The Croft Preparatory School

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

The Croft Preparatory School in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, is an independent day school hosting 300-400 children aged between 3 and 11. The school stands in thirty acres of playing fields and has been awarded 'Outstanding' and 'Excellent' status by the Independent Schools Inspectorate.

The school’s two-storey Mundell Court building opened in 2009 to provide additional teaching space. Mundell Court features a state-of-the-art music space, science and technology rooms, two maths rooms, a computer suite and a Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) room.

Applications Covered:

Education

The Challenge

The Croft is “committed to creating an environmentally-sustainable school and environment,” and as such has engaged in several green initiatives, including biomass heating and the use of solar panels. To further advance this commitment, the school invited Thorlux Lighting to renovate and modernise the lighting system in the Mundell Court building, with the goal of maximising energy conservation. Thorlux’s initial survey found the school could cut its lighting energy consumption by an impressive 88% through the adoption of intelligent LED luminaires and control technology to replace its existing fixed-output fluorescent fittings. This would also reduce the school’s carbon footprint by over 7,000 kg per year.

An arrangement to fund the renovation through Thorlux’s SmartChoice funding was agreed (enabled by Thorlux’s partnership with Mitsubishi HC Capital UK), spreading costs over several years. This allowed the project to commence without upfront capital expenditure. Thorlux partnered with Elektra Engineering Services Ltd to conduct the installation.

The Solution

Following the results of the lighting survey, engineers installed a carefully-specified selection of Thorlux luminaires throughout the interior of Mundell Court. The large downstairs Information Technology (IT) and science rooms are now equipped with new Hi-Style Multi-Drive luminaires, designed specifically for classroom applications and providing 400 lux of illumination. Hi-Style Multi-Drive provides an effective solution where two 'secondary' luminaires are powered from the main 'primary' luminaire reducing both luminaire and installation costs.

LED Kanby Zip SmartScan luminaires in the upstairs tutoring rooms provide a bright and stimulating learning environment, with light levels of between 300 and 500 lux depending on the room’s usage. Office spaces are equipped with Hi-Style LEDs; storerooms with Glodome luminaires; the lobby area and corridors with wall-mounted Ovix luminaires. Firefly emergency downlighters are used to provide emergency lighting. Finally, Flexbar suspended luminaires, wall-mounted Ovix and R3 LED opal downlights illuminate the 9m-high main hall.

Thorlux’s award-winning SmartScan wireless system monitors and controls the entire lighting system. This has been optimised by Thorlux commissioning engineers to provide the greatest levels of efficiency. Where possible, engineers returned empty packaging to Thorlux for re-use or recycling. Finally, Thorlux’s carbon neutral status helps further minimise the building’s embodied carbon.

With work completed for the 2022-23 term, Mundell Court is now a showcase for The Croft School’s environmental credentials.

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