We’re starting to introduce LEDs

We’ve used LEDs when we’ve done office refurbishments. We’ve gone from individual cellular offices to open-plan offices at the force headquarters in Northampton. We’ve done this primarily to house more people. And when we’ve done this we’ve converted the old T5s and T8s to LED.

I’ve also used them outside under walkways. I’ve recently completed a project where I’ve replaced a load of SON 80s with LED spotlights on a building for general lighting around our firearms range. That’s probably the most adventurous project I’ve attempted with the police force. They’re very old school.

Initial installations have been successful

LEDs are reducing our energy consumption. Most of our buildings are old, and so the Display Energy Certificates (DEC) are very low. The energy being used against the floor area of the building doesn’t quite work out, and it drags our DECs down.

By changing as many of the old lights to LED as we can, we’re reducing our energy consumption and cutting down on maintenance. The reason we’re doing the upgrades is for long-term cost saving.

The force isn’t as tech-savvy as I’d like

I think it’s getting there, but I think we as a force have to catch up, which we are with the new buildings. I’ve done one complete station in Rushdon with LED, a small one. We also opened a new building about 18 months ago that has a full control system everywhere and energy-efficient lighting, but they’re not LED fittings.

We used PL36s which are low energy and high frequency but not as efficient as LEDs. We have controls on the lights but the controls aren’t yet hooked up to the building management system. But now, any new building we do will have lighting controls.

Safety and security comes first

The work I do is quite unique, it’s different from a normal property manager because of the environment that I work in. I did one complete station with LED. We have to think about safety, and be sure before we install anything. You can’t have lights going on and off in custody areas, and we have to find different ways of making lights that have to be on all the time more efficient.

Cost has to be taken into account

Everything is financially driven, especially with budgets being cut the way they are. It constricts us considerably, but now that trials have been successful, it’s easier to put a case forward. Providing it’s not one of these projects where it’s given to a contractor and they’re asked to design and supply, we’ll have it done the way we want it – if we’ve got any input – and that means getting the best value for the public’s money.

I’m governed a lot by cost. I’m spending your money, I’m spending my money, I’m spending everybody’s money, so I’ve got to get the best value for the pound, and that’s what I’m looking for all the time. Value and reliability are important. If one lamp was £2 and one was £2.50 and I knew the more expensive one was better, I’d invest in that one.

Controls didn’t work well for us at first

We introduced controls a few years ago, primarily in corridors. Our old property manager was a bit old school. I wanted to put them in general public areas like corridors and toilets, but he wouldn’t let me put them in toilets. The main problem we had with those controls was that the old style lighting didn’t react fast enough if there was an emergency, if there’s a policeman running through the corridor because an alarm has sounded in the cells.

Lighting for the police has some unique requirements

The lighting inside the firing arms range is controlled by the building management system and is used to create different scenarios. You can make the lights flash on and off, and all sorts of strange things happen with the lighting to simulate different training environments. The day will come when we turn ordinary fluorescents to LED, but for the moment, we’re leaving that side of the business alone.

THE DETAILS

Philips, the global leader in lighting, introduces the new InstantFit LED T8 (TLED) replacement tube that reduces the cost for facilities managers replacing fluorescent tube lighting with energy efficient LED technology. LED tube lamps save up to 50% less energy compared to linear fluorescent tube lighting and require less maintenance due to their long lifetime.

Philips estimates that the installed base for fluorescent tube lighting today amounts to 12 billion (lamp) sockets globally. Linear fluorescent HF tube lighting with electronic drivers is one of the most common types of general lighting used in shops, offices and industrial spaces. The opportunity for energy an costs savings is huge. If current fluorescent lighting was replaced by LED tube lamps it would result in savings of EUR 42 billion in energy costs or the equivalent of energy generated by 210 medium sized power plants.

The InstantFit breakthrough is a new milestone in Philips innovation record for the LED tube lamp (TLED) market. More recently, in April 2013 Philips announced the creation of the world’s most energy-efficient lamp suitable for general lighting, unveiling an LED tube replacement prototype that produces a record 200 lumens per watt of high-quality white light (compared with 100lm/W for fluorescent lighting) without compromising on light quality.

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In the report, the CBI points to the ‘untapped potential’ of energy-efficiency schemes for businesses, and cites a lack of knowledge as one of the biggest challenges.

The organisation is now calling on firms to invest more in energy-efficiency measures such as lighting upgrades to reduce costs and protect against long-term rises in energy prices.

Rhian Kelly, the CBI’s director for business environment policy, said: ‘Energy efficiency has sneaked under the radar in the UK’s energy debate and is making a material contribution to UK growth. But there is so much economic and environmental potential that remains unfulfilled.

‘With energy prices still on the rise, energy efficiency can help mitigate the impact on firms, particularly heavy users,’ she said.

The CBI’s report comes as businesses prepare for new legislation coming into effect on 1 October, under which they will have to report on their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Business should consider retrofitting their ceiling grids with LED Ceiling Panels, their fluorescent tubes with LED Tubes, and spots with LED GU10s. Novel Energy Lighting can provide project services for clients wishing to retrofit their buildings to LED.

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