The Environment Agency is responsible for looking after all aspects of the environment in England and Wales. This responsibility also cuts across its own operations and it keeps a keen eye on its own use of energy, and how it may continually become more efficient. A recent innovation at its Brampton site was the installation of Solatube® Daylighting Systems, which has been so successful that similar systems are being installed in other Environment Agency offices. The systems comprise domes installed onto the roof, which incorporate active daylight harvesting components, through which light passes to a highly reflective tube and is then transmitted to the room below. The Solatube systems have drastically reduced the amount of electricity used, by piping in daylight, so that the fifty plus fluorescent tubes at this office can now be switched off during daylight hours. Twenty nine Solatube daylighting systems have been installed at the Brampton site in corridors, toilets and in the windowless print room. Because of the design of the offices, the corridors, which run through the centre of the building, received no natural light at all. Before the Solatubes were installed, lights in the corridors were kept on virtually all the time. Now, during daylight hours, the Solatubes provide sufficient illumination without using any electricity. MEICA operations engineer at the Environment Agency Bill Steel comments on how the Solatubes are saving energy and costs.
“The corridors have no access to natural light. However, because they work so well, we’ve removed the motion sensor PIR so the lights are only switched on if our staff choose. However, most of the time there’s more than adequate light so they’re left off – significantly reducing the electricity we use.” Bill Steel, System specification 29 Solatube 160 DS 250mm diameter Daylighting Systems with Vusion diffusers
MEICA Operations Engineer
Information Updated on: 20 October 2011
