Electric.ie January February 2020

ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • 33 Aiming for top marks in energy efficiency regard to reducing energy consumption. That’s why they have chosen to use energy-efficient LED products from Glamox throughout the building. Glamox has also been involved in designing the light management system, a Glamox KNX system which e.g. prevents the light from being switched on in rooms that are not in use. All stairs and corridors are equipped with motion sensors that automatically turn the light on when motion is detected and switch it off when there is no movement. In the classrooms, the light is turned on manually and turns off 15 minutes after activity has been registered. “We are very pleased with the follow-up from Glamox. Salespeople have been on the ball the whole time. The deliveries were also extremely efficient so that everything that was required to be in place on a particular floor was delivered together”, says Simonstad. ‘Daylight’ in the classroom The school also has Human Centric Lighting in every classroom and workspace. That is, the intensity and colour temperature of the light varies throughout the day to mimic daylight. In the mornings, pupils are given a boost with intense cool white light to help them wake up and focus. After 2 hours, the colour temperature changes and the light dims to standard interior lighting. Teachers are also able set the lighting on focus light during tests and other activities requiring concentration. In addition, there is a setting that provides a warm and subdued light to be used when pupils are to have a quiet and calm period. When Roligheden School in Southern Norway opened its doors last autumn, it was in all respects, a progressive and environmentally-friendly building that greeted pupils and teachers. Energy wells, solar panels and energy-efficient lighting ensure a minimal climate footprint. Arendal municipality has been committed to ensuring that Roligheden school should be a building for the future with environmentally- friendly solutions as an important initiative. The school has therefore been planned as a zero-energy building. This means that the building will produce at least as much energy as it consumes in a year. Much of the responsibility for fulfilling this ambition has gone to Arendal El Team, the electrical contractor on the project. Solar panels and energy wells According to project manager and chairman of Arendal El Team, John Harry Simonstad, there are several smart solutions that bring the figure down to zero. “An important contributor are the almost 1000 solar panels that have been installed covering an area of approximately 1800 square meters. During the summer, these panels produce more energy than the building uses so the school supplies the local power company with energy. We have also worked extensively to reduce the energy consumption of the building. For example, there are energy wells that supply, heat pumps and operate the heating system” Simonstad says. LED and light control According to Simonstad, the lighting installation also plays an important role with