Carmel College on track to save over £400,000 with energy efficient lighting

Carmel College- a shining light  in Further Education

Carmel College is a Catholic sixth form college for the whole community, located in St Helens, Merseyside.

The College opened in 1987 and currently has approximately 2,200 students. In 1999, Carmel College became the first Associate College of the University of Liverpool.

The aim of the college is to ensure every student has the opportunity to progress onto whatever future they dream of – whether that is university, a degree apprenticeship or an amazing employment opportunity.

As part of their Net Zero journey, Carmel College are constantly looking at ways to reduce energy consumption, cut carbon emissions and demonstrate their commitment to sustainability to their student community.

The challenge- lower energy bills and an integrated approach to achieving Net Zero

Carmel College approached eEnergy as they were looking to update their ageing and inefficient existing lighting solution.

The college had already replaced some lighting across the campus, but there was still a large part of the estate that required updating. The project spanned over 1500 lighting fittings across 4 buildings at the college campus- the Amenities Building, West Park, Notre Dame and Rushton Sports.

With light fittings near to end of life, or in some cases obsolete, this was contributing to high maintenance costs, high electricity costs and a high level of failures. What’s more, the lighting levels and quality of light were making visual tasks more difficult and strenuous for students and staff alike.

Carmel College were looking for a Net Zero partner who could provide an integrated approach. eEnergy fitted the bill, outlining how lighting could be supplemented with intelligent energy monitoring, solar energy and EV charging to further cut energy consumption and carbon emissions at the College,

The solution- optimised energy savings and a lighter, brighter learning environment

eEnergy’s lighting specialists completed a detailed investment grade lighting audit of the college using our proprietary digital lighting survey app.

The audit revealed that the predominant type of existing technology was linear T5 and T8 fluorescent technology, compact fluorescent fixtures, halogen downlights, and some old LED types coming toward the end of their useful lifetime.

eEnergy’s lighting design experts proposed a bespoke lighting solution designed to enhance the lighting quality and lux levels at the College. The design was also optimised to provide Carmel College with a high-quality lighting system that would deliver the greatest and longest-term cash flow benefits.

eEnergy were able to offer a range of financial options, from using the College’s own capital funding through to eEnergy’s Light as a Service solution which provides a turnkey LED lighting upgrade at no upfront cost and is self-funded as it’s paid for using the savings it generates.

In summary, the solution comprised:

• A point-for-point replacement solution, which minimised install costs and disruption to the college
• All old inefficient lighting technology was replaced, meaning the buildings were transitioned to high-quality, high-efficiency LED lighting with an expected 50,000 hour service life
• Improved lighting to provide a lighter brighter, environment and support a better learning and teaching environment for staff and students
• A minimal disruption installation service via a dedicated installation team, carried out over the Summer holidays
• A 7-year (50,000 Hour) warranty across luminaires

The results

• 10-year net saving: £413,490
• Year 1 net saving £31,443
• Reduction in lighting costs of 48%
• Reduction in CO2 emissions of 26.4 tonnes per annum, equivalent to planting 1255 trees

The future- powering towards Net Zero

Through eEnergy’s comprehensive lighting solution, Carmel College has made great strides to reduce their energy costs and cut carbon emissions. With this project alone, they have almost halved their lighting costs and are on track to save over £400,000 which puts them on a great trajectory on their journey to Net Zero.

With a focus on the future, the College are now assessing plans for further LED lighting projects, as well as deployment of intelligent energy monitoring and EV charging to move further and faster on their journey to Net Zero.