Client: Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council
Type of works: installation of energy-saving lamps.

A selection of energy-saving lamps from Megaman have been installed at the Shibden Hall Museum, Halifax, one of the most popular folk museums in West Yorkshire. Shibden Hall dates back to 1420 and was originally built and owned by the Otes family. In 1933 the Shibden Estate came under the ownership of the local council, and is now running as a museum in its own landscaped park.

With so many historical items on show, good illumination levels are imperative to show the displays to their best advantage and, as the lighting is constantly in use, electricity costs are always high. After a meeting with Megaman and local lamp supplier Edmundsons to review the lighting, calculations showed that just by changing a selection of lamps, utilising the original fittings, could save the estate £3,500 a year.

In keeping with the traditional feel, Megaman's 7W Candle lamps were installed in all of the rooms in the museum including bedrooms, corridors and hallways. The Candle lamp uses the company's unique Ingenium^® technology and can provide 15,000 hours flicker-free instant-start and enhanced-light output. With safety an important issue in public areas, Megaman's Candle lamps incorporate a silicone sleeve over the glass so in the unlikely event of shattering, the glass is contained within the sleeve. In other areas Megaman's reflector lamps have been installed and Advant floodlights have been used to highlight the ceilings throughout the facility.

Following the installation the Manager at Shibden commented: "We are very happy with the installation; the new lighting is much brighter than the original and has really helped to highlight the various artefacts in the exhibits. In addition to the energy saving aspect, the lamps have a much longer life meaning that there is less disruption with maintenance work."