explore the BusinessNet
Hambleside's rooflight with automatic internal lighting control system wins major environmental award
Story
Roofing materials manufacturer Hambleside Danelaw has won a Green Apple award for the development of its new Insulator Rooflight Lighting Control System that can reduce the need for artificial lighting inside a building by as much as 50%.
The top environmental award from the Green Organisation is in recognition of the energy savings that the unique and innovative system will deliver to the building end-user.
The system, which is contained within an in-plane GRP Insulator rooflight, will automatically control artificial lighting through dimming or switching off according to the amount of measured natural daylight entering the building through the rooflight.
End-users will see their staff enjoy a very pleasant working environment in the diffuse natural daylight that is spread by the unique transparent honeycomb core of the Insulator rooflight range.
Designed in partnership with Setsquare Ltd and a market first, Hambleside’s Insulator Lighting Control System is ideal for a typical industrial, warehouse or retail unit. The prototype, which was first seen at this year’s Ecobuild show, is currently being tested and is expected to be on the market in the first half of 2010.
Lighting automatically controlled by an in-built sensor
Each Insulator Lighting Control System unit monitors continually the light level in its part of the building through an in-built sensor. The measurements of light are relayed to the hard wired control panel of the artificial lighting, usually sited at ground level.
The building occupier decides on the level of light required for the activities within the building. This can be achieved through full artificial lighting, full natural daylighting or a controlled combination of both via the data received from the sensors. Zoning is possible, light settings are adjustable and manual override is available.
An important additional benefit of this dimming system is that it significantly extends the operating life of the artificial lighting components.
Robin Jeffery, Hambleside Danelaw’s vice chairman, said: “When businesses and other organisations are looking hard for efficiency savings, the Insulator Lighting Control System will offer lower energy costs and workforce productivity benefits that are too valuable to ignore. It is very encouraging that the independent Green Organisation has already recognised the potential of this unique product.”
The new lighting control in-plane rooflight panels are installed in the usual way by the roofing contractor without the need for special fixings or specialist electrical work. The complete unit is maintenance free and requires no switching. It is also a sustainable solution as virtually all of the components can either be recycled at end of life or composted.
Rooflights from the Insulator range have been installed on major distribution sheds used by the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury and B&Q as well as in high profile projects such as the Gorilla Kingdom at London Zoo and the British Museum.
