Harrison Library, University of Wolverhampton

The University of Wolverhampton was founded in 1992; however, the institution’s roots date back to the early 1800s. Today, it hosts around 20,000 undergraduates and post-graduates with seventy subjects taught.

In recent years, the University has invested £125 million in improvements across its various sites. This has included a £1.6 million refurbishment of its largest library facility, the Harrison Library, located on the main campus in the city centre. Besides improving study areas and adding learning zones and meeting rooms, the library has upgraded from outdated, inefficient fluorescent luminaires to an energy-saving, SmartScan-controlled Thorlux LED lighting system.

To fulfil this project, Thorlux supplied a mixture of standard SmartScan luminaires and bespoke retrofit LED light engines to fit the existing fixed linear ceiling lights. Over 340 of these purpose-designed retrofit units have been installed across the ground and first floors of the library. This has significantly reduced the amount of waste from the renovation project as the existing luminaire bodies have been kept in use. After removing the old louvres, lamps, and ballasts, engineers clipped the drop-in retrofit devices directly into the existing luminaire chassis.

As a result of the upgrade and the switch to the wireless SmartScan control system, the library has significantly reduced its annual energy usage for lighting compared to the old fluorescent system. Each SmartScan-equipped luminaire (including retrofits) monitors both ambient lighting levels and movement with a sensor, activating only when required and with an appropriate level of lighting.

The new system has reduced lighting energy consumption at the Harrison Library by 84% annually, saving more than £63,500 and reducing CO₂e emissions by over forty-five tonnes each year.