Lighting controls enable cost reduction in hospital refurb

Moreover, the intuitive wireless design of the solutions, coupled with the consultative approach of CP Electronics experts, helped to make the installation process considerably easier, saving valuable time and money on the project.

One of the main challenges of the project focused around the design of the outpatient’s department which features three separate hallways intersecting to form a crossroads leading to the hospital waiting room. The difficulty here was that the lighting in each of the hallways was run on individual circuits.

The consultant on the project wanted to address this by running them on the same circuit, since this would allow them to be switched on and off simultaneously, whichever entrance was used.

Ordinarily, the contractor would need to re-wire the lighting back to the distribution board before installing the PIR-activated contactors used to operate the light fittings on and off. However, on this occasion an approach like this would have added additional complexity, cost and time to the project.

Following a discussion with Nick Booth, the CP Electronics Sales Manager involved in the project, wireless PIR presence detectors from CP Electronics were recommended as a means of reducing the amount of wiring needed on the project.

Given that labour accounts for a sizeable portion of the cost on any project, any measure which enables a faster and easier installation can have a real impact. Only power supplies for the wireless PIR presence detectors were needed, resulting in a significantly reduced installation time.

Using wireless PIRs saved a minimum of 25% on total labour costs, making them a worthwhile investment. From the perspective of the end user, in this case an NHS trust with limited financial resources, presence detectors help to avoid unnecessary energy consumption by activating the luminaires only as and when required.

Commenting on the solution, Mark Middleton of Copeland Group, the contractor overseeing the installation, explained: “It was definitely worth us taking the time to speak with Nick, our contact at CP, to understand what options were available to us."

"The wireless PIRs were unique to CP Electronics and so there was a definite advantage to working with them, as opposed to any other lighting control manufacturer. The products we installed fully complied with the consultant’s specification in what was a valuable project for us.”

The additional challenge facing Copeland Group LTD centred around restricted access for works to be carried out. Because the outpatient’s department continued to be in use at points throughout the project, contractors were limited in what work they could carry out during the day and had to wait until evening to perform certain tasks. The reduction in wiring helped the contractor work more effectively around the timings of the hospital, ensuring the project ran as smoothly as possible.

In addition, DALI dimmer switches and Vitesse Modular are also being used in the reception to control the linear light fittings in the waiting area, which can be activated manually or configured to a specific pre-set scene.

This meant that users can activate the chosen scene without having to dim up and down. In either case, the plug and play design of the solutions specified proved decisive in ensuring a smoother installation, at a reduced cost.

Nick Booth, Sales Manager at CP Electronics, explained: “We have a track record of working with contractors and consultants to enable cost and energy savings for the healthcare sector. In this instance, we took the time to understand the requirements of the project which put us in a strong position to recommend solutions which addressed the requirements of several stakeholders".

"While the cost benefits of using our industry-leading energy controls will accrue over time for the end user, our solutions demonstrably streamlined the installation process, reducing labour costs and the burden on contractors.”

“On any project, our focus has to be on ensuring maximum value for money. We’ve worked with CP Electronics on numerous projects over the years and felt comfortable recommending their solutions. Based on the requirements of the project, we knew that CP Electronics could help us to achieve our aims and objectives, for the right price point”, added Mark Middleton of Copeland Group.