Manchester City Council has set the ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2038, and has begun a six year programme of activity to decarbonise its estate of buildings. The iconic Manchester Town Hall was one of the first buildings to undergo a transformation, and Whitecroft was selected to supply the lighting, having previously installed bespoke luminaires in 2013.

Whitecroft’s brief was to balance the council’s environmental targets with the need for high quality lighting and aesthetics fit for the neo-gothic surroundings.

Drawing on principles of circular product design, which seeks to reduce the whole life carbon of lighting by prioritising reuse and replacement, Whitecroft identified a lighting solution that minimised the use of materials whilst increasing ongoing operational efficiency.

Whitecroft upgraded the building’s Raft T5 Fluorescent lighting system, fitting 2,350 modular LED Gear Trays into the Raft. Upgrading rather than replacing the Raft lighting reduced waste by 70%, whilst improved lighting controls have reduced energy output by 44% - from 134kW to 75kW.

Manchester Town Hall’s upgraded lighting is projected to make energy savings in excess of 44%, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 38 tonnes CO2/year, whilst extending the lifecycle of the luminaires and facilitating future energy savings. Whitecroft is set to use similar principles to upgrade the lighting in two further Manchester City Council buildings later in 2022.