Incorporating energy savings in hotel lighting designs

 

 As governments around the globe focus on mitigating the impacts of climate change, finding ways to reduce energy consumption in buildings will be paramount.

Buildings account for a significant portion of energy usage worldwide — and lighting accounts for as much as 40% of this figure.

Yet, research suggested that many hotels had only reduced their energy consumption by 16% on average during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, despite rooms being unoccupied for significant periods.

So, hotels are often the perfect candidate for a lighting control transformation.

With the support of evolving technology and internet connectivity, intelligent lighting control systems have been widely implemented and integrated with other building control systems to provide advanced control over energy usage.

Smart controls have been found to reduce hotel energy consumption by 28%, harnessing automation to allow maintenance engineers to regain control over energy use.

TheisCraft, a leading manufacturer and supplier of lighting control and wiring solutions, knows all about using intelligent lighting controls in hotels, having completed various projects of this nature, including for The Mandrake and Great Scotland Yard hotels in London.

Although these buildings have many differences, they provide excellent examples of what modern lighting technology can achieve within the hotel industry.

Architectural lighting control for the Mandrake hotel

In high-end hotels, lighting designs can help dictate the ambience of different areas, whilst lighting controls help automate building management systems to make the work of hoteliers and building managers easier.

Functions include turning off power supplies in rooms when they are not occupied or adjusting the energy consumed by different applications in response to their changing use.

The Mandrake, a boutique 34-bedroom hotel situated in London’s West End, spans several floors.

TheisCraft supplied a range of architectural lighting solutions for this project, including 1-10V and DALI technology for dimming control over high-end light fittings in guest bedrooms and front-of-house areas.

 

DALI lighting control technology, which typically provides standardised light control and scene-setting was used throughout the hotel.

The solution also included digital multiplex (DMX) control, which offers advanced manipulation of over 500 different colour patterns to generate motion with light, creating a luxury feel with dramatic and dynamic lighting designs.

 

All lights in the hotel are controlled by scene-setting plates, which provide tailor-made mood control with the press of a button.

TheisCraft also supplied a head-end PC on site, used to programme corridor lights to dim down to preset levels at different times over a 24-hour period.

Sustainability was also a core requirement for this building’s lighting needs.

 

As such, front-and-back façade lighting is on a time scheduler that ensures it automatically turns on and off at certain times of the day.

 Bespoke lighting design for the Great Scotland Yard hotel

 The Great Scotland Yard hotel is a Grade II listed building located in the St James’ area of Westminster, which served as the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police between 1829 and 1890.

 

Following a £75 million renovation project, the building was converted into a 153-bedroom luxury hotel operated by Hyatt.

As part of the Hyatt Unbound Collection, the hotel has its own unique character and personality.

TheisCraft worked closely with Illuminate (Hyatt-appointed lighting designers) and Designer Group’s M&E contractors to create a practical lighting design that would also highlight the unique features of the hotel’s impressive front-of-house areas.

 

Multiple discrete areas required different lighting management solutions to achieve a bespoke, high-quality atmosphere within this hotel.

As a result, TheisCraft supplied architectural lighting control throughout the system and modular wiring for guest bedrooms.

1-10V technology supplies architectural light fittings in bedrooms and set the tone within various hospitality spaces throughout the hotel, such as the 40 Elephants restaurant and whisky bar.

 

DMX control was also used to facilitate the ‘wow’ factor for showpiece lighting features. Contractors then implemented DALI technology for the more straightforward lighting requirements of open plan shared areas — such as downstairs meeting spaces.

 

Both The Mandrake and Great Scotland Yard hotels included emergency light testing capabilities within their lighting control systems in line with the EN50172 health and safety regulation, which specifies the provision of illuminated escape routes in the event of a normal supply failure.

TheisCraft has also worked on a number of other hotel projects, including Highfield Park Hotel in Hampshire, and continues to be a leading authority on lighting control and wiring solutions for the hotel industry.