Australian Technology Park, Sydney

Background

The Australian Technology Park is located in the inner city suburb of Eveleigh, on the site of the former Eveleigh locomotive manufacturing workshops. The heritage listed site was redeveloped in the mid 1990s, retrofitting the railway workshops to develop a business park and corporate events venue.

A six story commercial office building was developed on the site in 2008. The building is tenanted by government agencies National Information & Communications Technology Australia (NICTA), which holds signage rights, Defence Science & Technology Organisation (DSTO) and NSW Roads & Maritime Services.

The NICTA building received a 4½ star NABERS energy rating in 2010, which improved to 5½ stars by 2012 following works to improve the BMS optimisation and air conditioning efficiency. In 2013 the board of Australian Technology Park Sydney Ltd approved a lighting upgrade to further improve the NABERS rating and achieve energy and maintenance cost savings.

Project Scope

The total lighting upgrade CAPEX was $70,400 which included product supply & installation by Randall Electrics & Communications . Lighting technologies installed were pole mounted external induction lighting, LED tube lights for non emergency car park lighting and Enlighten Australia’s Chamaeleon emergency LED lights for fire stairs, car park and plant room areas. In the fire stairs wall mounted 10 chip emergency Chamaeleon lights replaced existing twin 36 watt T8 fluorescent tube fittings, which operated 24/7 without any controls. Similarly, in the single level basement car park, ceiling mounted emergency Chamaeleon lights replaced existing emergency fluorescent tube lighting.

A combination of standard and emergency Chamaeleon lights were installed in the roof-top plant rooms. The microwave sensor timer settings were increased to the maximum of 5 minutes by the installation contractor, as technicians were often in the area working for extended periods of time, compared with fire stair or car park visitations. The Chamaeleon’s sensor settings allow for flexibility in timing and proximity to suit the area of use.

 

From left: Chamaelon car park lift lobby installation in full power and standby modes

Project results

The overall project payback was under 2 years, with the Chamaeleon light upgrade representing the strongest energy savings potential of 91% and a 1 year payback.

The 91% energy savings are delivered by the Chamaeleon light’s patented dual circuit design. This enables the light to operate on a standby mode, drawing 7-9 watts, whilst the area is unoccupied, increasing to full light output (28-32 watts) once a presence is detected via an inbuilt microwave occupancy sensor.

The car park results were even more stark, as the existing lights were 1500 mm(5ft) twin 58 watt T8 fluorescent fittings, consuming 146 watts (including ballast).

Independent data logging in low occupancy spaces such as fire stairs, car parks, plant rooms & back of house service corridors has shown that occupancy rates are well under 10% over a 24 hour period and even less on weekends.

Client feedback

According to Gary Love, Australian Technology Park’s Manager for Sustainability and Volunteering, the decision to go with the Chamaeleon light was as a result of the strong performance of the previous installation of Enlighten Australia’s LED tubes in external walkways in late 2010. The LED lights are delivering energy savings of close to 60%, compared to the former fluorescent fittings.

ATP Management will be applying for NSW Energy Savings Certificates via the NABERS rating improvement for the internal lighting and via the commercial lighting upgrade method for the exterior induction lighting, which was lamp post mounted.

View the project details in the November 2013 edition of Retrofit Magazine Australia