Customers visiting Westerly MINI’s extravagant new showroom are greeted by Dextra Lighting’s bespoke luminaries.

The Exeter based showroom has undergone major refurbishment work to enhance the fun and exciting brand identity of the iconic car manufacturer. Now completed, the showroom makes a clear statement with its slick yet playful look, but most of all by brandishing its pièce-de-résistance; a near full-sized model of a yellow MINI hatchback mounted vertically across the front wall. The dealership has created a spectacular, yet image-conscious retail space, colourfully paying tribute to MINI’s British roots and sporting history.

Dextra Lighting were originally approached by PCB Group contracts manager Tom Potts to help completely transform the showroom, by providing a lighting solution that would reinforce the company’s racy and playful image. The showroom was also intended to host lively promotional events such as the launch of new MINI models, so the lighting was to play a crucial role in creating eye-catching displays and an altogether vibrant atmosphere.

The brief required an increase of light intensity in the car display area, raising it from a previous level of 500 Lux to an optimum 800 Lux. The lighting bodies were to be transparent or finished in black to adhere to the desired colour scheme and style. Since the layout of the cars and other promotional features was to be subject to continuous change, adjustable directional lighting was essential to accommodate movement in the display area.

The Gyro-Light takes centre stage

The Gyro-Light fulfilled every criteria for the interior display area. Available in a variety of head configurations (single, twin, triple and quadruple) in either LED or CDM-T with 3000K or 4000K colour temperatures, each recessed gimbal head is capable of pivoting and rotating independently, giving the client extra flexibility to adjust the lighting to moving displays. With its robust steel outer housing powder painted in black and adjustable die cast luminaire heads, the sturdy and attractive Gyro Light is the ideal choice for busy retail environments with frequent display changeovers.

The Gyro-Light took centre stage in the extensive lighting upgrade, with a high number of luminaires in single, twin and quadruple configurations and varying lumen outputs successfully highlighting the cars on display and projecting a bright, inviting light over the visitor seating areas. The combination of individually adjustable heads and adaptable range of lumen outputs between 1400lm and 3000lm for LED variants, provided the client with a flexible, user-friendly and efficient lighting solution for its stylish retail environment.

Installation of the Gyro-Light is made quick and simple, as the luminaire is delivered fully assembled and ready to go (complete with lamps for CDM-T option). Customers can also be supplied with prewired leads of their preference to minimise installation time further.

Total makeover – Total service

Westerly MINI were not simply concerned with having an attractively lit car display area but were looking for a complete lighting refurbishment. As result, Dextra Lighting provided an all-inclusive lighting solution that would attend to all aspects of the business premises.

To begin with, the durable Amex LED was installed under the canopy outside the showroom’s main entrance. The Amenity Exterior range is sealed to IP54 and is manufactured from die cast aluminium with injection moulded polycarbonate diffusers, making it ideal for external use. However, with three available body styles: “open front”, “grille cover” where additional impact resistance is required, or “eyelid” for areas where uplight is undesirable, it can be tailored to suit a range of internal applications such as corridors, stairways, toilets and storage areas. All three body styles are available in black, white and matt silver to suit the client’s practical and aesthetic needs.

With 1500 or 2000 lumen outputs and light output ratios in excess of 80%, this product range gives similar performance to traditional fluorescent sources but with the added benefit of LED’s significantly lower energy consumption.

The dealership’s offices were furnished with MODLED Office luminaires which are designed specifically for areas where monitors are in constant use. Abiding to stringent BSEN 12464 glare requirements, the MODLED Office microprism optic with high transmission opal diffuser ensures that the luminaire output meets the 3000 candela limit recommended for busy office environments.

Using highly efficient Philips LED sources, the MODLED Office guarantees that a 400 Lux average is always achieved with luminaire spacings as large as 3 m². Therefore, the MODLED Office combines compliance with ECA, L2 and BSEN 12464 requirements with optimum performance, allowing installations to be designed with the minimum of luminaires, capital cost and energy consumption.

For the building’s WC facilities, the Protec LED downlight was delivered in a 3000lm output option, offering the client an ultra-efficient solution, with an array of adaptable features. Relaunched with 20% improvement in energy efficiency and a competitive LOR in excess of 90%, the Protec LED is a prime example of Dextra Lighting’s policy of constant product development in action.

Available in 1100, 2000 and 3000 lumen packages, numerous polycarbonate colour attachments and reflectors that can be easily removed and replaced prior to installation, the Protec LED is a highly versatile solution, adaptable to the client’s branding colour schemes and décor.

The Protec Led’s versatility extends to its installation capabilities. Suitable for plasterboard, mineral fibre and metal tile installation with ceiling thicknesses ranging from 3mm to 30mm, the luminaire can be fitted in most environments.

A four point self clamping spring bracket also enables for quick and easy installation. In addition, the Protec range is offered with DALI (digital addressable lighting interface) dimming and an integral 3 hour emergency lighting option.

To enhance the building’s safety, the LED3 module served as additional support for the integral emergency packs installed with the showroom’s main lighting. LED3 standalone emergency units were fitted in optimum positions, offering greater coverage in the event of an emergency. With wide operating temperatures of 0ºC to +35ºC, the luminaire is suitable for a variety of different applications, including general emergency lighting, corridors and escape routes.

The LED3 is manufactured to BS EN 60598.2.22 product standards, delivering a high performance low wattage LED light source for increased energy savings.The versatile LED3 is also suitable for surface mounting and installation into plasterboard and suspended ceiling systems.

For the dealership’s workshops and storage areas, the Herald T5 provided a cost effective T5 fluorescent option to suit the client’s budget management. Suitable for a range of industrial and retail applications, the Herald T5 offers an efficient and flexible alternative to 250W/400W HID luminaires.

Its rear access to the terminal block and optional quick fix mounting brackets help minimise installation times. In addition, its two reflector design, with twin lamps per reflector facilitate both installation and future maintenance.

All products were offered with Dextra’s 5 year warranty (for further information click here ((will link to warranty page on website)), providing Westerly MINI with additional peace of mind.

Finally, as part of its commitment to providing a total service to its customers, Dextra Group’s subsidiary company; Dexreco, promptly and safely disposed of all the replaced light fittings in accordance with WEEE legislation. Dexreco offers customers a comprehensive luminaire recycling solution, making the disposal and recycling of lighting easier, quicker and cost effective. All recycled consignments were successfully collected within 5 days of request.

Once again, the Dextra Lighting team were extremely responsive to the client’s sophisticated requirements; from providing pleasing aesthetics and continuity in style to solving issues of practicality and safety. Most importantly however, Dextra Lighting met all these challenges whilst creating substantial energy savings for Westerly MINI in years to come.

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Salix’s environmental mission to encourage capital investment in energy saving technologies across the public sector, crosses paths with Dextra Group’s continued dedication to design, manufacture and deliver industry leading lighting solutions.

Thanks to Salix, an independent not-for-profit organisation funded by the Department for Energy and Climate Change and other government bodies, the University of Exeter was supplied the necessary up-front capital to invest in Dextra Lighting’s precision-engineered, energy saving LED luminaires. The green funding initiative enables public sector organisations across the U.K. to participate in tackling climate change by increasing their energy efficiency, whilst improving their facilities and working environments.

Since 2004, their successful funding programmes allow educational institutions, such as the University of Exeter, to apply for 100% interest-free improvement loans which are repaid through the financial savings delivered by the projects. Once the loan is repaid, the continued savings will enable the university to redistribute the accumulated capital for other budgets, such as the purchase of equipment. In other words, the more energy efficient the product, the quicker the loan is paid off and the more money is channelled towards improving the university. Unsurprisingly, Salix states that LED lighting upgrades are amongst the most popular spend on technologies in colleges and universities nationwide.

Once funding was approved, the University of Exeter’s electrical engineer immediately contacted Dextra Lighting to deliver a complete LED upgrade for their sports park facilities, working alongside main contractors Mitie and electrical contractors Redrock Electrical in Dawlish. Dextra Lighting’s wide range of state-of-the-art LED luminaires are exactly the type of products supported by the funding programme, due to their excellent energy saving capabilities. Beyond the products themselves, Dextra Group offer a total service to its customers, from providing highly flexible bespoke lighting solutions, to quick and easy disposal, and recycling of replaced lighting in accordance to WEEE regulations. These added perks in service all contribute to ensure a rapid financial return on investment without losing sight of responsibilities towards the environment.

High performance lighting for a High Performance facility

Refurbished and expanded in late 2014, the University of Exeter’s Athlete Development Centre (ADC) is the region’s leading High Performance training environment, supporting over 450 top athletes. Major capital investment in the facility has helped attract prospective sports scholars from across the U.K, making it a vital asset for the university.

The ADC now boasts an extensive LED lighting upgrade as part of its new expansion project. While energy efficiency was a top priority, quality of light and aesthetic appeal were not in the least compromised. Dextra Lighting proposed a selection of high performance LED replacements for the facility’s previous T5 fluorescent fittings, which were successfully installed across a number of specialised weight training areas and gymnasiums.

The MODLED range; for efficiency, style and versatility

The popular and ultra-efficient MODLED recessed luminaire was selected for areas with relatively low ceilings (approximately 2.3m). Its elegant and minimalistic flat panel design, offers an attractive and clutter-free option where space is limited. Available in a wide range of outputs between 1750 lumen and 7600 lumen in 600mm x 600m fittings, the versatile MODLED range is suited for a variety of applications including educational, office and commercial environments.

The MODLED range also utilises high transmission panels with excellent diffusion for maximum efficiency and visual comfort. Its efficient optical design and impressive light output ratio of up to 85%, comfortably provide a greater uniformity of light, significant glare reduction and generally preventing an oppressive environment in lower ceiling spaces.

For the ADC project, the MODLED was delivered in both a 3500 lumen and 4500 lumen package to conform to the gymnasium’s building specifications. The lower 3500 lumen option is ideal for retrofit applications, where replacement usually occurs on a one-to-one basis and luminaires are spaced closer together. The higher output, 4500 lumen package however, is designed for areas where maximum luminaire spacing is feasible, allowing the client to minimise energy consumption and capital cost of installation by reducing the total number of luminaires installed.

The MODLED Surface LED offered a discreet and contemporary surface mount installation for the increased ceiling heights of the facility’s teaching areas. It is available in a higher band of lumen outputs than its flat panel counterpart, starting at a minimum of 3500 lumen to a maximum of 6800 lumen.

The ultra-versatile, high performance Graduate LED

The Graduate Surface LED is designed for surface mount installation and is suitable for most ceilings types. Its high output, 8750 lumen package was installed to achieve the substantial lighting requirements for the facility’s 6m high gymnasium, delivering a pervasive and uniform light coverage. By utilising the latest Philips LEDs, this ultra-versatile luminaire can be tailored to almost any application, offering an extremely wide range of lumen outputs starting as low as 3500 lumen to as far as 14400 lumen. These options are available in either 600mm x 600mm or 1200mm x 600mm sized fittings.

The luminaire is constructed with a robust diffuser alongside injection moulded end caps and steel housing, which all add protection against the rigours of busy educational environments. With a gloss white powder painted finish and aluminium gull-wing reflectors, the Graduate Surface LED offers a stylish appearance which can complement a variety of interior designs and environments. A highly efficient opal polycarbonate diffuser also ensures that an optimum light output ratio is maintained with superb distribution of the LED light source.

With this exceptional array of bespoke, high performance and energy efficient luminaires, the ADC facility can now invite students to enjoy a brighter, more stimulating training environment, whilst the University of Exeter can look forward to their investment paying out substantial dividends in energy savings in the near future.

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We are pleased to announce that you can now visit our online exhibition stand at the “Lighting & Interiors Online Exhibition”.

“These are the first online exhibitions aimed at specifiers, architects, designers, contractors, end users, local authorities and more. With a dedicated interest in every aspect of lighting, lighting products and interiors; from leisure, outdoor and indoor furnishing to office furniture and storage, fabrics and wall-coverings, bathrooms and kitchens, and from flooring to ceilings; the site has the whole spectrum covered and features virtual exhibition booths from some of the industry’s key suppliers. You will also be able to read up on the lastest news from all sectors of the industry and make sure your company is at the leading edge.”

Dexreco will be taking part in the video conference and more details on this will follow soon.

Click here to view Dextra Group’s exhibition stand today.

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Following the huge success of their first visit, Dextra Lighting return to the world-renowned publishing house for phase 2 of what has now developed into an extensive lighting upgrade.

