PROJECTS
Lostock Hall Academy
Location: Preston, Lancashire
Brief: To reduce lighting running costs in a high school academy
Technology: LED Classroom Lights, LED Sportshall Lights, LED Exterior Lighting
Our client was seeking to reduce its running costs by replacing older lighting technology with more energy efficient LED lighting. After an initial survey to determine incumbent lighting technology, we were able to produce the required reports to allow the academy to secure government funding to allow the project to proceed.
Lostock Hall Academy is a secondary school located in Lostock Hall in Lancashire. There were a number of aspects that Lumenata had to consider when we designed the lighting for the school sports hall. Lux level requirements vary according to the particular types of sport and activities being played, for example, most ball sports require 200 lux, however, fast moving ball sports, such as squash require 300 lux. Lostock Hall Academy also uses its sports hall for examinations therefore 500 lux is required.
As the amount of light required is high, energy consumption should be kept to a minimum. Alongside using an energy efficient LED light source, for this project, Lumenata sought additional solutions to keep the energy consumption low.
Lostock Hall Academy like so many sports halls, has a high ceiling therefore as an alternative to surface mounting the luminaire on to the ceiling, Lumenata recommended suspension luminaires, as this would reduce the lumen output that would be required if the luminaire was surface mounted high up. The sports hall has natural light coming through, so we installed daylight dimming functions that are used to reduce energy consumption. Lumenata installed luminaires that incorporate remote intelligent control systems that dim dynamically if there are high levels of light ingress. This maintains constant lux levels and uniformity.
Uniformity is an important feature of lighting that we installed in Lostock Hall Academy. Uniform lighting allows us to perceive the sports hall continuously and without sudden breaks caused by lighting level drops. This is important to ensure players can monitor the opponent’s movement and in ball sports, accurately see the ball. Eliminating glare in a sports hall is important to prevent players being dazzled when looking up, for example when locating the ball. Lumenata specified luminaries that have a cloud lens which provides a higher output than the standard opal lens and ensures there is no glare from the LEDs. Luminaires in sports halls need to be robust and impact resistance so they withstand balls being hit at them.
As luminaires are often located high up in sports halls, they should be easy to maintain. By opting for LED, they are maintenance free with a lifetime that exceeds 50,000 hours. Furthermore, with daylight dimming controls they are likely to last longer. Settings can also be changed easily without accessing the fitting with a handheld remote control.
