The second LED installation undertaken by CCEL under the New Generation Fund was at The Vernon Institute in Saughall. In 2019 the Vernon Institute successfully applied for a grant from CCEL’s community benefit fund and was interested in the repayment scheme to replace all the existing lighting in the building with LED lighting. The delay in receiving approval as a provider of consumer credit from the Financial Conduct Authority meant that CCEL could not offer the project on a “pay as you save” basis. The Vernon Institute management committee decided that they wanted the new lighting installed anyway and agreed to sign a lump sum contract with CCEL. The new lights were installed at the end of June 2020.

The Vernon Institute is a well-used community centre and focal point for events in Saughall. The building dates back to 1820 and is a well-known landmark in the village, of black and white design with an impressive clock tower. The existing lighting was typical of many community buildings, with florescent tube technology being dominant. As is often the case with this type of lighting, lack of maintenance of lamps and diffusers meant the lighting was sub-standard and the lighting generally poor.

The new lighting consists of a total of 62 new fittings in the two halls, ancillary rooms, entrance hall, corridor, stairs and toilets. The 3 faces of the clock tower are illuminated by 9 Ansell “linklights” with a total power of 117 watts and luminance of 11,700 lumens. The clock faces are automatically lit between dusk and midnight. The toilet lighting has built-in microwave sensors to avoid the lights being left on unnecessarily. The fittings were supplied by Aurora lighting and Ansell Lighting and installed by Barlows of Malpas.  Even though the new lights use 50% less energy they are perceived as brighter and more like daylight. The light fittings have an expected life of 50,000 hours for LED battens and 25,000 hours for round bulkhead fittings with a corresponding manufacturer’s warranty period of 5 or 3 years.