The results of the first phase of refurbishment at Cambridge Press amply satisfied the client’s top priority of maximising energy savings, whilst revitalising the aesthetic of the new office space. The successful upgrade inthe converted old printing rooms, was achieved by using Dextra Lighting’s Evolution T5 luminaire in conjunction with passive infrared R44D sensors and DSI(E) dimming gear to harvest daylight savings. Extremely pleased with the outcome, the client has now requested for the project to continue in the same vein as the previous office conversion; reutilising the advanced Evolution T5 range with compatible sensors and lighting controls, with the added selection of Dextra Lighting’s cutting-edge LED products. Refurbishment works covered a number of different locations at the Press including the main office, breakout areas, corridors and new canteen facilities. Overall, the new lighting scheme has provided the client with substantial paybacks in the form of energy savings, lower maintenance costs and time/cost effective installation, whilst helping to create a modern, pleasant and more productive working environment.

With the exception of the newly refurbished offices, the Cambridge Press facilities still operated under an inefficient T12 fluorescent lighting system. Therefore, the popular Evolution T5 luminaire was utilised throughout the entire site for its high performance optics, energy saving features and compliance with office regulations for visual comfort. With high-transmission polycarbonate side diffusers and a choice between incorporating a central micro-prism polycarbonate panel or BSEN 12464 compliant specular/semi-specular aluminium louvres, the Evolution range offers optimal diffusion of the T5 lamp and a consistent visual appearance, allowing the luminaire to greatly outperform its T12 predecessors. With minimal protrusion below the ceiling of 25mm and etched surface finishes, the advanced architectural semi-recessed luminaire also offers an attractive yet unobtrusive design, suitable for contemporary office environments.

In the Press’s main office, the Evolution was installed in both 3x14W and 4x14W lamp configurations to achieve the required lighting levels whilst maintaining a uniform distribution of light and luminaire spacing throughout As in the old printing rooms, R43 EF and R44D sensors were mounted at ceiling heights of 4.2m which worked perfectly alongside the luminaires’ DSI(E) dimming controls, installed in areas by the windows to harvest daylight savings. All the products in the main office were delivered complete with air return facilities capable of handling up to 25 litres per second. This form of integral air handling allows light fixtures to double-up as ventilation units, offering the client the benefit of installing fewer undesirable vent grills, to create a clutter-free and appealing ceiling space

LED lighting was also a feature in the renovation project; offering even greater reductions in energy and maintenance costs as well as superb quality of light. In a prominent corridor, the popular DEXLED luminaire was installed in combination with Reacta 3 microwave sensors; acting as a sample to showcase the excellent energy saving potential of Dextra Lighting’s state-of-the-art LED solutions. To satisfy the client’s stylistic requirements, the DEXLED was also selected for its optical design in order to produce a deliberate light spill effect on to the corridor walls. So far, the client’s feedback on this installation has been excellent and negotiations about further LED upgrades in the remaining circulation areas, are expected to occur in the near future.   

By combining a traditional louvre design with the latest high transmission optic materials, the DEXLED can be offered in a wide range of body sizes. Using the latest Philips LEDs, the luminaire can be produced in two, three or four cell louvre options, making it available in 600mm x 600mm, 1200mm x 600mm and 1200mm x 300mm variants with a wide range of lumen outputs; all of which offer excellent energy efficiency. With such vast possibilities for customisation, the highly versatile DEXLED can be tailored to suit the client’s exact requirements and has a proven track record as a viable choice for applications such as: offices, corridors, receptions, meeting rooms and amenity areas. It is also highly recommended in applications where the long life of the LED source minimises the considerable costs of shutting down areas for maintenance.

The DEXLED’s flexibility extends to its installation. Available in either pull-up or lay-in options, it is suitable for a variety of ceiling types including: plasterboard, exposed T and most concealed grid ceiling systems. The luminaire is also supplied with a back access flap for quick and easy electrical connection during installation. In addition to these numerous advantages, the DEXLED is offered with Dextra Group’s comprehensive 5 year warranty, providing the client with additional peace of mind. 

For the Press’s canteen facilities, the Evolution 3x14W luminaire was selected to maintain an aesthetic continuity with the surrounding offices. However, the light levels for the serving counters had to be raised significantly as they were too low for staff to work comfortably and productively. With a light output ratio in excess 90%, the ultra-efficient Protec LED downlight proved to be an excellent solution to brighten up the area. The luminaire is also provided in a durable IP44 rated cover (IP65 if silicone sealed), which in addition to its glass and mercury free LED light source, makes it ideal for busy environments where food is prepared and consumed.

Available in 1100, 2000 and 3000 lumen packages and numerous polycarbonate colour attachments and reflectors that can be easily retrofitted when required, the Protec LED is adaptable to the client’s branding colour schemes, changes in layout and display rearrangements.

The highly versatile Protec LED’s is also suitable for either plasterboard, mineral fibre or metal tile installation with ceiling thicknesses ranging from 3mm to 30mm. A four point self clamping spring bracket also enables an ultra-quick installation. Finally, the Protec range is offered with DALI (digital addressable lighting interface) dimming and an integral 3 hour emergency lighting package.

The comprehensive lighting upgrade at Cambridge Press is a prime example of the versatility, energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the Dextra Lighting product range. It also demonstrates the flexibility of its bespoke service to fulfil the client’s diverse and specific requirements with precision. The Dextra Lighting team can add this series of successful results at the historical publishing house to their rapidly growing portfolio as major providers of office lighting solutions across the U.K.

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Technology pioneers, Cambridge Consultants, specified an array of precision-engineered products from the Dextra Lighting range, for the complete refurbishment of their modern canteen facilities and brand new offices.

High specification products for high profile clients

For 50 years, Cambridge Consultants have pushed the boundaries of product development engineering and technological innovation. The company has earned an excellent international reputation, working with the world’s largest and most influential blue-chip companies as well as innovative start-ups. With such a high profile client, it was vital that the new lighting installation would reflect the company’s identity and world-class credentials, by delivering the highest standards of quality and performance.

Awarded with a 2-star accreditation for “outstanding” workplace engagement for two consecutive years, the prestigious firm also prides itself in how it looks after its staff. Considering company CEO, Alan Richardson’s recent comment stating that “investment in new facilities will enable us to keep pace with the soaring demand and ensure our staff have a world-class environment in which to thrive”, it was clear that aesthetic appeal, safety, user-friendly controls and visual comfort were all important pre-requisites for the lighting project, helping to create a stimulating, productive and comfortable workplace.

In essence, the challenge was to create a fresh and contemporary lighting atmosphere to match the style of the new canteen and offices. Using the latest technology available, this modern look was to be achieved whilst reducing the client’s energy costs and carbon emissions.

The Canteen

The allocated budget of £750,000 for the canteen alone, gave a clear picture of the scale of the refurbishment project. This included the renovation of the kitchens, service and dining areas, and stairwells. The canteen area also functioned as an area for meetings and product demonstrations, often serving as a key interface between the company and its high-end clients. Therefore, easily accessible lighting controls and dimming functions were also necessary part of the installation, providing the client the required flexibility for each task.

For the multi-purpose canteen area, the attractive MODLED Curve, supported by adjustable Hi-Track LED display lights, provided a flexible solution suitable for dining, meetings and product demonstrations. With its new and visually appealing curved diffuser designed for optimum light distribution on walls and ceilings, the MODLED Curve functioned as the main lighting for this area. Compliant with BSEN 12464 guidelines for glare control and a light output ratio of up to 78%, this recessed luminaire ensured a superior quality of light and visual comfort for both staff and visitors. Installed with Digital Dimming Switch Dim (ECO) lighting controls, the client is now able to easily regulate the lighting levels for a range of activities including video/slide projections and prototype displays.

This new addition to the MODLED range is also available in 3500, 4500, 6800 and 7600 lumen outputs in 600 x 600mm luminaire sizes, whilst the 1200 x 600mm size is offered in 7000, 9000, 13600 and 15200 lumen versions.

Alongside the MODLED Curve, the Tridonic SLE powered Hi-Track LED luminaire provided bursts of accent lighting to enhance the dining area, as well as facilitate product demonstrations. Manufactured from die-cast aluminium and powder painted matt white with black detailing, the Hi-Track’s sturdy and durable construction also offers a modern and attractive appearance, which fully complemented the canteen’s interior design. The Hi-Track is the ideal choice for display lighting applications, offering a host of options that provide maximum flexibility for locations subject to changes in both function and layout.

On one side of the dining area, the Hi-track LED was mounted on a series of circuit tracks in both horizontal and vertical body styles at a 25 degree beam angle. The track runs stretched across the entire ceiling to allow the luminaires to be positioned and configured for the best result. These were painted in a stylish grey, harmonising with the location’s style and colour scheme.

The circuit track system is the key behind the Hi-Track’s increased versatility. Supplied complete with 90 degree corner joints, T pieces, straight joints, start and end sections, the track can be easily designed to suit a wide range of layouts. For a quick and easy installation and adjustment, the luminaire is offered with a three circuit track adaptor and a rotary dial for individual control and circuit selection. These features combined, allow for each individual luminaire to be either switched on or off, manually rotated and pivoted, and positioned in a desired location along the length of the track.

With the choice between Colour 83 or Colour 84 colour temperatures and lumen outputs between 1400 lumen and 3000 lumen for LED, or 30W and 70W for CDMTC options, the Hi-track is designed to adapt to the client’s diverse aesthetic and practical needs.

The kitchen and service areas however, required a more durable and robust solution to cope with the arduous working conditions. The IP65 rated IMPR LED proved to be the ideal choice, as its sturdy construction offers complete protection in areas subject to dirt, dust and water. The high quality recessed luminaire also benefits from the advantages of LED. Unlike traditional fluorescent or HID lamps, LED lights do not have fragile casings, filaments or tubes and have a far lower lumen depreciation, allowing it to maintain the required light levels for years rather than months. Their glass and mercury free composition also completely eliminates the risk of shattered lamps contaminating the food in preparation. Together, these features make the IMPR LED a safe, low maintenance and problem-free choice, fulfilling the strict requirements of food safe areas.

The IMPR LED offers more than just all-round durability. The efficient luminaire also provides the higher illuminance levels and uniform coverage required for busy work places, as its advanced optic panel provides excellent diffusion but still allows up to 93% light transmission. Available in a range of lumen outputs between 3500lm and 9000lm in different body sizes, this product can be tailored to suit a wide range of applications.

The Protec LED downlight provided the high illuminance levels required for the busy servery. By combining the latest Philips LEDs and Fortimo/Xitanium drivers with anodised aluminium OptiSpec or OptiSat reflectors for efficient and wide distribution, the ultra-efficient Protec LED offers an LOR in excess of 90% with outstanding energy savings.

Available in 1100, 2000 and 3000 lumen packages, numerous polycarbonate colour attachments and reflectors that can be easily removed and replaced after installation, the Protec LED is a highly versatile solution, adaptable to the interior’s colour scheme, layout and décor. The luminaire can also be installed into most surfaces including plasterboard, mineral fibre and metal tile installation, with custom bezels available upon request for retrofit applications. In addition, the Protec range is offered with DALI (digital addressable lighting interface) dimming and an integral 3 hour emergency lighting option to suit the client’s needs.

For the stairwell leading up to the canteen, the Discalo LED provided an attractive, safe and highly-efficient lighting solution, requiring minimal maintenance. The luminaire was delivered in an elegant white opal rear diffuser (also available in a decorative blue), producing a characteristic halo effect to match the yellow and white colour scheme. The diffuser can also be removed for easy maintenance and installation thanks to a practical twist lock mechanism.

Offering 1500 or 2000 lumen output and light output ratios in excess of 80%, the Discalo LED gives similar performance to traditional fluorescent sources at significantly lower energy costs.

To further energy savings, the luminaire can be installed with an integral microwave sensor, providing presence detection and a bright out function. The sensor can be set to either an on/off option, or offered with a bi-level dimming function to dim the LED to 10% output for continuous background lighting where required for health and safety and to provide reassurance to pedestrians.

