Managed lighting systems from Ex-Or Ltd have been installed throughout the prestigious newbuild £55 million Health and Safety Executive headquarters building at Bootle, Merseyside. Ex-Or were chosen by Buro Happold, structural, M & E services and lighting designers, to supply and commission their lighting control systems in the contract totalling more than £170,000. The lighting in all the open-plan areas, cellular offices and other working areas in the 23,000 m2 four-storey building is now controlled by the Ex-Or MLS Digital Managed Lighting System. In addition, Ex-Or's scene-setting and dimming system SceneSelect II is operating in the building's main conference and training areas.
Unusually, Ex-Or's detectors and controllers were pre-installed off-site, along with the light fittings, into suspended lighting and acoustic 'rafts'. This was carried out by SAS International. They were then tested and commissioned before installation into the building's interior.
The MLS Digital system ensures that lights remain on only when needed, and automatically delivers light at optimum levels. Communicating detectors share information on occupancy and light levels to provide lighting tailored to the needs of occupants – and in conveniently configured work zones. The system automatically detects the presence of occupants, measures levels of ambient light and regulates luminaire output accordingly. In addition, it ensures lights in key circulation areas are kept on.
Ex-Or SceneSelect II allows users of the HSE conference and training areas to recall, at the touch of a button, pre-set lighting scenes customised to suit the requirements of particular activities, for example dimmed lighting for on-screen presentations.
The building occupiers' concern for making the maximum energy savings was the main reason for the installation of the Ex-Or lighting management systems according to Andrew Bissell, lighting consultant with Buro Happold, who were working with main contractors Kajima Design and architects Cartwright Pickard.
An important part of the brief was to utilise to the full the natural light afforded by the design of the building. The building's three blocks surround a central atrium which allows natural light into the offices. In addition a rotunda largely made of glass is a feature of one end of the building, said Mr Bissell.
"The occupants are very conscious about minimising the use of energy and ensuring the lights come on only when needed. In addition it was important that the 1,500 staff employed there would benefit from optimum light levels at all times."
Mr Bissell added: "We chose Ex-Or because we knew of their reputation, and have installed their systems in a couple of buildings, so we knew their systems were cost effective, efficient and reliable in use."
"We did look at two lighting management companies, but we were convinced the use of distributed intelligence suited the building lighting strategy, rather than relying on a computer front end and intelligent panels in the risers. With the intelligence built in to each individual detector on the Ex-Or system, and its simple and flexible BUS, any failure is localised to just one luminaire or small group of luminaires so one fault does not take down the entire system."
