Light Efficient Design's LED retrofits advance sustainability goals for University of Nottingham

In 2014, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK, was facing rising energy costs, with lighting accounting for approximately 20 percent of the University’s annual energy bill. In addition, the University, a Civic Trust Green Flag Award winner every year since 2003, has an institutional commitment to sustainability and has targeted an overall reduction of carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2020.

Led by the on-site Estates and Environmental Team, the University determined to install an affordable and measurable LED lighting program. The goals of the program included:
• reducing energy and maintenance costs
• enhancing campus pathways and roadways for improved pedestrian safety
• preserving the campus aesthetics
• ensuring affordable access to future LED product developments

To accomplish these goals, the University selected retrofit LED lamps manufactured and supplied by Light Efficient Design, the premier source of LED for HID™ retrofit lighting solutions.

The Team was impressed with Light Efficient Design’s easy, three-step retrofit process: the ballast is disconnected from the current lamp; power is fed straight to the socket and the new lamp is installed.

This retrofit approach offers several advantages. First, costs are minimized since fixtures don’t need to be replaced. In addition, re-lamping can easily be accomplished in phases, avoiding the significant capital expenditure traditionally required. At the same time, it significantly reduces the risk of premature product obsolescence often caused by the fast pace of LED technological development.

“We chose the Light Efficient Design retrofit LED solution because they are considerably more affordable. They’re about a third of the cost of traditional non-retrofit LED lamp post lighting and they do not require replacement of the existing lamp columns or heads,” said Richard Clayton, Electrical Engineer for the University of Nottingham, Estates Department. “The quick and easy installation also enabled labor savings through greater productivity.”

The University ordered approximately 1000 retrofit LED units for re-lamping about 750 lamp tops in the external areas of the University Park Campus while leaving enough units for retrofit requirements elsewhere on the campus. Local contractor Manor Maintenance managed the installation, carrying out re-lamping over a four-month period.

For the Campus driveways, pathways and roadways Light Efficient Design’s 8023 35W LED retrofit lamps replaced the incumbent 58W LPS. This resulted in a 40% energy savings. Following quick and easy bypassing and disablement of the existing HID ballasts and control gear, the simplicity of the retrofit lamp design allowed the installer to reuse the lamp fittings and fixtures, enabling each post to be retro-fitted in around 15 minutes.

A number of 8028 22W bollard and wall pack solutions were also supplied for replacing existing 70 watt Metal Halide lamps.

The success of the initial University Park Campus installation has resulted in plans to extend retrofit LED lamping to other campuses. Approximately 250 Light Efficient Design retrofit LED lamps will be installed at the University’s nearby Sutton Bonnington Campus. Discussions are also underway for a similar project at the University’s Jubilee Campus.

Concluded Gavin Scott, the University of Nottingham’s Environment Manager, “We are confident the LED retrofits are already providing a sustainable solution which will help us in our mission to drive down our energy costs and carbon emissions. The lamps are also greatly enhancing the quality of light for improved student, staff and visitor safety and their simple, unobtrusive, design and installation ensures the overall look and feel of our Campus environment is preserved.”

Contact:

Jon Fredrikson, Director of Marketing - Light Efficient Design
+1-847-380-3540