The brand-new “Phase 6” offices

To achieve the optimal lighting conditions in the firm’s sophisticated, multi-million pound office complex, the new installation would have to meet stringent government regulations for office applications without detriment to aesthetic appeal. The BSEN1264 compliant Solution ECA T5 luminaire amply satisfies these criteria and offers much more in terms of performance, energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Utilising Dextra’s latest louvre technology and high efficiency T5 lamps, the Solution ECA has amongst the best performance in Dextra Lighting’s recessed modular luminaire range, with light output ratios of up to 85%. Its incredible efficiency combined with optimum distribution allows flexible spacings of up to 3M x 2.4M for a range of office environments, minimising the quantity of luminaires required. This guaranteed Cambridge Consultants a rapid return of investment by greatly reducing the capital cost of installation as well as the future maintenance and running costs of the luminaires. This also made the fitting process simpler for electrical subcontractors, Munros, who were in charge of the installation.

Available in 600×600, 1200×600 and 1200×300 body sizes and single, double or triple T5 lamp options, the versatile luminaire was successfully tailored to suit both small conference rooms as well as the capacious main office area. Supplied complete with DSI controls and sensors, the Solution ECA also allowed the system to maximise energy savings.

Overall, the lighting project has been a great success, with the latest LED and T5 technology providing the standards of quality required from a high profile, internationally reputed firm. The selection of Dextra Lighting’s precision-engineered luminaires, contributed significantly to provide the company’s valued staff with a stunning and comfortable lighting environment, whilst allowing the new facilities to operate in a sustainable and eco-friendly way.   

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Energy Efficiency and Healthcare – How the NHS’s future may depend on efficiency savings

With tightening budgets affecting the public sector nationwide, the healthcare system is facing significant challenges to maintain, let alone improve, the level of service in hospitals and care facilities. The NHS has reported that “people’s need for service will continue to grow faster than funding” and therefore, as part of the government’s drive to increase the efficiency of public sector facilities, the Department of Health has issued a strategic management framework that encourages NHS commissioners to “explore innovative solutions for new construction and refurbishment of the (NHS) estate”.

When we consider that lighting accounts for an average of 44% of a hospital’s entire electricity usage (almost twice the amount used in commercial buildings), it becomes clear that investment in energy efficient lighting can have an enormous impact on the running costs of healthcare facilities. Substantial paybacks in the form of energy savings and installation/maintenance costs can then be reutilised for the improvement of other aspects of service, supporting the NHS mandate to guarantee sustainable high quality care for all. This is particularly relevant for the NHS estate, as energy costs amount to 9% (£636 million in 2014/15) of its total costs.

The London North West Healthcare NHS Trust is one of the U.K.’s largest care trusts, employing over 8,000 members of staff and serves a diverse population of approximately 850,000. In a recent media statement the trust declared: “We are heavily investing in our services for the future” – so, as part of its corporate objective to improve its estate and infrastructure, the organisation has secured government funding to invest in an extensive LED lighting upgrade for its Ealing Hospital site.

The Project

Dextra Group plc. were approached by the Trust to design, manufacture and deliver a bespoke lighting solution with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency. The LED upgrade aimed to provide the hospital with the opportunity to balance quality with cost-effectiveness, by abiding to the PEAT (Patient Environment Action Team) and CQC’s (Care Quality Commission) stringent assessment criteria for quality, comfort and safety, in addition to ensuring eligibility for the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme. Rigorous compliance to current legislation and standards ensured that the new installation would operate in alignment with the Trust’s performance goals and environmental policies.

“Our delivery times for customised products are second to none in the industry”

After conducting a thorough, floor-by-floor survey of the premises, Dextra Group’s in-house design team produced full DWG drawings of the building to clearly advise the client on the optimum lighting solution for the hospital. Within only two weeks, a complete project plan was presented with quotation and payback calculations, luminaire specifications and provision of samples where required.

The extensive upgrade covered all aspects of the hospital including: wards, waiting rooms, outdoor and indoor circulation areas, loading bays, canteens and receptions. Due to the diverse and extensive nature of the project, Dextra Group put a number of its subsidiary companies into action; successfully collaborating to fulfil the client’s specific requirements. A wide selection of precision-engineered LED luminaires, sensors and lighting controls were handpicked from the Dextra Lighting, Dexeco and Dexsor product ranges to provide the best suited solution for each area.

Thanks to Dextra Group’s vast manufacturing capacity, and cutting-edge design and testing facilities, a staggering total of 38 product variants were delivered to meet the client’s every need. The products were offered with a wide range of options with regards to: lumen outputs, reflector types, diffuser materials, installation modes, integral emergency packages and dimming/sensor controls. 10 of these products were unique customisations, designed and manufactured with mounting frames purposely built to cater for the building’s old imperial ceiling grids. Since light fixtures conforming to imperial ceiling measurements have long been out of production, Dextra’s bespoke luminaires saved the Trust the considerable construction expenses of replacing the entire suspended ceiling.

The Products

Amongst these unique products was the DEXLED recessed luminaire, of which a number were provided with customised mounting frames in the corresponding imperial dimensions of 1220 x 610mm and 610 x 610mm. The highly versatile DEXLED was utilised in a number of areas including: wards, corridors, stairwells and canteen facilities. Thanks to the flexibility offered by the DEXLED’s wide range of lumen outputs and body sizes, the required Lux levels for many of these locations, were consistently achieved with fewer luminaries than originally installed. In addition, the luminaire’s semi-specular, low brightness louvres and opal polycarbonate diffusers, produce a softer, more comfortable light ideal for patients and staff working long hours.

Luminaires from the MODLED range were also manufactured to match the imperial grid dimensions. Installed in lay-in, pull-up and surface mount options and in various lumen outputs and sizes; variants of the MODLED luminaire brightened up the hospital’s wards and lift lobbies. The MODLED is engineered to be both versatile and provide customers with performance that exceeds that of many competitors whilst maintaining a highly competitive price. Compliant with BSEN 12464 glare limitations, the MODLED is also designed with visual comfort in mind.

Other customisations included the popular Graduate Surface LED, which was fitted in several corridors with a bespoke back plate for optimal mounting onto the imperial ceiling type; whilst the ultra-efficient Protec LED downlight was delivered in a range of custom bezels to match a variety of surfaces in the hospital’s waiting areas.

All the above fittings were also supplied with cable flex and click ceiling rose for quick and easy installation, minimising interruptions to service caused by the shutting down of busy working areas.

The attractive Sequent LED luminaire helped create an inviting and brightly-lit main reception area, giving patients a positive first impression upon each visit. This highly versatile product range offers rapid installation, allowing for a cost effective lighting solution without compromising on aesthetics or performance. Its versatility is owed to a wide range of diffuser options, dimming controls, push-fit attachments and panels available in both T5 and LED variants. Its highly adaptable trunking system is also designed for quick and easy electrical connection and gear tray positioning, to minimise installation times.

The Avalon Wallpack and Dexeco’s ProLED were utilised for the hospital’s loading bay and nursery. Both these products are IP65 rated, offering ease of cleaning and complete protection against dust and water ingress. The durability of their construction, in conjunction with the added benefits of the latest Philips LEDs for long life/low maintenance, make these highly efficient luminaires ideal for arduous conditions and hard to access areas, where servicing is often difficult or costly to perform.

Operating at an impressive 91 luminaire lumens per circuit watt, the ProLED’s excellent efficiency is also boosted by its constant lumen output, which completely eliminates lumen depreciation of the source over the luminaire’s first 50,000 operating hours. The ProLED is also fully assembled and prewired upon delivery, and is supplied with a zintec spine for quick and simple luminaire mounting. These factors combine to minimise installation and maintenance costs for the client, ensuring a rapid return on investment.

Similarly, the tough and durable Opus 2 LED floodlight is manufactured in IP65 rated die-cast aluminium housings and toughened glass covers, making it the ideal replacement for the former lighting fitted around the building’s perimeter and roof for maintenance purposes. Like the ProLED, the Opus 2 LED uses the latest Philips or Tridonic LEDs and drivers, with high output variants also including the advantages of a constant lumen output. Together, these features provide excellent energy efficiency and minimal maintenance, reducing the lifetime cost of ownership.

The versatile and highly efficient Amenity Plus LED was selected to illuminate the hospital’s external areas. The Amenity LED range is available in either 1500 or 2000 lumen outputs with light output ratios in excess of 80%, giving similar performance to traditional fluorescent sources but at a fraction of the energy cost. These luminaires can be sealed to IP65 and are offered with optional integral sensors, emergency packages, corridor mode and a range of dimming controls, all of which can be combined to suit both internal and external applications effectively. This product is also available in black or white polycarbonate body options, to suit the client’s aesthetic and practical needs.

As part of Dextra’s “total service” to its customers, the Group’s subsidiary company, Dexreco quickly and efficiently recycled all the replaced light fittings, providing an on-site container with regular collections at the hospital. The service also included supplying the corresponding waste transfer notes in support of the Trust’s environmental policy.

In addition to the countless benefits of LED for long life, low maintenance and huge energy savings, all the products utilised in this project are offered with only the highest quality Philips sources and drivers and are provided with Dextra Group’s 5 year warranty, giving the client continued support beyond purchase.

The refurbishment project has received excellent feedback as the new lighting has allowed the building to operate more efficiently, offering the Trust substantial financial returns. Although driven by energy efficiency, the LED upgrade has notably enhanced the overall working and healing environment, creating a “brighter, fresh and modern” ambience for the hospital’s staff and patients.

Sources:

The Department of Health (October 2014); “The efficient management of healthcare estates and facilities (HBN 00-08)”:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-efficient-management-of-healthcare-estates-and-facilities-health-building-note-00-08

Energy Information Administration (January 3, 2001); Healthcare Buildings, 1995 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, “How do they use energy and how much does it cost?”.

www.eia.doe.gov

Site electricity use in retail and service buildings:

http://www.luxadd.com/index.php/energy-efficient-use-of-lighting.html

NHS England:

http://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/pe/ohc/

LNWH:

http://www.lnwh.nhs.uk/about-us/

Philips healthcare lighting solutions:

http://www.usa.lighting.philips.com/pwc_li/us_en/connect/tools_literature/downloads/p-6128.pdf

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Install new LED lighting with a government grant from £2.5k to £1m The Countryside Productivity Grant Scheme is a new capital grants scheme exclusively for farmers and growers. The Defra led scheme is designed to assist farmers invest in specific equipment and innovative technology to improve productivity or sustainability in farming. Following this recent announcement we are pleased to offer a number of products in our range that are eligible for these subsidies:

Our Hydra LED is the ideal solution for applications such as poultry and swine sheds and is available with glass rein forced polyester body, acrylic diffuser and stainless steel clips to ensure that it offers the best possible resistance to wide temperature variations, cleaning processes and chemicals contained in animal waste whilst our Opus 2 LED is ideally suited to high levels areas such as barns for cattle.

There are a number of criteria for compliance including the addition of controls systems, both of these luminaires are suitable for use with external sensors and the Hydra LED can be offered with analogue dimming to ensure
compatibility with the control systems used to dim
luminaires in poultry sheds to simulate night and day.

The high quality components used within our luminaires meet the 50,000 life expectancy criteria for the scheme and will easily provide replacement for existing fluorescent and HID luminaires at substantially reduced energy consumption ensuring that you will gain a rapid return on investment and substantial reduction in operating costs.

In order to gain funding there are a number of steps to ensure compliance, the following links provide all the information required: http://www.nfuonline.com/business/cap/new-grant-scheme-to-helpfarming-productivity/

The Facts…

• Applications open from 9th March to 30th June 2015
• £5m available in first round of applications
• Applicants need to apply for funding for each of the following. These must be installed and used together:
  - LED lights
  - A programmable light control system
  - Fixtures, fittings and installation costs
• The LED lights need to have:
  - An average lifetime of at least 50,000 hours
  - A light output of 40 lux for pigs, sows and dairy cattle
  - A light output of 20 lux for poultry
• Applicants must use any equipment bought as part of a successful grant application in one set-up, at the same location.

We have a large team of qualified lighting designers who are happy to help you through the process by providing advice on the most suitable product for your application, produce lighting schemes to ensure compliance with the lux level criteria for funding and provide the necessary supporting literature for your claim. Please contact us to discuss your needs and will happily advise the most suitable compliant solution for you and guide you through the process from beginning to end.

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Staff at Denbighshire based, Tweedmill Shopping Centre, were left wholly impressed by Dexretail’s state-of-the-art products and unrivalled bespoke luminaire service, as the company unveiled its new facilities.

