As part of a recent refurbishment programme at its Bangor site aimed at reinforcing its reputation and image, SERC college has invested in an array of attractive and eco-friendly LED luminaires from Dextra Lighting’s diverse range of precision-engineered products. The LED upgrade has not only helped to strengthen the college’s appeal to prospective students, parents and business partners alike, but has offered fast ROIs through long-term energy and maintenance savings.

South Eastern Regional College (SERC) is a Further Education college based in Northern Ireland with over 100 years of history of providing vocational and technical courses. Its industry-focussed curricula has allowed the college to form long-term partnerships with major UK companies and, over the years, it has consolidated a pragmatic business approach to education. So far, it has maintained its top 30 status in the UK by continually improving its facilities and services in a financially and environmentally sustainable way.

The college is extremely aware of the importance of education in building a strong workforce and promoting economic growth, however with a current drop in public spending, the challenge has been to keep the college competitive on a global level whilst adhering to tightening budgets.

High-quality LED Lighting plays a dual role in this scenario, insofar as it helps to create a modern and aesthetically appealing environment to boost the college’s profile as well as minimising utility bills and carbon emissions. Thanks to recent technological developments in LED, well-designed lighting solutions can provide institutions with a noticeably higher quality of light whilst significantly reducing energy and maintenance costs compared to fluorescent or HID alternatives. These savings allow new lighting systems to pay for themselves within 2 to 3 years once installed.

With lighting amounting to up to 23% of a typical school’s energy consumption, ECA-approved LED luminaires and sensor technology rank highly amongst products listed in government-sponsored funding programmes, making refurbishments more affordable for the public sector. By converting to LED, schools and colleges can also expect to reap the financial benefits of performing better in the government’s Carbon Reduction Commitment league table.

THE BRIEF

Working with The FCM Partnership consultants, Dextra Lighting were approached to update the lighting in the most visible areas of the college’s Bangor site, aiming to give visitors and both current and prospective students, a positive first impression upon entering the premises.

The relighting scheme covered a number of locations including the foyer, reception, offices, training rooms and breakout areas. Luminaries were to be retrofitted into both plasterboard and ceiling grid systems whilst matching the building’s modernised aesthetic.

THE PRODUCTS

COMTEC LED Downlight – Foyer / Reception / Circulation Areas

The Comtec LED’s housing is designed to assist retrofit installations so that it matches the conventional 210mm ceiling cut-out size of conventional fluorescent downlights. As a result, installation was kept quick and simple as no additional plastering work or alterations to the ceiling were required. Adaptor rings can also be provided with this range to suit larger cut-outs in both plasterboard and ceiling tiles.

To achieve different light levels with varying spacings in each location, luminaires were supplied in outputs between 1100lm to 3000lm.

MODLED Office Recessed Luminaire – Offices / Breakout area

Purpose-built for office spaces, the MODLED Office brought visual comfort and clarity to the college’s offices, offering compliance to all the relevant design guidelines.

From a wide range of outputs and sizes, the luminaire was supplied in a 3711llm version and standard 600x600mm body to fit into the existing ceiling grids. At this output, the required lux average of 400lux was comfortably achieved using the minimum amount of luminaries for a more cost-effective installation.

By combining a central microprism optic with a high-transmission opal diffuser surround, the MODLED Office complies to the latest BSEN 12464 glare requirements for both the 3000 candelas per metre squared limit above 65 degrees and UGR19 (Unified Glare Rating). This glare control technology is used in conjunction with mid-output Lumileds LEDs to give designers the ability to economise on the number of luminaires used whilsts achiving the required lux levels and uniformity ratios in the given area. Therefore, the MODLED Office offers a complete compliance package to ECA and L2 guidelines whilst ensuring each installation is as cost-effective and energy-efficient as possible.

The luminaire was provided with DALI dimming working with a Reacta 24 Passive Infrared sensor for daylight regulation and presence detection: maximising energy savings by switching off when areas are left unoccupied whilst ensuring optimal light levels are maintained throughout the day.

Graduate LED Surface – Training room

The Graduate LED Surface is a highly popular choice in the education sector due to its premium performance and versatility. It was installed in the training rooms to provide comfortable and task-appropriate lighting conditions. From a wide range of outputs and lengths, a 8371llm version was supplied in a 1500mm size to achieve the required light levels of 400lux for the area utilising the existing wiring p