LED lighting delivers “Amazing Value” to local Iceland store

12-03-2015

The brand new Gillingham (Dorset) store now enjoys all the benefits of LED and more, with Dexretail’s high-performing, state-of-the-art luminaires. The new lighting scheme has helped enhance the shop floor into a brightly-lit and welcoming retail space, now operating at half the energy costs of traditional fluorescent lighting.

Iceland is serious about the environment. Its forward-thinking efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of over 800 food stores across the U.K., have involved close partnerships with the Carbon Trust, WRAP, the British Retail Consortium Environmental Policy Action Group, with endorsements even by Greenpeace. Through a series of environmentally driven projects such as: the installation of more energy-efficient lighting, air conditioning and eco-friendly refrigeration equipment, the leading frozen foods retailer achieved the Carbon Trust Standard in 2010 and has since invested in excess of £5 million in energy-saving upgrades in targeted stores.

Iceland sets high energy specifications for all new stores opened since 2009, and has a robust monitoring and targeting system in place to reduce electricity waste throughout its estate. The brand new Gillingham store was targeted by this ongoing efficiency programme, as Dexretail was approached by Iceland’s local representatives in the spring of 2014, to provide a highly efficient, cost-effective lighting solution in line with its green policy, that would also enhance the customer’s shopping experience and working environment for staff.

The solution: LED lighting. Until recently, Iceland has specified T8 fluorescent lighting for the majority of its stores. To optimise efficiency however, Dexretail proposed an economically viable LED system that would not only create massive energy savings, but be simple and quick to install, allowing the client to avoid costly delays in opening the store for business. The durability of LED light sources also minimises the significant expense of shutting down working areas for future maintenance, making it a viable choice for busy retail environments.
Working closely with Iceland’s store development team, Dexretail proposed several ideas before settling on a lighting solution involving the highly efficient Arcus LED luminaire, alongside a number of bespoke freezer display lights, unique to the client. By November 2014, Dextra’s design department had samples ready to be showcased at their concept centre and, following full approval, the lighting scheme was installed in the new store by February of this year.

The Arcus LED Luminaire
The recessed Arcus LED brings a new contemporary aesthetic to Dexretail’s range of LED modular luminaires, with an attractive gullwing design and twin extruded polycarbonate diffusers. Offering an impressive light output ratio of 81% and lumen outputs up to 8800lm, the versatile and efficient Arcus LED greatly outperforms the previously specified fluorescent fittings, providing superior quality of light, whilst operating at an L2 compliant 60 luminaire-lumens per Watt, where required.
Iceland goes to great lengths to ensure the majority of its equipment is selected from the government’s “Energy Technology List”. Befittingly, most variants of the Arcus LED are fully compliant to ECA standards and are guaranteed to provide significant energy-savings. This product can also be offered in a range of dimming options and a 3 hour integral emergency package to suit a variety of applications.

A fast and flexible bespoke service

Within just 4 months, Dexretail collaborated with the client’s development team to design a new concept for the store’s unique freezer display lights. The solution came in the form of a series of Low output LED units, designed to illuminate the freezer signage with energy efficiency in mind. These customised products were manufactured in-house especially for the client, demonstrating the flexibility and effectiveness of Dextra’s bespoke luminaire service.

Overall, the new lighting scheme has resulted in a staggering 52% energy reduction compared to a T8 fluorescent installation. Furthermore, the additional capital investment in the LED products will be fully paid back in under 2 years. It’s now Iceland’s turn to be on the receiving end of “Amazing Value”, as thanks to Dexretail’s affordable range of cutting-edge LED products and Dextra’s industry leading bespoke service, the local store will now operate in an efficient and eco-friendly way, whilst boasting a bright and attractive lighting solution for customers and staff to enjoy.