Upon recent completion, Tweedmill’s £4.5m extension and refurbishment project has seen its shopping facilities almost double in size to a total of 50,000 sq ft. The independent retailer’s notable investment is expected to add around 50 job opportunities to its existing 120 employee base and has allowed the business to incorporate many more international and local brands, as well as extra services, into its premises. As outlet manager Lisa Johns explains: “There were some brands that would not come here before because the site was not big enough, now we have them here”, and that the “additional space has allowed us to target other age groups”. So, the renovation plan aimed not only to expand the outlet’s shop floor, but to modernise and revitalise its interior to attract a wider demographic of tourists and local visitors, making it a suitable sales point for a broader range of clothing and homeware brands.

Initially, Dexretail were chosen as lighting suppliers for this project due to their attractive 5 year warranty and flexibility in meeting the client’s specific delivery requirements. Yet, as the project developed, Tweedmill soon realised Dextra’s considerable edge over competitors nationwide, in their ability to design and manufacture bespoke luminaries of the highest quality, within tight schedules.

The brief required Dexretail to devise a lighting scheme that would enhance both the display of products and the visitors’ overall shopping experience, by creating a modern and inviting atmosphere. Installations were to cover the entire main store, including the new ground floor extension, first floor clothing department, hair salon/spa area and general amenities.

Since lighting alone is responsible for an average of 30% of a retail building’s carbon emissions and energy costs, it was crucial that the new installation would make use of the latest energy-efficient lighting designed for retail applications. An intelligent and green lighting solution would help generate revenue for the client through electricity savings and by securing eligibility for government incentives such as the Carbon Reduction Commitment. Tweedmill already demonstrated a firm commitment towards such energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets, with an extensive photovoltaic panel system installed across the complex’s roof. With this in mind, Dextra’s design department produced a full CAD lighting design, utilising a selection of Dexretail’s cutting-edge LED luminaires and compatible lighting controls, to match the business’s green policies, whilst attending to the aesthetic and practical necessities of a modern shopping facility.

LED in Retail

LED lighting is extremely well suited to retail applications. Unlike traditional fluorescent and HID lighting, LED light sources offer the benefits of having an extremely long lifespan and low lumen deprecation (maintained brightness over time), which eliminates the need for frequent lamp changes. Combined with the rugged durability owed to their lack of fragile filament or tube, LED lights allow retail outlets such as Tweedmill, to minimise the maintenance costs incurred by shutting down shop floors for servicing, thereby disrupting customers’ shopping experience.

With advances in LED technology being made at an incredible rate, LED luminaires are not only becoming more energy-efficient and high-performing, but also increasingly versatile. Dexretail’s wide range of state-of-the-art LED luminaires and controls, can offer a diverse palette of different lighting effects, outputs and colour temperatures to suit a variety of retail applications, from producing eye-catching display lighting, to creating inviting and comfortably-lit spaces.

The Products

The new building extension added two sizeable shop floors to the retail outlet. The ground floor clothing department was divided in to a series of ample spaces dedicated to different showrooms and concessions. The client was particularly impressed with Dexretail’s flexibility, after requesting a customised version of the popular recessed DEXLED luminaire to fit their 1200mm x 600mm ceiling grid system. Thanks to Dextra’s vast manufacturing capacity, a total of 138 of these luminaires were modified to the client’s taste without extending the delivery schedule.

The DEXLED has been a mainstay amongst clients in the retail and commercial sector due to its high versatility, excellent energy efficiency and attractive contemporary design. By combining a traditional louvre design with the latest high transmission optic materials, the luminaire can be offered in a wide range of body sizes. Using the latest Philips LEDs, these different versions can then be customised with either 2, 3 or 4 louvre cell configurations, to achieve a range of lumen outputs between 3800lm to 15200lm. The DEXLED is also available in pull-up or lay-in installation options, suitable for plasterboard, exposed T and most concealed grid ceiling systems.

In contrast, the first floor consisted of a 1,802 m² open plan shopping area with high ceilings of approximately 4.5m. For such a large area the challenge was to design an installation that would achieve the desired lighting levels of 500 lux, whilst ensuring a uniformity of fittings and light coverage.

The solution came in the form of the 6800 lumen Sequent LED luminaire. Its practical trunking system and 5m suspension kits, allowed a total of 181 luminaries to be fitted quickly and easily, thereby significantly reducing installation costs for the client. This unique trunking system allows gear trays to be fixed into position with a simple twist lock connection mechanism. A range of push-fit diffuser, reflector, or louvre attachments can then be easily clipped on to the trays in the desired location.

A total of 588m of trunking was used to cover this entire retail area. Available in 1.5m, 3m or 4.5m lengths, the Sequent’s trunking allowed the installation to be tailored to the dimensions of the shop floor, with 16 continuous runs of different sizes stretching across each end of the shop floor. The suspension kit allowed the engineers to easily suspend the fittings to a required height of 3.2m, despite the uneven curvature of the ceiling. At this optimum height, the luminaires were able to provide the required illuminance for the area.

The Sequent system is delivered complete with a pre-cabled 7 pole wiring loom for twin circuit, dimming and emergency control. This versatile wiring system also enables quick electrical connection thanks to a convenient plug and socket system.

With such a high volume of luminaires, substantial energy savings can be made by introducing the right sensors and controls. Installed with DALI dimming controls and photocell daylight regulation sensors, the Sequent LED system maintained the required 500 lux level whilst making the most of the available natural daylight. Passive infrared (PIR) presence detection sensors were also installed in strategic locations to minimise energy consumption.

With this combination of features, the unique Sequent LED system offers an innovative cost-effective and energy saving solution adaptable to wide range of environments.

The Protec LED downlight was used to help create a welcoming reception for visitors in the shopping centre’s main entrance and stairway. As an example of its increased versatility, the luminaire was delivered in both 2000lm and 3000lm options and a set of customised Optispec reflectors and white bezels, out of a wide range of different options. Once installed, the chosen reflectors and colour attachments can be easily removed and replaced to suit changes in décor, colour scheme or display layout.

By combining the latest Philips LEDs and Fortimo/Xitanium drivers with sophisticated reflectors, the Protec LED range is engineered for excellent efficiency and high performance, with 2000lm options operating at 83llm/w, and 3000lm versions at 75llm/w,reaching LORs in excess of 90%. These factors make it an ideal option for applications abiding to environmental management policies, which require a commitment to energy reduction.

The highly versatile Protec LED also offers multiple installation options, as it is suitable for plasterboard or mineral fibre installation and ceiling thickness from 3mm to 30mm. A four point self clamping spring bracket also allows for an ultra quick installation.

For the outlet’s hair salon and spa areas, the MODLED luminaire provided a softer and more relaxing lighting solution for customers to enjoy. Thanks to its high transmission panel with up to 93% transmission and excellent diffusion, the luminaire offers significant glare reduction and ensures both visual comfort and maximum diffusion, . The ultra-efficient MODLED also offers an impressive LOR of 85%, giving clients a competitive level of performance at highly a competitive price.

The refurbished spa area was divided in to four, 26m² rooms, which required the new luminaires to be retrofitted into existing spacings of 2.4m. Available in lumen outputs ranging from 1750lm to as high as 15,200lm, in three different body sizes, the MODLED provided the necessary flexibility to achieve the required light levels in accordance to these spatial limitations

The MODLED luminaires were also supplied as fixed output and installed with PIR sensors for occupancy control, to maximise energy savings during non-service periods.

To ensure the safety of both staff and visitors alike, 3 hour emergency lighting was installed integral to selected luminaires, as well as fitted externally in various strategic locations across the entire shopping centre.

Tweedmill Shopping Centre relaunched in time for its 20th anniversary, welcoming visitors to an exciting, modern and brightly-lit environment to spend the day in. The major retail outlet will also be pleased with its smaller energy bills and greener carbon footprint, made possible by Dexretail’s cutting-edge LED luminaires.

Sources:

Philips “Brighter Lighting Management”:

http://www.lighting.philips.co.uk/pwc_li/gb_en/connect/tools_literature/Brighter_Lighting_Management.pdf

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Skanska UK, famous for building the iconic Gherkin in the heart of London and landscaping for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, entrusted Dextra Lighting to supply the latest energy-efficient LED lighting for the redevelopment of their modern Bentley Works facility.

Founded over a century ago in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, the group’s 5000 sqm ‘northern hub’ now features contemporary offices and high-tech workshops. The state-of-the-art premises have been designed and constructed in line with the company’s ’Journey to Deep Green’ environmental initiative – an approach to sustainability that runs deep within the company’s core philosophy.

The construction and development giants have often led by example in their industry, often pioneering standards of best and sustainable practice. The company topped the Sunday Times Green List as “The greenest company in the UK across all industries” in 2011 and was awarded the FT ArcelorMittal Boldness in Business Award 2014 for corporate responsibility and environment. Inevitably, with such an exceptional reputation and influential status, comes even greater ethical responsibility.

In 2012, Skanska UK won Construction News’ Sustainability award for its green procurement strategy and processes. Their sustainable procurement policy, clearly states that: “Skanska will only do business with responsible suppliers…who recognise their responsibility to protect the environment and foster good relations with their employees and local communities”. With this in mind, Dextra Lighting were invited to join Skanska’s supply chain because they share ethical principles as service providers and employers with the lighting specialists also offering a comprehensive range of high quality energy-efficient LED products at highly competitive prices.

Like Dextra Group, Skanska makes no mistake in equating green technology with the future. As with the majority of their projects, the Bentley Works facility was redesigned to be ’future-proof’, leading to a massive investment in green technology including: LED lighting and energy-saving controls, photovoltaic panels, a biomass boiler, a sophisticated BMS system, to mention only a few of the sustainability features. These have reduced energy consumption by 40% in the workshops and by 25% in the office building. The aim here was not to simply comply with today’s legislative requirements, but to meet the environmental standards of tomorrow.

The brief divided the site into three broad locations: the office accommodation, the manufacturing workshops and external areas. Within the category of internal office spaces, LED luminaires and controls were installed in the main reception, meeting rooms, canteen areas, corridors and indoor engineering workshops. The main offices have an open-plan layout, making the most of the natural daylight to create a healthy working environment and reduce energy consumption. It was crucial, therefore, that the lighting would harvest the abundance of daylight accordingly. The solution for both the offices and meeting rooms came in the form of the MODLED Office, MODLED Recessed and MODLED Surface luminaires, installed with compatible sensors and dimming controls from Dextra’s Reacta range.

As the name suggests, the MODLED Office has many design features purpose-built for office applications. By combining the glare control offered by its central microprism optic and high transmission opal diffuser with the latest high-output Lumileds LED sources, the MODLED can comfortably achieve a 400 lux average with spacings as large as 3m x 3m, whilst simultaneously complying to the BSEN 12464 3000 candela glare limit for areas where monitors are in use. Therefore, the MODLED Office proved ideal for the project, by offering complete compliance with ECA, L2 and BSEN 12464 paired with optimum performance, allowing installations to be designed with the minimum of luminaires, capital cost and energy consumption.

In the meeting rooms the MODLED Office was installed in lower lumen packages of 4400lm in 600mm x 600mm size to suit each room’s dimensions. This versatile luminaire can be offered in lumen outputs spanning from 3500lm to as high as 11,000 across four different body sizes. It is also complemented by two optic designs to cater for a range of applications.

For the 1st floor offices, the MODLED Office luminaire was installed across a series of suspended ceiling panels of different shapes and sizes, floating directly above desk clusters and nearby corridors. Thanks to the 3m suspension wire kit provided, larger MODLED Surface luminaires (1200mm x 300mm) were suspended individually in various locations to suit Skanska UK’s aesthetic and practical needs.

The MODLED Surface and MODLED Recessed were both utilised for the ground floor offices as well as the engineering workshops. Both these luminaires share many features including their high transmission panels with up to 93% transmission and LORs of 85%, which together offer efficient and comfortable diffusion alongside genuinely premium performance. Both offer a considerably wide range of lumen outputs (1750lm to 15,200lm for MODLED and 3500lm to 13,600lm for the MODLED Surface) distributed across three available sizes (600mm x 600mmm, 12000mm x 600mm or 1200mm x 300mm). The lower output luminaires also offer compliance to BSEN 12464 3000 candela limit where required.

The main difference between the two is that the MODLED is a recessed luminaire suitable for lay-in or pull-up installation, whilst the MODLED Surface can be either surface mounted or suspended. Both have been designed for quick and easy installation and, if necessary can be supplied with user-friendly plasterboard pull-up or suspension kits respectively.

The selected luminaires from the MODLED family were installed with integral R24D.

