FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Facilities and property management service provider, Pinnacle Group, is working with seven schools in Swindon to reduce energy consumption by an estimated 60 – 80 per cent per annum by switching to LED lightbulbs.
The energy efficient lighting replacement initiative is part of Pinnacle’s commitment to improve sustainability and deliver long term value for the school buildings managed by its local FM team.
To date, over 6,000 light fittings have been replaced with state-of-the-art LED lighting as part of this energy saving project. Working with lighting specialists WILA, who has partnered with Pinnacle to install the LED bulbs in the schools over the past six months, it is predicted that around 260 tonnes of CO2 will be saved every year across the seven schools.
Furthermore, based on the energy consumption savings and the capital cost of replacing the fittings, it is estimated that the project would have paid for itself in under four years.
Paul Dewberry, Regional Operations Manager at Pinnacle Group, said: “Pinnacle consistently strives to enhance the energy efficiency of the buildings that we maintain. This project proves that a small but significant change can be both environmentally friendly and cost effective, which is paramount when working towards a more sustainable future.”
Jon Grzbiela, Business Development at WILA, said: “WILA was delighted to be appointed to upgrade the lighting for seven schools across Swindon. We fulfilled this by replacing T5+T8 lamps with LED solutions, upgrading 6,000 luminaires in total. We took responsibility for supply, installation and commissioning of the lighting, as well as partnering with Lumicom to ensure disused luminaires, batteries and lamps were recycled.
“The new luminaires are now running at 80 per cent and have been integrated into the onsite DALI control system. WILA have delivered further energy savings by customising the control system to dim the luminaires by the windows and reduce Passive Infared (PIR) time.”
The schools that have benefited from the project include Abbey Park School, Red Oaks School, Uplands School, Brimble Hill School, Nova Hreod School, Orchid Vale School and Moredon School – all of which are primary, secondary, or Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools.
Recruiting for soft FM services is proving more difficult in the post-Covid workplace. So, what can FMs do to overcome this?
Sara Bean, Editor of FMJ, and Jess Pritchard, Head of Corporate Sector at Moneypenny are joined by panellists:
- Mark Whittaker, General Manager, Thomson FM & Chair of IWFM
- Ian Wright, Soft Services Manager, University College London
- David Bauld, Group Facilities Manager, Paradigm Housing
- Nicola Lathbury, Managing Director, Hexagon FM
Together they will discuss the current skills shortage in a number of FM areas, ways to keep staff engaged in their job through brilliant culture, and how outsourcing could be a solution to the recruitment issue. Secure your place now for Thursday, 25th November at 11am.
To register click here.
