40%

saved in energy cost for lighting

The Aim

Harris Academy Peckham, a school in London, approached us with the goal of reducing their energy consumption and lowering their energy bills by upgrading their lighting to more energy-efficient luminaires.

What We Used

• 40% Savings in Energy Costs for Lighting

  We primarily used Thorn's excellent Diffusalux LEDs to replace the school's fluorescent lighting. Additionally, we incorporated Kosnic luminaires as a more cost-effective option, and Contrac lighting was used for the sports hall.

What We Did & How We Did It

Initially, the school had no "as fitted" lighting drawings for their current setup. To address this, we conducted a comprehensive survey of all areas to determine the quantity and types of fittings required. Given the vast campus and the large number of luminaires to assess, this was a complex process. Return visits were necessary alongside the installation team to verify specific areas and develop a detailed installation plan.

We performed multiple check plots to ensure that the desired lux levels were achieved in classrooms, as well as to confirm the appropriate wattage for various ceiling heights.

Challenges & Solutions

We encountered several installation challenges, such as:

• Unusual Conduit & Trunking Layouts: A strange spine-like conduit ran down the middle of each classroom with "arms" suspending the luminaires.

• Ceiling Heights: The ceiling height made it difficult to install suspended fittings.

To address these issues, we surface-mounted the new luminaires to the ceiling or conduit boxes, creating a cleaner look while maintaining the required lux levels.

Work During School Term

The main stage of the installation occurred during the school term, so we scheduled work between 18:00 and 06:00 on weekdays to avoid disrupting lessons. We also worked weekends to complete the project on time.

In addition to the lighting upgrade, we accommodated extra requests from the school, such as installing new switches in all classrooms to replace the problematic old key switch system, further enhancing the staff's convenience.

Alignment with Project Goals

Harris Academy Federation is committed to reducing energy costs and improving environmental sustainability across several of their schools. Peckham Academy exemplifies this effort, as lowering the wattages of fittings in the most densely populated areas has had a significant impact on their overall energy consumption.

Results & Savings

Although some outdated fittings were previously left on 24/7 due to out-of-date controls, we replaced these during the project. The energy savings from this are not reflected in the figures below, so the actual savings achieved were even higher.

With that said, we successfully reduced Harris Academy Peckham’s energy costs for lighting by an impressive 40%.

This structured approach highlights the project's objectives, challenges, solutions, and measurable outcomes, making it clear and easy to follow.