PIR daylight regulation sensors and DALI dimming functions. These controls combine to adjust the luminaire’s output to the room’s natural lighting conditions, thereby maintaining the optimal lux levels for the area. The R24D sensor also provides occupancy detection, which was programmed to either dim or switch off when an area has been vacated. Integral three-hour emergency functionality was also made available.

In the office’s break-out areas, the Classic LED offered a traditional style, without compromising on the excellent energy efficiency of today’s LED technology. This popular and attractive product combines the latest Philips DLM Twistable LEDs (1100lm or 2000lm) with a traditional spun reflector in a suspended pendant luminaire, offering all the advantages of LED for long-life and low maintenance.

The Classic LED is suitable for a variety of applications including, low-level general lighting and suspension over counters and displays. For the breakout area, the 2000lm luminaire was supplied with a custom 5m suspension kit to match the ceiling height.

The Duet LED luminaire was installed in a continuous run, to act as primary lighting in the corridor leading from the main entrance to the reception area. This luminaire exemplifies versatility, as it can be surface mounted, suspended individually or continuously run. It is also available in 1200mm or 1500mm lengths and lumen outputs of between 5200lm and 11,000lm. Its balanced design and central cable entry point allows additional flexibility and ease for installation on either trunking, conduit, 4 point or 2 point Y suspension.

For the building’s main corridor, the Duet LED’s continuous run was assembled by alternating between 1200mm long fittings and 1200mm blind units, to achieve the required light levels with uniform spacings and light coverage.

The Duet LED’s steel powder painted white housing and TPA Satine blend diffuser with injection moulded polycarbonate end caps, provide an aesthetically pleasing minimalist design, suitable for a variety of high-end applications. Standard, self-test and auto-test emergency functions, as well as all dimming variants (HFR, Switch Dim and DALI) are also available for this product.

On either side of the Duet LED, Metro display lights were also fitted in a continuous run along the edges of the ceiling. Rows of these attractive spot lights were installed on a slim circuit-track system, with beams angled towards various promotional and decorative features displayed on the walls, including a large 3D bass-relief of the company logo.

The ultra-efficient Protec LED downlight also helped create a contemporary, brightly-lit and inviting reception area. The luminaire was installed in an individually suspended ceiling panel with white custom bezels, hovering above the reception desk and visitor seating area. Again, this product was selected primarily for its impressive energy-saving capabilities and shorter capital cost payback periods compared to fluorescent equivalents, tying in perfectly with the project’s ’Deep Green’ environmental policy.

The Amenity Decorative LED bulkhead was used extensively in this project, featuring in the building’s stairways, toilets, break-out area and general circulation areas. Available in 1500 or 2000 lumen outputs and offering LORs in excess of 80%, this product gives similar performance to traditional fluorescent sources at a fraction of the energy cost. With a wide range of options including integral sensor, emergency, corridor mode or dimming options, the AMED LED is built for versatility. The combination of efficient polycarbonate opal diffusers and the latest Lumileds LEDs, also provide comfort and safety in areas of frequent circulation.

The luminaire can also be customised with a range of optional coloured ring attachments and semi-recessing kits, to suit a variety of décors or branding colour schemes. For this project the AMED LED was predominantly delivered in a simple, yet elegant white body, with occasional chrome decorative polycarbonate angled rings. In addition to the standard issue IP20 construction, the AMED LED was supplied in an IP65 sealed housing, ideal for WC or storage facilities.

Skanska reported that the outdoor and semi-external LED lighting alone was responsible for saving 3.2. tonnes of C02 emissions. Products utilised for these areas included: Dexeco’s Impervia LED Column in a 10,200 lumen output with integral R11 Wide sensors for occupancy detection and daylight regulation, covering the building’s entire perimeter and car park; the Verteco LED in a high output of 26,400lm for the semi-external high-level workshops and an IP65 rated Amenity Exterior LED bulkhead the remaining external areas.

Other products used in the project included: the Graduate LED, Hydra LED, LED 3 open area emergency luminaire, Blade LED uplighter, Comtec LED downlight and EXI LED exit signs.

By investing in LED products of the highest quality, Skanska UK has truly made the building ‘future proof’ in terms of sustainable lighting. In addition to the long-term benefits of LED for extended life and minimal maintenance, greatly enhanced by the luminaires’ cutting-edge designs, all Dextra Group LED products were issued with a five-year warranty, providing the global contractor with additional peace of mind. Skanska UK has much to celebrate as its ’Deep Green’ building will not only cause near-zero impact to the environment, but bring about substantial returns on investment in record time.

The post “Investing in the future”; Dextra Lighting joins Skanska UK in its “Journey to Deep Green” appeared first on Dextra Lighting.

3 years in the making, Sturminster Dental Care have finally unveiled their brand-new, purpose-built premises, boasting an array of state-of-the-art luminaires from Dextra Lighting’s LED and fluorescent range. The response of new and returning clients has been unanimously positive, as Sturminster Newton’s Old Creamery site on Station Road has successfully been transformed, as one customer describes, into a “bright, spacious and modern practice”.

As part of the Group’s longstanding commitment to “enhance patient experience”, the first floor conversion was meticulously designed to abide to “best practice” criteria set by their respective regulatory bodies; incorporating issues raised in their “regular patient feedback programme”. Once the main building work had been completed, Dextra Lighting were approached by reputable local estate agents Symonds & Samson, to provide an all-inclusive, energy-efficient lighting scheme to match the client’s “Patient Care” design. In the following months, the Dextra Lighting team worked closely with the client and appointed contractors, EC Electricals of Shaftesbury, to deliver an installation that would modernise the new practice, as well as help set a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere for patients and staff alike.

The lighting project included the entire facility; covering internal and external areas, as well as providing emergency lighting. Dextra Lighting’s highly flexible bespoke service and extensive range of products, allowed the project to proceed smoothly from start to finish. The client also requested to incorporate a series of decorative screen-printed sheets with the luminaires in the surgeries, designed to assuage the anxiety, common amongst patients, of undergoing more involved dental treatment.

MODLED Slim

In each of the 4 surgeries, the solution came in the form of the MODLED Slim luminaire in both 1200mm x 600mm and 600mm x 600mm sizes. The luminaire’s slimmer body made it possible for the screen-printed sheets to fit into the ceiling-grid beneath the fitting. With the luminaires fitted directly above each dentist’s chair, the screen produced a pleasant lighting effect, designed to sooth and distract patients undergoing treatment. The results are a testament to the multitude of studies demonstrating the positive effect of specific lighting designs to the psychological state of healthcare patients. The luminaires were also installed Digital Dimming Switch Dim (ECO), giving further control to adjust the light intensity for both comfort and to improve visibility in the examination rooms.

As the name suggests, the MODLED Slim recessed luminaire, is suitable for lay in installations in both 15mm and 24mm exposed T suspended ceiling systems. It is available in lumen outputs between 3500lm and 9000lm in two body sizes, making it adaptable to a range of environments. Where the 3500lm output packages comply to BSEN 12464 3000 candela glare requirements and are therefore ideal for office and school use as well as retrofit applications where closer luminaire spacings are required. The higher output versions (4500lm and above) are more suitable for corridors, receptions and other commercial applications where the candela limit is not an issue (although higher lumen versions of the MODLED Office are recommended for applications where fewer products and wider spacings can be achieved to minimise capital cost of installation. These luminaires comply to BSEN 12464 3000 candela requirements at both 4400lm and 5500lm).

The MODLED Slim offers premium performance, delivering LORs of up to 85%, with the majority of versions operating at over 100 Llm/W across all available lumen outputs. Its high transmission panels offer up to 93% transmission and excellent diffusion, ensuring both maximum efficiency and visual comfort.

Pro-Light MINI

On the first floor, the window display area was attractively lit by the Pro-Light MINI luminaire. Available in four body types (Fixed, Gimbal, Wallwash and Scoop), this unique family of high quality LED spot lights is purpose built for display or accent lighting applications, with their appealing contemporary design aimed at enhancing a diverse range of reception, retail and exhibition areas. All Pro-Light MINI luminaires are manufactured in the highest quality die cast aluminium, offering durability without detriment to style and aesthetic appeal.

In addition to the four main body types, these ultra-versatile luminaires are offered with either specular or semi-specular aluminium faceted reflectors in 20°, 40° and 60° beam angles, to suit the application. These reflectors are also easily interchangeable thanks to a practical twist lock system. Available in lumen outputs between 1400lm and 4000lm, as well as colour temperatures of 3000k or 4000k in as high as CRI-98, the Pro-Light MINI offers an extensive palette of lighting effects and dimming controls for creating highly personalised display areas.

To minimise installation times, the Pro-Light MINI can be supplied with prewired leads, with simple retractive spring clips allowing easy fitting into ceilings with a thickness of 0.5mm to 22mm. Finally, custom bezels (white, black or silver/grey) can be supplied to match the interior design and as well as optional polo rings for retro-fit applications.

Amenity Decorative LED

The Amenity Decorative LED bulkhead proved ideal for the stairs leading up to the reception area. With 1500 or 2000 lumen output and LORs in excess of 80%, this product gives similar performance to traditional fluorescent sources, only at a fraction of the energy cost. With a wide range of options including integral sensor, emergency, corridor mode or dimming options, the AMED LED can be fine-tuned for a breadth of internal applications, as well as maximising energy savings. By combining polycarbonate opal diffusers, with the latest Lumileds LEDs, this luminaire guarantees an efficient yet subtle transmission of light, providing both comfort and safety in areas of frequent circulation.

With a range of optional coloured ring attachments and semi-recessing kits, the luminaire can also be customised to suit a variety of décors and surfaces.

The Amenity Exterior, on the other hand was utilised for the building’s external areas. This luminaire shares almost all the outstanding features of the AMED LED, the main difference however, is that it is constructed for both external and internal applications. Manufactured from die cast aluminium with injection moulded polycarbonate diffusers, the IP65 sealed AMEX LED is designed with strength and durability in mind, making it ideal for external under canopy areas. Furthermore, the luminaire is available in three body styles: Open Front or Grille Cover where additional impact resistance is required and Eyelid for areas where up light must be minimised.

The clinical waste disposal area also needed a strong and durable lighting solution. An IP65 rated Impervia LED recessed luminaire proved fit for the task, as its steel housing and injection moulded ABS frame made it suitable for arduous applications where luminaires are subjected to dirt, dust and water. This highly versatile product is available in lumen outputs ranging between 3500lm and 15,200lm across three different body sizes. It also offers a wide range of dimming options and compatible standalone sensors to maximise efficiency.

Solution ECA

The efficient Solution ECA T5 luminaire was installed in the clinic’s offices, meeting all the BSEN1264 requirements for visual comfort and safety. Available in three body sizes (600x600mm, 1200x600mm or 1200x600mmm) and single, double or triple lamp configurations, this high performing product can be customised to suit a range of designs and luminaire spacings. It is also suitable for both lay-in and pull-up installation.

The Solution ECA offers amongst the best performance in Dextra Lighting’s fluorescent recessed modular range, delivering LORs as high as 85%; comfortably allowing 3m x 2.4m spacings in typical office settings. This is achieved thanks to a highly efficient OpticSpec louvre with closed back blades, whose performance can be boosted by using High Output and High Efficiency T5 lamp options. In addition, the Solution ECA is available with DALI, Switch Dim, DSI and HFR Dimming, with DSI versions compatible with both integral and standalone presence and daylight detection sensors from Dextra’s Reacta range. An integral 3 hour emergency package is also available for this product.

Other T5 fluorescent luminaries used on this project included the Ecopak and Amenity Plus, which were both used in the practice’s storage areas. The Ecopack comes fully assembled and complete with lamps, thereby minimising the time and cost of installation. Compared to T8, the Ecopak’s T5 technology offers improved lamp maintenance and lifetime. This versatile batten luminaire is available in 600mm, 1200mm, or 1500mm lengths and is offered with custom attachments to best suit the application.

Amenity Plus

The Amenity Plus on the other hand, is an IP65 rated, surface mounted luminaire, constructed from durable high-grade polycarbonate, with a self retained PBT internal gear tray and non-grip (anti-vandalism) housing design. The versatile luminaire comes in both square and circular bulkheads, in either black or white and can be manufactured in an aluminium body for more demanding environments. It is provided in 16W, 28W or 38W depending on body size.

Sturminster Dental Care has now reopened to their new and regular client base, not only with a new and inviting modern look, but with a highly sustainable and energy-efficient lighting system; guaranteed to deliver substantial returns in the form of energy savings.

