Over recent years, sustainability has become a critical concern across various sectors, including education. As schools and colleges strive to reduce their environmental impact, one of the most effective measures they can take is improving their lighting systems.
The lighting industry has responded to the call for sustainability by developing energy-efficient solutions that not only enhance the learning environment but also significantly reduce energy costs and carbon footprints.
Phil Brown, Product and Marketing Director at NVC Lighting, discusses the role that LED lighting can play in helping educational establishments significantly reduce energy costs and their carbon footprint while creating the optimal learning environment for pupils and staff.
Sustainability has emerged in recent years as a pivotal concern for Governments, businesses, and individuals alike. The urgency to address environmental challenges such as climate change, resource depletion, and pollution has never been greater.
Within this context, commercial LED lighting stands out as a powerful tool that can significantly contribute to fostering a greener future. It can also help the people who this future is being built for in educational settings.
One of the key drivers for this is the energy efficiency of LED lights. They consume significantly less electricity compared to traditional incandescent or fluorescent fittings, which translates into substantial cost savings for educational buildings, with payback on investment being within a relatively short period of time. This can amount to tens of thousands of pounds saving per year, depending on the size of the building, making the payback on investment quicker than expected.
The long lifespan of LED solutions further reduces ongoing maintenance and replacement costs. These energy savings have a massive impact on a building’s carbon footprint, significantly enhancing sustainability and environmental credentials.
The benefits of LED lighting extend beyond energy efficiency to improving the overall learning environment. Educational establishments are complex, with various room types such as classrooms, sports halls, kitchens, science labs, reception areas, and workshops, each with its own lighting needs and requirements.
In classrooms, for example, compliance with BS EN 12464 standards is crucial, where illuminance at desk level should be 300-500 lux with 0.6-0.7 uniformity. Proper lighting improves academic performance, encourages concentration and engagement, and enhances occupants' mood and behaviour. LED lighting offers superior quality and control, mimicking natural light more effectively than conventional options.
The continuous advancement of LED technology allows fixtures to be integrated with lighting controls (smart wireless controls or wired DALI controls), enabling central management of lighting systems across multiple buildings. This not only enhances energy efficiency but also enables facilities managers to tailor lighting scenarios to specific activities, intermittent occupancy levels, times of the day, or seasons in the year.
Motion sensors and daylight harvesting features further optimise energy usage by automatically adjusting lighting levels based on occupancy and natural light availability. For example, window rows in classrooms can be controlled separately to maximise natural light use.
The significance of LED lighting extends to student and staff well-being and safety. Unlike traditional fluorescent lighting, LEDs do not contain harmful substances like mercury, reducing the environmental impact of disposal and diminishing the risk of toxic contamination. LED lighting also provides better colour rendering and lighting uniformity, enhancing comfort and productivity in educational environments.
Proper lighting is crucial for preventing accidents, reducing dark spots that might present opportunities for bullying or anti-social behaviour, and ensuring safety in car parks and on pathways. Additionally, LED lighting should be integrated with emergency lighting systems, ensuring educational buildings are fully prepared in case of a crisis.
At NVC Lighting, we offer a complete end-to-end service for educational establishments, including site surveys and assessments, technical support, and design services. Our commercial LED lighting products are high quality and UGR (glare) compliant, coupled with a leading customer-centric seven-year warranty as standard. All our products are easy to install and maintain and integrate with leading smart lighting control technology to maximise energy savings and positively impact student and staff performance, safety, and well-being.
The transition to greener practices and the shift towards sustainable commercial LED lighting represent a fantastic opportunity for any school or educational facility to reduce their environmental impact and carbon footprint, lower operating costs, and improve social and health outcomes. By embracing LED technology, educational establishments can achieve significant benefits while contributing to a more sustainable future.
Download a copy of the ‘Lighting in Education’ guide here.
For more information on NVC Lighting’s extensive range of solutions for educational facilities and its service offering, visit www.nvcuk.com.