Sheffield, UK- Marks & Spencer has unveiled its new lighting approach with the opening of its most sustainable store in Ecclesall Road, Sheffield. The “Sustainable Learning”* store has been installed throughout with Philips LEDs in conjunction with a Philips Dynalite lighting management control system, and is one of the first UK stores to be 100% lit with LED technology.

By applying LEDs across its car park area, back of house and shop floor, Marks & Spencer can now enjoy typical energy savings of between 25-30% on its lighting electricity usage in comparison with other stores using conventional light sources. These savings can be increased still further as a result of the new lighting control system now in place. In addition, adoption of sustainable systems such as energy efficient lighting means that M&S Ecclesall Road is set to achieve the BREEAM*** rating of Excellent.

As Chris Glynn, Senior Business Development Manager, Philips Lighting explains, “From the initial lighting challenge to project delivery we are delighted to have developed a 100% LED & lighting control system for the store. It saves energy, promotes the customer experience & most importantly helps M&S reach its sustainability targets.”

As well as the immediate energy savings, Marks & Spencer will also benefit from a reduction in maintenance costs as the long life of the LED sources means that no re-lamping should be required through the life of the store. A further benefit is that there will be no discharge lamps to dispose of in line with the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive.

At the core of Marks & Spencer, Plan A demonstrates the retailer’s long standing environmental responsibility leading by example to reduce any negative impacts that its business operations may have on the wider ecological and social community. This, however, has to be balanced against its customer promise to deliver excellent value in a store environment which is pleasant to shop in.  Clearly the application of LEDs and controls now ensures that these have been achieved without compromise to light quality, a vital consideration to any retail outlet. 

Impact has been given to the front entrance by the use of Ew Blast and Graze luminaires to attract customers into the store while ambient lighting is provided by Maxos trunking with a mix of twin and single StyliD fixtures. All the food chillers have the latest generation of warm white LED modules to ensure that the merchandise looks attractive to customers as they browse.

Specific use has been made of “daylight harvesting” by controlling the light fittings so that Marks & Spencer can take advantage of the free natural daylight that pours in through the windows automatically dimming the luminaires within the area so that a constant level of light is maintained in the working space. Indeed, the fittings can be programmed to be switched off altogether as daylight takes over. A further functionality of the system is that there is also potential for monitoring of the lighting system as required.

Within the car park LED fittings as well as wall marker lights have been installed creating a pleasant and safe environment for late night shoppers as they arrive at the store or return to their vehicles.

Richard Gillies, Director of Plan A, Sustainable Business and CSR at M&S said: “We've made some bold commitments as part of our target to become the world's most sustainable major retailer by 2015 and substantially reducing energy use is one of them. LED lighting is an important part of our reduction strategy and provides bright, consistent light levels which really complement our fantastic quality products.”

Allison Burnley, Store Manager at M&S Ecclesall Road said: “We are delighted to be opening this new Sustainable Learning Store in Sheffield which is the most environmentally friendly store M & S has ever built. The eco friendly Philips lighting systems we have in place have contributed to this and ensure that we create a fresh modern shopping environment for our customers.”

Without doubt, employing such initiatives as LED, dimming and daylight harvesting will allow Marks & Spencer to achieve its ambitious energy reduction targets, setting an example to us all.