The post Dorset based dental practice receives full lighting treatment appeared first on Dextra Lighting.

Enfield based, Empire Garages are amongst the first to enjoy the benefits of the brand-new Tracer LED Lowbay. The luminaire’s new design combines cost-effectiveness, energy-efficiency and aesthetic appeal, in a package that will compete fiercely in the market for warehouse, logistics and other high-level applications.

The original lighting design for the newly-built garages was reviewed as a result of the inauguration of the new Tracer LED Lowbay. The addition of this new LED solution allowed Dextra Lighting to redesign an alternative lighting scheme capable of ensuring the client a faster return on investment.

With a design focus on minimal cost of ownership, the Tracer LED operates at an impressive 100 luminaire lumens per circuit watt and uses highly efficient optics to ensure energy savings of approximately 45% compared to HID luminaires, on a typical installation. Unlike HID lamps, the Philips Lumileds LEDs used in this luminaire, do not require frequent replacement and are not subject to rapid lumen depreciation. These high-quality LEDs are built for long life with minimal maintenance, further reducing the total cost of ownership and ensuring a rapid return on investment.

In light of these advantages, the client could only approve of the changes in plan, as the Tracer LED allowed the new installation to be designed with fewer, high-efficiency luminaires, and therefore far more cost-effective. Available in lumen packages of 18,000lm, 24,000lm and 30,000lm, the luminaire also provided Dextra’s design team with the flexibility to adapt the new scheme to a variety of ceiling heights and achieve more efficient spacings.

The Tracer LED has also been designed to facilitate the installation process with its hinged control gear covers for ease of access and wiring. The luminaire is also suitable for a range of installation modes including: 2 point suspension, trunking and surface mounting.

Another crucial selling point was the Tracer LED’s stylish slim-line design, offering a modern look to the new garages. This low weight construction also ensures the product is both attractive and easy to handle.

The installation also offers the benefits of integral 3 hour emergency light and control gear, eliminating the need to install standalone emergency solutions at a higher cost.

The project has received excellent feedback, as the garages can now boast a modern and aesthetically pleasing LED lighting solution, offering premium performance at incredibly low operating and maintenance costs. Empire Garages can look forward to the installation paying back its worth and more in the form of substantial energy savings.

The garage has recently been selected as a finalist for the Federation of Small Business (FSB) Innovation Awards 2015. FSB has 200,000 members and Empire Garages feel very humbled to reach the last six as finalists in the innovative design category of the awards.

The post Tracer LED Lowbay’s New Design Set To Take Market By Storm appeared first on Dextra Lighting.

Mirus Academy reap the benefits of converting to LED with Dextra Lighting’s premium energy saving luminaries.

R.D. Jukes & Co. Ltd. carried out a comprehensive electrical services refurbishment incorporating a LED lighting upgrade covering the majority of the school’s facilities. In conjunction with R.D. Jukes & Co. Ltd., the Dextra Lighting team assisted in providing a unique bespoke lighting solution using an array of energy efficient, high performance luminaires, tried-and-tested for the manifold requirements of the educational sector.

MODLED & Graduate LED – The luminaires of choice for colleges and schools.

The successful selection of luminaries included the popular MODLED for the school’s 4.5m high assembly hall and its capacious dining hall. The versatile recessed luminaire is commonly used in areas with lower ceilings such as receptions, offices and classrooms. however when customised to a high output variant of 6800 lumen, it becomes suitable for higher level lighting. As a result, its attractive, minimalist design enhanced both spaces; with its high transmission polycarbonate diffusers offering a high quality and uniform distribution of light.

The high performance MODLED provided extra savings for the client, as its higher lumen output and diffuser options enabled the main hall installation to be designed using the minimum amount of luminaries, whilst reaching the required lighting levels.

When confronted with such high ceilings, maintenance can be a costly and time-consuming affair. In such hard to reach areas, even a simple lamp change can result in considerable set-backs. By using high quality Philips LEDs and Philips or Tridonic drivers, the MODLED offers excellent efficiency and requires minimal maintenance; all at a highly competitive price.

The robust and energy efficient Graduate LED was installed in the main corridor adjacent to the main assembly hall and a number of classrooms. The highly successful Graduate range has long been a prominent feature in lighting projects for schools, universities and health care facilities. Now relaunched in a LED variant, it offers the added benefits of excellent energy efficiency and low maintenance. The Graduate LED’s steel housing and robust design provide added protection against the rigours of busy school environments. Also manufactured with Dextra’s unique opal polycarbonate diffuser, the Graduate LED guarantees optimum light output ratio, whilst ensuring excellent diffusion of the LED source.

In addition, all lumen outputs for the MODLED and Graduate range can be offered with HFR, DALI, Switch or DSI dimming packages, which combined with Dextra Group’s range of daylight and presence detection systems, can increase the client’s energy savings whilst complying with CRC regulations and carbon emission targets.

The brand-new Prosport LED

The Prosport LED was recently designed and manufactured at Dextra to satisfy a growing demand in purpose-built LED solutions for sports applications. The brand-new luminaire has made a positive impact on the West Midlands school gym, providing huge energy savings and superior quality of light, whilst being cost effective.

The Prosport LED is designed to provide effective replacement for 3×80 and 4×80 T5 luminaires in gyms and other sports applications with four critical elements in mind:

1. Durability

The IK10 rated Prosport LED was selected for the gym due to its robust steel housing, injection moulded polycarbonate end caps and a curved clear polycarbonate diffuser, which ensure that the luminaire is able to withstand ball strikes and eliminates the risk of shattered lamps, which can occur with fluorescent or HID luminaires. It’s aesthetically pleasing, curved housing design also prevents balls and shuttlecocks from lodging on to the rear.

2. High quality lighting

High quality lighting is essential for all sporting applications to ensure satisfactory player experience. Available in a range of lumen outputs from 17,000lm to 23,000lm, the versatile Prosport LED allows lighting solutions to be designed to give optimum light levels and uniform coverage.

An asymmetrical bracket option also allows the luminaire to be angled effectively for tennis or badminton, whilst the standard symmetrical luminaire is perfect for football, basketball and netball appliances. These bespoke options offer the Prosport LED the necessary adaptability to provide the highest quality of light to suit a wide range of sporting applications.

3. Cost effective installation

The installation process can have a considerable effect on the clients return of investment. In this light, the Prosport LED is supplied with a zintec spine and prewired cabling, making installation in the academy’s gym both quick and easy, saving extra labour costs and avoiding the inconvenience of keeping the facilities closed during school hours.

The Prosport LED is also installed with a rigid suspension offering extra protection where ball strikes often occur, reducing the risk of incurring further maintenance costs.

4. Energy efficiency

By combining the above mentioned factors and the excellent efficiency and low maintenance of LED, the Prosport LED is able to provide energy savings in a number of ways. As demonstrated in the school’s gymnasium, only 8 Prosport LED luminaries were needed to replace the previous 12 T5 fittings to reach the required lighting levels. In addition to using a significantly lower number of fittings, the overall lighting load in the gym was cut from 3996 Watts down to 1692 Watts; a staggering energy reduction of approximately 60%. The Prosport LED is also available in HFR and DALI dimming, giving clients further lighting control.

Hydra LED – Industrial grade durability for a host of applications

The versatile and robust Hydra LED was utilised to illuminate the academy’s kitchen and storage areas. Thanks to the benefits of LED, this luminaire can be offered in a wide range of lumen outputs with light output ratios in excess of 90%.

The IP65 rated Hydra LED is suitable for all applications where protection from dirt and dust ingress and light impact is essential and areas where temperatures can reach as low as -20°C.

Supplied with stainless steel clips and screws and complete tooled access in compliance with current regulations, the Hydra LED is durable and easily serviceable. In addition, its efficient and long-lasting Philips LED sources, make it the ideal low maintenance choice for areas where access is often difficult and potentially costly.

The Hydra LED can also be offered in a range of dimming variants and with integral three hour emergency, to maximise energy savings.

The Mirus Academy lighting project has been extremely well received. The staff have given excellent feedback on the performance of the luminaries and are thrilled about the remarkable cuts in their energy bills. The client can also rely on Dextra Group’s 5 year warranty for additional peace of mind.

R.D. Jukes & Co. Ltd.’s choice of selecting the Dextra Lighting range, contributed to the overall success at the Walsall based school, which can be added to an already vast and excellent portfolio as lighting suppliers for the educational sector nationwide. The benefits of the LED upgrade, now enjoyed by the academy, are most likely to attract positive attention from other educational establishments, creating future opportunities to improve their facilities through green, energy efficient and cost-effective lighting solutions.

The post Major LED lighting upgrade cuts academy’s energy bills by up to 60% appeared first on Dextra Lighting.

Efficiency, sustainability and affordability; West Midlands school enjoys the benefits of LED

Dudley Council invests in Dextra Lighting’s top class luminaires for Hillcrest School’s energy-conscious renovation project.

As part of its fervent commitment to making sure local people receive the best possible public services, R.D. Jukes & Co. Ltd. a long established reputable company approached Dextra Lighting, as one of their preferred suppliers, to assist in a major LED upgrade for Hillcrest School and Community College. The comprehensive school educates over 1000 pupils and also functions as a teaching college, delivering the best results for its students, their parents and the wider community. As a result, the local council was determined to optimise the energy and maintenance efficiency of the school by investing in precision-engineered LED lighting, allowing the establishment to operate in a green and cost-effective way, whilst providing lighting suitable for a modern learning environment.

THE PROJECT

The Hillcrest School relighting project included a number of classrooms, laboratories and corridors. The brief required the original T5 fluorescent lighting to be replaced by a completely redesigned, energy efficient LED installation that would satisfy the both the practical and aesthetic needs of the client.

In order to design an effective lighting scheme, knowledge of the different tasks in classrooms or work areas is important, as each activity requires its own light conditions. With this in mind, the versatile Revox LED luminaire, with its range of lumen outputs, was selected for both the classrooms and laboratories. The luminaire’s lower 4400 lumen option was installed in the classrooms, comfortably providing the required 300 to 350 Lux levels for quotidian teaching environments. The science labs, on the other hand, were fitted with the higher lumen package of 6600lm to achieve the recommended light level of 500 Lux for science related tasks. In both scenarios, the necessary light levels were achieved whilst successfully maintaining both aesthetic continuity and a high uniformity of fittings throughout. Students and teachers now benefit greatly from a lighting solution that supports them optimally in performing their activities.

Beyond the flexibility offered by its range of lumen outputs, the Revox LED’s performance is boosted by a combination of the latest Philips LED sources and Dextra’s high transmission microprism panels, offering a high light output ratio, excellent efficiency and minimal maintenance. In situations where maintenance is required, the luminaire’s hinged carrier is easily accessible through a practical twist lock system.

In addition to efficiency, the Revox LED offers an attractively designed steel housing, powder painted in white, with curved satine blend injected moulded wings, making it suitable for a variety of school, office or meeting room applications.

A bespoke integral sensor housing is also incorporated in this luminaire to accommodate an optional mini head sensor providing presence detection, daylight regulation and remote control function. The Revox LED can be supplied with all common dimming control gear types such as: HFR, Switch, DSI and Dali, to ensure compatibility with building management systems, sensor controls and wall mounted dimming switches. When used in combination, these lighting controls can offer drastic reductions in energy consumption.

Available in recessed or semi-recessed versions, the Revox LED is designed for easy lay in or pull up installation, making it highly adaptable to a range of ceiling types.

In the school’s corridors, the Graduate Recessed LED was installed in a 4800 lumen capacity and distributed at 3.6m spacings to achieve the required 200Lux light level for the area. Thanks to the wide selection of options singular to the Graduate Recessed LED, the corridor space was enhanced through a uniform distribution of fittings, offering optimum light coverage with no traces of light pooling

Available in 600mm x 600mm, or 1200mm x 600mm sized fittings and an extremely wide spectrum of output packages ranging from 3500lm to as far as 14,400lm, the Graduate Recessed LED is a highly versatile luminaire, equally effective for retrofitting projects or newly designed LED upgrade solutions.

Manufactured in a white powder painted steel housing with precoat aluminium white gull-wing reflectors, the Graduate Recessed LED features a robust yet aesthetically pleasing construction, perfectly suited to a variety of decors and environments.

The Graduate Recessed LED’s excellent performance is owed to a superb combination of high quality LEDs and a prismatic opal extruded diffuser, which help provide an optimum light output ratio whilst operating at a L2 compliant luminaire efficacy of 60 llm/W.

