a superior working environment with a 68% saving in energy costs.
The Council recognised the need for a major lighting replacement programme, but wanted to improve lighting for productivity and morale. It began its lighting replacement programme this summer with the aim of swapping more than 4,000 office lighting units with more modern, and more energy-efficient, units.
Performance
The existing lighting, which dates from when the Civic Centre was built in the 1980’s, uses groups of four 40W fluorescent U-tubes, but these are inefficient by modern standards and are becoming difficult and expensive to source and maintain.
They are now being replaced with custom-designed luminaires using four 14W T16 "daylight” lamps, dimmable electronic ballasts and built-in lighting controls. The harmonious, glare-free lighting system, imperative for pc use, has a good CRF for visibility of task detail.
Efficiency
Thorn worked closely with Gateshead Council to design the purpose-made units and infill panels, which are a perfect fit with the building’s coffered ceiling, allowing replacements to be fitted quickly, from below, and with minimum disruption to employees.
Furthermore, each new luminaire incorporates a double pole rocker switch to isolate the ballast, thus speeding up safety tests and inspections. The luminaire, based on the Cinqueline SR model, includes a Sensa 3 lighting control head centrally mounted in the louvre. This combined infra-red PIR detector / photocell responds to daylight and presence/absence. Furthermore, instead of being sent to landfill, the old light fittings are being sent for recycling.
Comfort
The luminaire optics blend upward and downward light to provide perfectly balanced illumination on all room surfaces. New "Daylight” lamps are employed to give a colour appearance (6500K), which mimics natural daylight.