Osram’s highly efficient Lumilux fluorescent tubes have been installed throughout the east and west corridors of the Old College at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to reap energy savings of over 50%.
Environment 2000 specified and installed the new lighting scheme which not only achieves significant energy savings, but also provides a massive increase in lux levels. This prestigious building at the heart of the British military and the artwork housed within it are now displayed in fantastic light.
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst is a vast site with huge overhead costs, but it has realised the potential for savings by switching to more efficient solutions. With some of the buildings dating back to the early 1800’s, the challenge is finding products that will modernise the Academy and make it more efficient without compromising the historical look and feel of the buildings.
Osram and Environment 2000 took this into account and were able to provide a lighting solution for the corridors of the Old College that maintains the historic aesthetics of this building while demonstrating the potential for savings across the whole site.
The heart of the British military
The Old College is the most recognisable building at Sandhurst and dates back to 1812. As successful cadets make the transition to fully-fledged Officers of the British Army, the Old College is the backdrop for the Sovereign’s Parade. After the outdoor ceremony, the cadets pass through the Grand Entrance and proceed down the east corridor marking their transformation into leaders that will lead soldiers both on and off operations.
The Old College is also home to numerous rooms that house historic artefacts including the Indian Army Memorial Room. This impressive room once served as a dining room that played host to Winston Churchill. It was turned into a museum in 1948 and in its current capacity it commemorates the legacy and service of the Ghurka and Indian regiments of the British Indian Army.
Lighting the way to savings
Throughout the Old College and Sandhurst as a whole, lighting plays a key role in presenting this national institution in the right light. As well as the desire to present Sandhurst in the right light, installing efficient lighting solutions is one area where savings can be made very quickly and easily.
In the Old College where Osram products have been installed, the lighting is crucial as there are numerous pieces of art on display which must be shown in the correct light. In addition, the art on display must be protected from harmful rays that could diminish their vibrancy so high quality lighting solutions are the only option.
Osram and Environment 2000 came up with a solution for the east and west corridors of the Old College that would retain the aesthetics of the building and protect the art works on display while increasing efficiency and light output.
In total 184 x T5 Lumilux High Efficiency (HE) 21W fluorescent tubes fitted inside 92 luminaires were installed along the corridors. These are operated on Quicktronic Professional electronic control gear that ensures optimum lamp performance. This new system replaced old switch start magnetic ballasts that were starting to fail creating dark patches across the ceiling.
The Lumilux tubes are light colour 840 which is significant as this simulates daylight and ensures that all the art works and people passing through appear as they would in natural daylight.
The outcome
The new lighting scheme demonstrates the enormous potential for savings by simply replacing older, inefficient solutions with modern technology. Over the course of a year, Sandhurst will see 50% energy savings in the corridors (from 55004kWh to 29617.56kWh), a 12,735.55kg reduction in CO2 emissions and an increase in lux level to 350 lux (up from 180 lux)
In monetary terms, the savings equate to nearly £4,000 a year and the payback period is extremely low at only 0.78 years. This is all achieved by simply switching the lighting scheme in two corridors.
Improved efficiency is not the only benefit of the new lighting scheme. Previously, there were dark patches clearly visible across the top of the ceiling where the light from either side of the corridor did not meet. With the new solution, the light washes all the way across creating a visually appealing effect. Thanks to the efforts of Environment 2000 in installing this new lighting scheme, the result is an impressive, uniform lighting scheme that does justice to the historic building.
Bert Ring, Energy Advisor at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst says: “We are aware that a lot can be done to reduce our energy consumption, the key is finding the right solutions and the right partners to help us. We are grateful to Osram and Environment 2000 for their hard work in bringing this project to fruition and we are delighted with the result. The increase in the light level and the decrease in energy consumption are both significant factors for us and we will now look into how we can build upon this and make the whole site more efficient.”