Installation was made cost and time effective thanks to the luminaire’s lay in version, which greatly facilitated fitting in the corridors’ suspended ceiling grids.

The Graduate Recessed LED is compatible with Dextra’s wide range of dimming and sensor controls to maximise performance and energy savings. At present, the Graduate Recessed LED is also available with air handling; a unique feature amongst Dextra Lighting’s LED modular range, allowing the luminaire to be efficiently integrated with a building’s BMS or air-con system.

The results of the LED upgrade were received extremely positively by R.D. Jukes & Co. Ltd., Hillcrest School, and Dudley Council. Thanks to Dextra Lighting’s bespoke LED luminaires, lessons can now be held in purpose lit environments operating at a fraction of the power load, while the corridors have been transformed into welcoming and better illuminated spaces. Dudley Council can rest assured that the new sustainable lighting scheme will not only result in significant financial paybacks, but that their investment will also be covered by Dextra’s 5 year warranty for extra peace of mind.

The post West Midlands school goes green with extensive LED upgrade appeared first on Dextra Lighting.

In November Dextra Group plc. were awarded the Insider Media, Made in the South West award for Advanced Manufacturing.

The award was for the company deemed to be the most forward looking, having consistently used advanced technology or techniques, processes or equipment to solve problems or add value to customers.

South West Business Insider explained why Dextra Group was selected as winners of this award;

“With an investment of more than £4 million over the last 12 months into new technology, Dextra Group wowed the judges with its entry this year. They praised it for being “forward thinking and responsive to its customers”

The lighting manufacturer realised early on just how important investing in research and development and state of the art equipment is in order to be able to adapt and respond to the changing needs of the UK and European marketplace.

In recent months, Dextra invested in new surface mount technology, creating four production lines with the capacity to place half a million LED chips on cards of up to 900mm x 600mm in a single eight hour shift. Another investment has been in a new Gema powder coating system, which has resulted in increased quality, environmental benefits and minimal wastage.”

All regional winners were put forward to the Made in the UK finals and the awards ceremony took place last Thursday bringing together the winners of Insider‘s regional Made in… Awards across nine separate categories and honoured the cream of the UK’s manufacturing industry.

Dextra Group plc.  came runner up (highly commended) in the Made in the UK Advanced Manufacturing category against some tough competition, an achievement all at Dextra Group plc. are very proud of.

More information on the South West Award.

Nick Southern; Specification Manager, Colin Murray and Paul Williams; Regional Director

Our SMT facility that impressed the judges.

The post Made in the UK Awards – Runner Up for Advanced Manufacturing appeared first on Dextra Lighting.

Darren Ward, Group Technical Director of Dextra Group plc. discusses…

It has long been the case that a lack of standardisation in testing methods and data publication with LED sources has allowed a minority to exploit loopholes and exaggerate the performance of their products. As each loophole is closed another seems to open, the most recent of which seems to be an inclination among some lighting designers to disregard long established rules regarding maintenance factors used in lighting designs. Where strict criteria were laid out regarding HID and fluorescent sources some lighting designers now seem to disregard these rules and apply maintenance factors of 0.95 or even 1 across the board when designing with LED luminaires. We need to question why these changes have occurred as the effect on a lighting design can be dramatic. Do these maintenance factors genuinely reflect the performance of LED luminaires or, more cynically, is it a conscious decision to reduce the number of luminaires required on an installation to help sell their products even though this may not truly reflect the overall lifetime performance of the luminaire?

To help us understand why LEDs have brought about this change lets break down what maintenance factors are and the effects LED have had upon them:

Three elements exist to determine the maintenance factor that should be applied to an internal lighting design; Lamp lumen maintenance factor is an estimate of the depreciation of the source between lamp or luminaire changes. Luminaire maintenance factor is an estimate of the depreciation of optics and dirt accumulation on the luminaire that will reduce the light output ratio of the luminaire between cleaning cycles. Room surface maintenance factor is an estimate of the degradation and dirt accumulation that will occur on floor, walls and ceiling finish in a room between decoration cycles that will reduce reflectances and therefore overall light levels. These three elements are combined to calculate a total maintenance factor to be used on a lighting design to ensure that come the next relamp, redecoration and cleaning cycle the correct lux levels are still met. So how does LED differ from more traditional sources that means some lighting designers now appear to disregard these factors?

With the vast majority of LED luminaires there is no lamp to be changed and the source is designed to last for the design life of the entire luminaire. Contrary to popular lighting myth LED sources do depreciate over lifetime, the critical factor here is LM80 data, a method used by LED manufacturers to determine the failure rate and lumen depreciation of the source over lifetime. LEDs are operated at highest permissible temperature and current for a period of 6000 hours to allow a lifetime estimate to be established, typically over 50,000 operating hours. 70% lumen depreciation and 10% failure rate are commonly quoted over these operating hours by quality manufacturers of LED mid power sources, hence in theory this should  be applied to the maintenance factor of a lighting design.

So why are we not seeing maintenance factors of 0.7 and greater applied to LED lighting designs to reflect both LM80 lumen depreciation of the source and degradation of optics and room surfaces? There are some crucial differences with LED sources that must be considered before we apply such maintenance factors across the board. Many luminaire designs do not operate the LED to their maximum permissible current and temperature and as a result their lifetime should be dramatically extended and lumen depreciation reduced compared to the LED manufacturer’s LM80 data. The ambient temperature within which they are installed is also a critical consideration. Some LED drivers incorporate a constant lumen feature which gradually increases the drive current to the chip over the 50,000 hour lifetime offsetting lumen depreciation of the source and therefore allowing the lighting designer to make consideration for luminaire optic and room surface depreciation only, although in this scenario an average power consumption over life time should be used for any return on investment calculation rather than the initial power consumption of the luminaire.

Of course LED technology does not eliminate accumulation of dirt on luminaires, optics and room surfaces and nor do they prevent degradation of plastics used in optics so the maintenance factors that have traditionally been applied to these aspects are still entirely relevant.

Whilst LEDs offer massive benefit over traditional sources in terms of maintenance and energy efficiency it is more critical than ever that consideration is made for the quality of the luminaire design, thermal management and quality of LED as well as how hard the LED is driven to ensure that an accurate estimate of maintenance factor can be made.  In most scenarios some consideration should be made for source lumen depreciation even if we don’t go as far as assuming a 30% depreciation and 10% failure rate over lifetime. It is clear however that it’s a nonsense to apply a maintenance factor of 1 to any lighting scheme, no matter how good the chip, driver and luminaire design they can never eliminate the need for us to clean our luminaires and repaint our walls.

The post Does no lamp mean no maintenance? appeared first on Dextra Lighting.

Since the inauguration of Dextra Group, flexibility and customer focus have been at the heart of our company ethos. Our customised luminaire service is an integral part of our commitment to meeting the needs of the customer. Should you find that our existing wide product range does not meet your particular needs we are happy to discuss your requirements and find a solution for your application.

Dextra Group have diligently invested in the company throughout to ensure we have state of the art technology and manufacturing equipment available. Our design and testing facilities include the latest 3D modelling and photometric design software, a state of the art testing laboratory with photometer, thermal test cages, EMC testing facilities and integrating sphere all operated by staff with decades of lighting expertise.

This design and testing resource is combined with huge investment in CNC metalwork machinery and laser cutting equipment allowing us to take your project from design concept to manufacturing rapidly, ensuring that the product meets both your expectations and project deadline without compromising performance or reliability.

Where required we will invest in bespoke extrusions, injection mouldings and die castings, bringing a quality finish to your product that is entirely unique to yourself.

Our commitment to service goes far beyond the luminaire itself. We have a large resource of lighting experts based around the country who can visit your installation and advise on the optimum solution with consideration for lighting design, energy saving, legislative requirements and minimal cost of installation with your existing infrastructure.

We provide a full service from initial site assessment, luminaire specification, quotation and payback calculations, dedicated contacts throughout the design and sampling process through to site delivery of products with up to 5 year warranty and collection and recycling of old product removed from site.

The post Bespoke lighting solutions from Dextra Lighting appeared first on Dextra Lighting.

Dextra Lighting’s affordable, energy-efficient LED luminaries open up financial opportunities for UClan, as rapid returns on investment will contribute to securing a sustainable future for the university. The LED upgrade’s success shows good prospects for continued business involvement with the institution.

According to its Environmental Sustainability Policy, UClan is not satisfied with simply meeting carbon reduction targets but aims to “be a model international university for sustainability”. This ambition has proven to be far more than an optimistic intention. Over the past five years, UCLan has been recognised as one of the consistently top performing ‘green’ universities for its strong environmental and ethical performance, whilst its environmental management system has received ISO140001 recertification for two consecutive years. The Guardian has also named the university as joint 5th in a list of the best ‘green’ national higher education providers since 2010.

Overall, UClan has been lauded for its professionalism in maintaining sustainable practice in its development and procurement strategies, as well as involving and educating students and the local community through exciting green projects.

As with all universities, UClan is constantly under pressure to compete in the education market by offering the best possible facilities and services to current and prospective students. Nowadays, with government incentives geared towards reducing carbon footprints in all sectors, followed up by increasing public awareness, infrastructural improvements in education have become highly dependent on the efficient management of energy expenditure and waste. Investment in green technology plays a central role here, as not only are these covered by incentivised schemes such as the CRC, but crucially create long-term energy savings that can be recycled towards redeveloping other aspects of the university. With lighting amounting to such a huge proportion of the energy cost of educational buildings, the financial paybacks of LED are potentially game-changing.

Dextra Lighting have long been involved with educational establishments nationwide to make this redistribution of capital resources as productive and eco-friendly as possible. With an exhaustive range of the latest energy-efficient and cost-effective LED products, as well as being an ethically sound business, Dextra Lighting ticked all the boxes of UClan’s sustainable procurement policy. The LED upgrade was performed in three key locations as part of an ongoing refurbishment programme targeting the environmental impact and financial viability of the entire university.

The first location was the UClan’s Media Factory; a state-of-the-art building, fully equipped with specialist rooms including: film/photographic studios, video editing rooms and Apple Mac suites. The department serves as a “business incubation facility”, offering graduates and entrepreneurs a platform to launch their new enterprises into the digital and creative industry. The brief here, was to completely replace the existing fluorescent lighting with a modern, energy-efficient LED alternative. After an initial assessment, the client agreed upon a proposal to install over 200 Protec LED downlights across the entire building.

In terms of performance, the Protec LED combines highly efficient anodised aluminium reflectors (available in both OptiSpec and OptiSat) with the latest Philips LEDs and Fortimo/Xitanium drivers, to offer LORs in excess of 90% and efficient light distribution.

The luminaire is one the most versatile products in the Dextra Lighting range, offering a wide range of reflectors and colour attachments that can be removed and replaced post-installation. These options make it adaptable to changes in room layout, style or colour schemes. A selection of custom bezels and beam angle options also allow each installation to be tailored to client’s exact needs.

The Protec was the single choice for this location as it is suited to a number of environments. For instance, in addition to its standard IP44 clear cover, the luminaire can also be silicone sealed in a IP65 on installation, version for bathrooms or wet areas. A BSEN 12464 glare compliant variant is also available for areas where monitors are in use such as the Mac suites and editing rooms.

The luminaire comes in lumen packages between 1100lm and 3000lm, offering increased flexibility to achieve optimal spacings for each designated area. Flexibility also applies to the Protec’s installation, as its quick and easy, four point clamping spring bracket system is suitable for plasterboard and mineral fibre ceiling tiles, upon thicknesses between 3mm and 30mm. Custom bezels for existing ceiling cut-outs are available upon request for retrofit applications.

The luminaire can be installed with DALI or Touch Dim dimming options and is compatible with a range of sensors for daylight and presence detection.

Staff at UClan were particularly impressed by the “educational look” and premium performance of the Graduate Recessed LED. This luminaire was used to relight the Darwin Lecture theatre; a principal venue with a capacity of 450, equipped with the latest audio visual equipment capable of 3D projection. It was therefore imperative that the lighting could be controlled to support a variety of events from presentations to large conferences.

This recent addition to the highly successful Graduate range, utilises the latest Lumileds which guarantee long life and low maintenance. As a result, the university no longer has to worry about frequently shutting down the theatre for the replacement of faulty lamps, as was required with fluorescent lighting.

