Paul Davidson, Aurora’s Technical and Project Manager, explains how best to enhance the working office environment and cut energy bills in a typical office upgrade to LED using Enlite products.
Have you ever been asked to tender for a lighting upgrade for offices that were built many years ago and that are being refurbished? Wondered where to start or how to design and present a proposal? Thought of the type of products to use that will fit the design and provide energy savings?
Acquiring tenants in a competitive office rental market requires a building owner to offer a modern working environment that provides good visual performance and comfort, whilst also providing aesthetic appeal. It also needs to be cost-effective to implement and offer energy savings to the company leasing the space.
Let’s say a landlord is looking to attract a new tenant for a 300m2 self-contained unit on one floor of a 30-year old building. The wiring is still in good condition so there’s no need for a costly rewire but the fittings are “well past their sell by date” and don’t give the best impression to new clients. The brief is to replace them all on a one-for one basis with an LED product at a competitive price.
Office reception
First impressions count, so creating maximum visitor impact is critical and is easily achieved using recessed LED downlighting within the space, especially over a reception desk. Enlite’s E8 fixed and adjustable fire rated range features a sparkling low glare multifaceted EnFiniti lens which mimics halogen; while setting a new level in performance by delivering up to 595lm from only 8 Watts. There’s an optional wide 60° beam angle which will increase light distribution and a choice of warm or cool white colour temperatures. The E8 is also quick and cost effective to install. It has an integrated driver with push-to-fit loop in/out terminals and can be covered with up to 250mm of fibre based insulation. The E8 comes with a three-year warranty or L70 to 25,000 hours.
Main office space
For the main office areas, the lighting needs to deliver both visual performance and comfort. Enlite’s new ultra-slim 600 x 600 edge-lit LED panel range makes for ideal, direct, one-for-one replacement of the current linear fluorescent modules. The LED panels fit directly into a 15 or 24mm T-bar suspended ceilings system. A Unified Glare Rating of 19 (UGR19), consistent distribution and light colour quality, “Flicker-free” driver and Power Factor >0.9 all add up to superior performance. These Enlite LED panels come with a three-year warranty.
Kitchen and restroom
Many office kitchens are small and without windows and as the kettle’s almost always on, steam builds up and can corrode the lighting fittings! So an IP65 sealed linear fitting from the UniPac range can offer the best cost effective solution when replacing traditional T8 fluorescent fittings. It’s also a real time saver as the UniPac is quick and easy to install. There are push fit terminals in both ends for through cable wiring and 20mm conduit entry knockouts on each end cap.
Ancillary Areas
Lighting for toilets and those areas that aren’t frequently used need to be functional as well as both light and energy efficient. Often, adding occupancy controls is a good idea. Enlite’s Orbital bulkhead range is a great choice as life is not affected by frequent switching and they are both vandal and impact resistant. Orbital’s all-new designed IP66 round/eyelid LED fitting has been engineered with a tough IK10 polycarbonate body and opal diffuser for even light output. A rear entry access wiring compartment or separate 20mm conduit side entries allow for easy installation. There are emergency and microwave options available.
“In the ancillary areas, by replacing the 28 Watt or 38 Watt 2D fittings with Enlite’s 15 Watt or 25 Watt Orbital fittings, there will be savings both in energy use when switched on and in reduced energy consumption when operated via PIR based lighting control.”
Worth the investment?
So when the job’s finished, how does the new lighting replaced on a one-for-one basis compare on energy saving?
For the reception area, the Enlite E8 recessed downlights will each consume 8 Watts and are designed to replace a 50 Watt low voltage halogen. So, a 42 Watt saving for each fitting installed equates to more than an 80% reduction in energy consumption.
In the main office space, each Enlite LED flat panels will consume 40 Watts, replacing the old 4-lamp 2ft 18 Watt linear fluorescent fitting. These offer a reduction of around 50-60 Watts per fitting for Electromagnetic Gear and around 30-35 Watts for High Frequency Control Gear.
Within the kitchen, the potential savings are less. For a 5 foot fitting of around 72 Watts, the 1500mm Enlite UniPac sealed luminaire operates at 54 Watts.
In the ancillary areas, by replacing the 28 Watt or 38 Watt 2D fittings with Enlite’s 15 Watt or 25 Watt Orbital fittings, there will be savings both in energy use when switched on and in reduced energy consumption when operated via PIR based lighting control.
Across the whole installation, energy savings should equate to approximately 50%. By swapping to the Enlite LED solution, the landlord can offer a new tenant an energy efficient, modern lit environment that delivers on aesthetics, visual performance and comfort to benefit all parties.
