Solatube - Natural Daylighting Systems Reduce Energy Consumption

Natural daylight optimised to reduce energy consumption as part of BP’s drive to reduce CO2 emissions at its UK retail sites

Installing Solatubes has brought a range of benefits to BP. The company installed thirty-one 290DS Solatube® Daylighting System at a new flagship store in order to optimise the use of daylight to reduce energy consumption as part of its drive to reduce CO2 emissions at its UK retail sites. BP had demolished the former site on the A303 near Andover in Hampshire and the new store known as The Buck included a Marks & Spencer’s Simply Food concept. This required additional chillers with the associated increase in energy usage. To compensate for this BP installed the Solatubes to reduce significantly the energy usually used for lighting customer and staff areas.

The use of these Solatube systems has brought further benefits:
Improved safety during fit out there was no need for temporary task lighting because the tubes piped in ample daylight for contractors to work. This not only reduced effort and energy use but made it a safer working environment because there were no extension leads needed to power the inside lighting which can often cause a safety risk.

Happier Staff:

BP staff working in daylight lit offices have commented on how much better they feel and have reported less eye strain, fewer headaches and even improved mood compared with working in an artificially lit environment.

Flexibility and Efficiency:

At night the Andover site is lit by fluorescent lights, however during the day these are controlled by a DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) system, which dims them appropriately depending on the amount of light being transferred into the building by the Solatubes. This is the most efficient way of managing electricity consumption, because it eliminates the energy that is wasted when fluorescent lights are turned on and off, but ensures that sufficient light is always available through a combination of free daylight and supplementary electrically powered light.

Daylighting also reduces the amount of heat in the store that would be generated if electrical lighting was used all the time so the energy required for cooling is also reduced.

“Whilst reducing energy usage for the operational site was the primary driver for installing the Solatubes, the additional benefits they have brought have strengthened the business case for use of these products across BP”

BP’s UK retail assets Manager, Ramsay MacDonald

System specification

31 Solatube 290 DS 350mm diameter Daylighting Systems.