The Graduate Recessed “educational look” is attributable to its direct/indirect gull-wing aesthetic common to many traditional fluorescent luminaires. Behind the look, precoat aluminium gull-wing reflectors and prismatic opal extruded diffusers offer efficient transmission and great distribution of light. Although delivered fully flush as standard, the central optic can be adjusted to a semi-recessed position to meet the client’s requirements.

The luminaire is offered in a wide range of lumen outputs from 3500lm to as high as 14,400lm in three different body sizes. The 3500lm and the 7000lm variants both fall below the 3000 candela limit and are therefore suited for the lecture theatre, where laptops, projectors and other VDUs are often in use.

The lighting controls were an important aspect of the design. With LED light sources being fully dimmable, the installed controls allowed the client to easily adjust the lighting for a variety of tasks. The Graduate Recessed LED offers versatility also in this department, as its available in analogue, switch dimming, DALI dimming and DSI.

The luminaire is available in both pull up and lay in options to suit a range of ceiling types and is also offered with 25 l/s air handling; a unique feature amongst Dextra’s LED modular range at present.

Circulation areas in the Foster building, one of UClan main venues, have been refreshed and modernised by replacing the previous fluorescent lighting with the MODLED Curve recessed luminaire. The luminaires were quickly and efficiently fitted in the corridors’ exposed T ceiling system via lay-in installation.

The MODLED Curve is designed to add a new aesthetic dimension to the popular MODLED range. Luminaires from the MODLED family have a proven track record for excellent efficiency, low maintenance as well as easy, and therefore cost-effective, installation. What is unique about the MODLED Curve is its elegant curved diffusers, which provide a uniform and attractive distribution of light onto walls and ceilings.

Despite a strong focus on visual appeal, the MODLED Curve’s design does not make compromises in overall performance. The luminaire boasts LORs of up to 78% thanks to its high-transmission contoured diffuser panel and by utilising high quality Philips LEDs for long life and minimal maintenance.

Great versatility is also a key feature of this product, with its wide range of lumen outputs from 3500lm to 6800lm in 600mm x 600mm sizes and 7000lm and 9000lm options in 1200mm x 600mm luminaires. All lumen packages also comply with BSEN 12464 3000 candela glare requirements, making them suitable for areas where monitors are in use, whilst providing visual comfort for staff and students.

The MODLED Curve can be installed compatible dimming controls (HFR, DALI, Switch Dimming, and DSI dimming) to maximise energy savings.

Overall, the combination of state-of-the art sensors, advanced dimming functions, industry leading LEDs and the efficient optic design of Dextra Lighting’s luminaires, have given the entire installation the necessary technological edge to guarantee massive energy savings and therefore dramatically reduce UClan’s carbon footprint.

But the benefits of the upgrade to do not end here. Once installed, the luminaires will require minimal maintenance compared to fluorescent lighting and their performance and energy-efficiency will continue to meet the required standards in years to come.

As a welcome bonus, all LED products are covered by Dextra’s comprehensive 5 year warranty, protecting UClan’s investment further. For the safety of staff and students alike, three hour emergency lighting was also provided for each location.

The post University of Central Lancashire upgrades to LED to achieve sustainability goals appeared first on Dextra Lighting.

As with most universities, improvements to campus facilities are crucial to remaining competitive amongst other institutions. Although development projects are necessary for the success of any university, such investments need to be rigorously managed and carefully budgeted, in order to maintain a balance between achieving economic sustainability and raising the institution’s profile by offering high-quality facilities to students and staff. LED products and intelligent lighting controls can contribute greatly towards reaching this goal, by guaranteeing substantial paybacks within surprisingly short periods of time in the form of energy savings.

The University of Surrey has recently risen to an impressive 4th place in the Guardian University League Table.

This outstanding achievement is in part the result of an ongoing building development and improvement programme backed by a £230 million investment since 2007.

Many aspects of the university’s campus have been transformed as a result of this extensive project. Amongst these is the Duke of Kent building, home of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, designed by renowned British architect, Nicholas Grimshaw.

Dextra Lighting’s reputation and credentials preceded itself. Its extensive portfolio and growing success in the educational sector is owed to the company’s vast range of cost-effective state-of-the-art products, tried and tested for office and educational environments, combined with unrivalled flexibility and delivery times for bespoke orders. In consideration of these factors, Dextra Lighting were chosen amongst competitors to completely redesign a customised lighting scheme for the building’s top floor administrative offices, to be supplied following a fixed, allocated budget.

Surrey based electrical contractors Eurodata Building Services, carried out the installation as part of their partnership in installing energy saving solutions for the University.

The brief consisted firstly to replace the existing, inefficient fluorescent uplighters which were providing inadequate lux levels for staff to work in, and secondly, to boost energy efficiency by installing programmable lighting controls. Finally, the office was to be divided into designated working areas, each requiring their own independent controls and sensors.

Before and after of the Library.

The project faced both design and installation challenges due to the spatial layout and architecture of the location. To begin with, the curved ceiling, dissected by several protruding wooden beams of different sizes, required the lighting to be somehow suspended in order to evenly distribute the lighting across each office cluster.

The ceiling also featured a large sunroof-type aperture, which provided a significant amount of daylight that could potentially be harvested into energy savings. Due to the layout of offices, most of this daylight reached the lower floor and the main staircase, whilst the upper, mezzanine level was lit by rows of windows. The aim here was to make the most of the available daylight from all these sources, thereby minimising energy costs and reducing the building’s carbon emissions in compliance with government legislation.

Soon after the initial on-site assessment, Dextra’s in-house design department used the latest digital 3D modelling equipment to generate a complete plan of the project area, proposing a solution in the form of a customised 5000 lumen MODLED Suspended dimmable luminaire in C84 white. Its unique design allowed a series of 1200mm x 300mm luminaires to be suspended in continuous run configurations, using a set of matching corner pieces and blind units.

Luminaires from the MODLED suspended range are engineered with energy efficiency and premium performance in mind, with high-transmission diffuser panels offering 93% transmission and LOR’s in excess of 85%. As with all of Dextra’s LED products, this bespoke luminaire benefits from all the advantages for long life and low maintenance offered by the highest quality Philips/Tridonic LEDs and drivers, and operates at a fraction of the energy costs of its fluorescent counterparts

To add to these advantages, the customised MODLED Suspended’s minimalist design offers an elegant contemporary look suitable for one of the nation’s leading medical faculties.

Thanks to the flexibility offered by this innovative bespoke system, Dextra’s in-house design team were able to devise an installation involving a series of evenly spaced, overhanging rectangular lighting “cells”, hovering above each work zone. Positioned directly 3m above the desired areas, the selected 5000lm output luminaires were able to produce a more uniform and focused light coverage, with light levels averaging at the optimal 400lux for office environments. Fitted with DSI dimming controls, the luminaires can now be dimmed to maximise visual comfort and minimise glare for applications where computer monitors are in use.

Combined with integral R24d sensors offering daylight regulation and presence detection, the DSI dimming controls also fulfilled the important role of harvesting daylight and minimising power consumption when work areas were left vacated. Dextra’s own engineers commissioned these controls to make the most of the light entering from office’s sunroof and windows. By dividing the lighting scheme into 10 separate cells to match the new office layout, each individual work area was managed far more efficiently, with localised sensors responding more closely to the pattern of staff’s movements and the distribution of natural light throughout the day.

Overall, this intelligent and eco-friendly lighting solution has received extremely positive feedback. Surrey’s investment in Dextra has not only allowed the building to operate more sustainably by lowering energy usage, but has also transformed the office into a modern, stylish and stimulating working environment for the hardworking staff of a top UK university

The post Rising U.K university invests in LED technology for top medical research centre appeared first on Dextra Lighting.

Lux’s Manufacturer of the Year 2014, Dextra Group plc., covers all facets of the lighting industry offering both standard and bespoke energy efficient lighting solutions.

Along with a selection of our popular LED products from the Dextra Lighting, Dexeco and Dexretail ranges, Lux Live 2015 will see the launch of three new products from Dextra Group plc:

• Essentially for Retail, a twin asymmetric product to highlight gondolas from the middle of an aisle in a shop.
• Designed for schools / offices and architectural applications, a continuous run or standalone suspended or surface mounted downlight or bidirectional slim line luminaire (65mm wide) with 90 degree corner options.
• A specification product, designed to be our premium recessed luminaire for office applications, a recessed modular 9 cell luminaire with 400X400mm halo surrounding 9 cell array. Complies with 3000 candela limit and UGR19 in the majority of room sizes. 9 cells and halo can be individually switched and halo can be supplied in a range of colours to match corporate themes.

Product names are being kept under wraps until the event!

With major investment in state of the art technology, Dextra Group are at the cutting edge of luminaire development.  A dedicated LED PCB production facility allows us to embark on the design of ground breaking luminaires encompassing our own customised cards bringing a new level of flexibility to production and design so that customer targets can be met precisely with consideration for cost, energy consumption and lumen output.

With the backup of a ‘just in time’ manufacturing ethic, ‘made in the UK’ products are delivered on our own liveried fleet of vehicles allowing sales teams to effectively operate in competitive, diverse markets, reacting quickly to client needs.

Come and visit Dextra Group plc. on Stand H33, alongside the Dextra sponsored Lux Arena to find out more about the UK’s largest privately owned lighting manufacturer’s product offering and services.

Dextra Group plc. are lighting the way to a brighter future.

The post Rail to retail and everything along the way… appeared first on Dextra Lighting.

The independent Co-operative Group expresses its enthusiasm as its Rushmere Store in Ipswich reopens with brand-new, bespoke LED products. The lighting upgrade served as a sample order in preparation for the refurbishment of a number of stores in the East Anglia region.

After 6 years of on-going business, the group continue to be impressed by Dextra Lighting’s quick delivery time, the precision of its bespoke service and the excellent quality of its luminaires. The Rushmere Store relighting project was a crucial stepping stone in selecting the best replacement fitting for their small to medium-sized regional stores. The test-run proved to be a complete success.

The client was looking for a state-of-the-art LED equivalent of the existing 6ft 1x70W switch start batten fittings, typically used in the majority of their outlets. The winning solution had to be competitively priced, meet today’s energy efficiency standards (whilst enduring the test of time) and provide a consistent light level of 1000 lux. In addition, a retrofit installation was required in order to eliminate the costs of replacing the entire suspended ceiling.

During negotiations, Dextra Lighting managed to fend off fellow competitors, who also issued proposals for the project, by ensuring that a total of 57, 6,500 lumen ECOPAK LED batten luminaires could be manufactured exclusively for the client in the required sized of 1.7m (usually this product is issued in 600mm, 1200mm, 1500mm or 1800mm sizes). Within only 7 working days from the client’s original enquiry, a viable design was swiftly presented and the products were manufactured and delivered on-site to complete the order.

The EPK LED batten continues to be a popular choice amongst Dextra’s diverse clientele. This is not only due to the increased energy efficiency and low maintenance of its Philips LED source, but also its unique quick and easy installation features, both of which lead to greater returns investment.

The EPK is ideal for retrofit applications. Its footprint matches typical older generation T8 fittings and its design allows its two part construction with rear spine combining a single piece gear tray and diffuser, to be easily snapped into position with the aid of quick release push buttons. This reduces the time and cost of installation by allowing the spine to be mounted prior to making the necessary electrical connections.

Whilst structurally the EPK is designed to emulate previous batten models, its high transmission curved opal diffuser and injection moulded polycarbonate end caps, offer a determinedly next-generation aesthetic.  

The versatile and highly efficient EPK LED is also available in lumen outputs from 2,200lm up to 9,000lm and offers over 100 luminaire lumens per circuit watt, operating at a fraction of the cost of its fluorescent counterparts. With 4 body sizes ranging from 600mm to 1800mm, the luminaire provides increased flexibility to meet the customers precise requirements.

Further options include: compatibility with a wide selection of lighting controls (DALI, DSI, Switch Dimming and High Frequency Dimming) and daylight and presence detection sensors from Dextra’s Reacta range. Combined, these additions ensure that the installation operates at maximum energy efficiency at all times and therefore considerably increase financial paybacks.

The luminaire also offers a made-to-order high rack option to replace trough and high rack fluorescent fittings, as well as a 3 hour integral emergency pack in either auto or self-test capacities. 

**A further 90 fittings have now been delivered to Long Melford Store and further updates on the progress of this promising project will be published soon.

The post East of England Co-operative prepares for major LED upgrade for regional stores appeared first on Dextra Lighting.