As in any joint enterprise, a rapport of trust is essential to achieve success. Over the years, Dextra Group has worked hard to build this trust with contractors, consultants and end-users alike, going the extra mile in all departments from design to delivery.
Having won a renovation contract for Compass South offices in Chatham, Polar Air building services placed its confidence in Dextra Lighting as a result of showing an edge in manufacturing lead times, a highly competent in-house design team offering full CAD/CAM support and payback calculations, fast and responsive delivery, a comprehensive and highly customisable range of high-quality, energy-efficient products and numerous industry awards.
THE BRIEF
As with most refits, the objective was to inject as much value into the office space as possible. The lighting design would therefore need to meet high standards of quality, adhere to all the relevant compliance criteria, and find ways to minimise the total cost of ownership of the new system. The result would be an attractive and sustainable office environment, lowering energy and maintenance costs for the future at no premium. High-efficiency, sensor-controlled LED luminaires combined with effective measures to reduce installation times and costs, were crucial means to achieve this goal.
It must also be stressed, that today’s clientele in all sectors, expect buildings to be future-proofed in terms of environmental and financial sustainability, making LED lighting, combined with intelligent sensors and dimming controls, a key aspect of refurbishment or design and build projects. This is why Dexsor – Dextra Group’s dedicated electronic controls subsidiary, was founded; incorporating the highest quality bespoke lighting control systems within each installation to maximise their energy-saving potential.
As Dextra Group’s luminaires are manufactured using the latest Lumileds LEDs offering 90% lumen maintenance for the first 60,000 operating hours and high-quality and reliable drivers from leading European manufacturers, each lighting scheme is capable of generating energy savings of up to 70% compared to fluorescent or HID alternatives. Once installed, maintenance becomes a hassle-free affair as luminaires will perform as required for longer by eliminating the common issues of conventional light sources, such as frequent lamp failures and fast depreciation of brightness over time.
The lighting design was to cover two entire floors featuring open plan offices, canteen and breakout areas, a reception, lobby and amenities. Compliance to Lighting Guide 3 and CIBSE (Chartered Institute of Building Services) guidelines for office environments was required; ensuring staff would enjoy a comfortable, safe and stimulating workplace. Products selected for the project would also be listed in the Energy Technology List to ensure the system would abide to the latest energy-efficiency criteria and generate further savings through the ECA compliant scheme, which offers a 100% tax levy on the investment upon purchase. Emergency lighting was to be provided in all areas in accordance with the relevant building regulations.
THE PRODUCTS
Graduate Recessed LED – Open plan offices & meeting rooms / Break-out area / Canteen
Versatility, efficiency and attractive contemporary design in a single, fully compliant LED solution
The versatile Graduate Recessed LED was customised to suit a number of areas in the building. Making full use of a wide range of lumen outputs of up to 7132llm across 3 different body sizes, 600 x 600mm luminaires were provided in both a BSEN 12464 glare limit compliant 2861llm output package for the desk areas to minimise glare for staff using computers, and a brighter 3614llm version to be installed in the breakout and canteen areas.
Available in multiple installation formats, lay-in versions were were supplied with their respective installation kits, for quick and easy fitting in the building’s suspended ceiling.
The Graduate Recessed LED has been an increasingly popular choice for applications such as offices, classrooms, hospitals and retail outlets around the UK. Its success is largely due to its aesthetically appealing gull-wing design which is ideal for a variety of interiors and decors and its high-performance LEDs source and optics offering a luminaire efficiency of as high as 117 llm/W depending on the selected output.
“Dextra Group’s luminaires are manufactured using the latest Lumileds LEDs offering 90% lumen maintenance for the first 60,000 operating hours and high-quality and reliable drivers from leading European manufacturers”
Dexsor – Modular Wiring Systems
To further reduce energy costs and carbon emissions as well as provide additional lighting control, the luminaire is made compatible with a choice of analogue or digital dimming functions and standalone sensors from Dexsor’s Reacta range.
By introducing Dexsor’s Modular Wiring System, complete with Fast-Fix luminaire connectors, rapid-install interconnecting cables and programmable marshalling boxes, Polar Air was able to make significant savings for the end-client by reducing the overall fitting times, with the added convenience of having both the luminaires and customised sensor and dimming controls supplied by the same manufacturer.
