The library, a six-floor building with a four-storey extension, had been in operation since the 1960s and had undergone various updates and upgrades over the years. Despite these efforts, the lighting system remained inefficient according to modern standards due to increased demand and changes to the area’s usage over the years.
As a result, the 24-hour operation building presented significant energy reduction opportunities, which would help to reduce energy costs and associated carbon. Focusing on these reductions would contribute towards meeting the University’s net zero goals, their ‘Reduce, Decarbonise, Smart’ ethos, and their ‘low energy, low maintenance’ principals.
Highlighting an opportunity
Having worked with the university over a number of years, the initiative began with a collaboration between the university's Estates Department and Fagerhult, represented by Simon Harvard-Ford, Senior Project Manager.
The lighting sensors in the luminaires detect presence, providing data to inform decisions about space usage and optimisation. This feature was particularly appealing to the university as it aligned with their goal of creating a smart campus. Simon Harvard-Ford, Senior Project Manager at Fagerhult UK
Simon explains: “The university was exploring smart connectivity solutions as they wanted to create a more energy-efficient and technologically advanced campus. I introduced them to the Organic Response wireless lighting control system, a technology initially designed for open-plan offices but also ideal for educational environments due to its flexibility and innovative features.
“The university was impressed not only by the significant energy (and therefore cost) savings, but also the real-time occupancy data analytics that the Organic Response system offers,” Simon continues, “The lighting sensors in the luminaires detect presence, providing data to inform decisions about space usage and optimisation. This feature was particularly appealing to the university as it aligned with their goal of creating a smart campus.”
Paul Holland, Estates Engineer at Warwick University, worked closely with Simon on the project from the outset.
Paul comments: “One of the main drivers was to try and save energy across the library, but there was also a need for occupancy profiling and wayfinding through the building.
“Being a 1960’s building, the occupancy today is significantly different from what it was designed for initially. There are a lot of study areas now, and the building was originally designed for around fifty people per floor, but these days there could be approximately three hundred people per floor.
“There was a good opportunity to link up with Fagerhult because they could provide the data analytics we needed for real-time occupancy profiles and energy usage.”
Putting the solution into practice
In 2019, Fagerhult proposed a solution for the refurbishment of the first and second floors of the library. The proposal was accepted by the university, and the system was installed in 2021.
As with all projects, some challenges presented themselves during the installation, but our experienced team were on hand to keep everything running smoothly. “One of the significant challenges during the implementation was keeping the library functional throughout the refurbishment,” Simon comments, “the work was undertaken in phases, often halving floors to maintain accessibility for students. This required meticulous planning and coordination, particularly for the contractors involved, but we worked closely with Paul Holland, Estates Engineer at the university, who played a pivotal role in championing the project. Paul's forward-thinking approach and willingness to embrace new technologies were crucial in driving the project's success.”
Paul added: “An additional benefit of the lighting system was how easy it was to commission and set up. From our point of view, we didn’t have any issues. Simon has been brilliant throughout. It’s been a long-term collaboration, and he has been on the journey with us, helping us to deliver the continued development of the system in order to give the University what it needs.”
Energy and cost-saving benefits
Once in place, this pilot phase allowed the university to gather three years of data, demonstrating the system's efficacy.
“The results of the pilot were impressive,” explains Simon, “The university reported savings in the region of half a million kilowatt-hours of electricity over three years, equating to approximately £150,000 annually for just two floors. With plans to extend the system to the entire building and two storeys of the extension building, the projected energy savings are set to increase significantly.”
Additionally, the system's ability to provide real-time occupancy data will be invaluable. The university can now monitor which spaces are in use, when, and how often. This data enables them to make informed decisions about space management, optimising the use of their facilities.
A future development is for the system's occupancy monitoring feature to have a user interface which displays a simple traffic light system (green for quiet, red for busy, amber for moderate) highlighted on monitors at the library entrance, with the aim of helping students find available spaces quickly.
Paul explains more about the future benefits the system can bring to the campus:
“The next steps are to integrate the occupancy profiling data gathered from the lighting system onto a graphic at the entrance of the building, so that when students enter the building, they can see how populated a particular area is and make an informed decision on where they go to study.”
Following the success of the pilot phase, the university is now implementing the system across the remaining floors of the main library building and the two-storeys of the extension. The project is expected to be completed by November 2024, resulting in a fully connected smart library lighting system.
The University of Warwick's implementation of the Organic Response lighting system in its library is a testament to the benefits of smart technology in creating energy-efficient and user-friendly environments. The project not only resulted in substantial energy savings but also laid the groundwork for future innovations in smart campus development, serving as an inspiring example for other educational institutions looking to innovate and improve their facilities. Paul concludes: “We had a collaboration day at the University of Warwick with other universities involved. We took them around the library to showcase the installations and received positive feedback. I believe the Organic Response wireless lighting control system could be readily applied across many other higher education settings."
Organic Response
Organic Response enables flexible and scalable lighting control for workplaces and learning environments. The system can be customised for every lighting solution and brings everything together in one place. Already at installation, energy consumption is reduced by 40 percent, and with each option you make, efficiency, lighting comfort and technical possibilities increase further.
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