Sets of 6 to 9 luminaires were installed above each group of desks to provide uniform illumination for each member of staff. Each set is now controlled by a single lighting control module (LCM) connected to a Reacta 7 microwave occupancy sensor. By keeping the number of sensors and control units as low as possible without compromising the precision of the sensor’s detection area and functionality, installation times were further reduced, making sure that the project did not overrun and delivered cost-effectively.
The Reacta 7 sensor and LCMs now allow each luminaire to switch off when members of staff have vacated the area or when daylight reaches an adequate level, thereby accumulating energy savings throughout the day and improving returns on investment. Detection settings can now be programmed using a user-friendly 17 button infrared hand held tool.
Protec LED – Reception, Lobby & WC Facilities
Cutting-edge optic design and premium components make the Protec LED a high-performance and attractive choice for a host of applications.
Versions of the ultra-versatile Protec LED were adapted for various areas of the building. With a wide range of customisable options including a number of lumen outputs, reflectors (specular and semi-specular), colour attachments and custom bezels, designers have increased flexibility to create the ideal scheme for a different applications.
Interchangeable reflectors and colour attachments can be supplied to make the luminaire adaptable to future changes in décor and layout. Different colour temperatures and CRI (colour rendering) options are available to ensure that the optimal light quality is achieved with each application. Microprism, semi-specular diffuser also allow this range to include BSEN 12464 glare compliant versions, offering a diffused, low-glare light quality ideal for office use.
The Protec LED has long established itself as the downlight of choice across a number of sectors spanning from retail to industrial. In addition to its versatility and the attractive contemporary design, the lumanaire stands out for its for premium performance, combining high-efficiency anodised aluminium reflectors and the latest Lumileds LEDs and Philips or Tridonic drivers to offer LORs in excess of 90% whilst consuming up to 70% less energy than fluorescent or HID equivalents for shorter payback periods and reduced carbon emissions.
For the reception and lobby, the Protec COB was supplied in a 2000 lumen output with a specular reflector to provide the desired lux levels and distribution. To match the interior design, the luminaire was fitted with white bezels. For the bathrooms on the other hand, a gimbal version was provided with a IP65-rated front cover, which was silicone sealed to offer full IP65 protection against light impact as well as water, dust and dirt ingress. For added safety, this luminaire is also fire-rated, minimising the risk of electrical fires spreading to other areas of the building. The gimbal option was chosen for its a 36° beam angle and efficient specular reflector, to provide a bright and narrow directional light suitable for the tightly enclosed areas of the bathroom.
The Protec LED’s versatility continues right through to the point installation, with a four-point, self-clamping bracket, making installation less time consuming and suitable for a range of ceiling types and surfaces including plaster, mineral fibre and metal tile in thicknesses ranging between 3mm and 30mm.
The luminaire’s dimmable Tridonic drivers and lumileds LEDs offer compatibility with DALI, Touch Dim dimming to be used in conjunction with standalone sensors and a range of remote or manual switch controls.
Other products used in this project include: the highly-efficient Ecopack LED batten luminaire for storage areas and the Discalo LED bulkhead, offering the energy-efficiency and low-maintenance benefits of LED combined with an attractive modern design, was wall-mounted in the stairwells.
All LED products were provided with Dextra Group’s comprehensive 5-year warranty for extra peace of mind and support beyond purchase.
Emergency
The luminaries selected for the project feature integral 3-hour emergency lighting and self-test monitoring functions with full compliance to BSEN 62034:2012 safety regulations. Maintenance costs will now be greatly reduced as the luminaire automatically performs duration and functional test at regular intervals, with an LED indicator signaling any failures that arise. Auto-test versions are also available to allow users to benefit from a centrally monitored emergency lighting
system which provides periodic status reports on a user-friendly digital interface and performs regular testing of all emergency functions for the entire network of luminaires.
For extra emergency coverage, self-contained emergency luminaires such as the low-maintenance and energy-efficient 2.5W AME LED bulkhead with |P65-rated polycarbonate construction provided 3-hour emergency lighting in selected areas. The EXI LED and HBE LED suspended hanging blade provided clear and emergency signage for all the exits and safety routes across the building.
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