CH2 (Council House 2)
Considered
to be Australia’s greenest and healthiest office building, Council House
2 (CH2) aims to set the benchmark for all future high rise buildings in Australia
and potentially the world.
The building, designed as a joint initiative between architects Design Inc and the City Of Greater Melbourne, achieved a record six star energy rating; the first building in the country to achieve such a feat.
Sustainable technologies have been incorporated into a variety of applications through out the building, including a water-mining plant in the basement, phase-change materials for cooling, automatic night-purge windows, wavy concrete ceilings and one of the more original concepts; a façade of louvres - powered by photovoltaic cells - that track the direction of the Sun to allow the most appropriate level of natural light into the building,
Electrical Engineers Lincolne Scott and Lighting Designers Vision Design, developed a Building Management System that incorporated the Dynalite Lighting Control system as a key element for the overall management of CH2. As the design and energy saving concepts designed were so intricate, the lighting control system needed to match it.
The design of the building allows for the highest possible amount of natural light to enter the building, thus reducing the amount of artificial light used. The lower floors of the north and south facades have windows much larger than those of the higher floors, as they receive less sunlight. Light shelves have been installed to the northern facade, to reflect indirect light to the ceilings.
Each floor has has general lighting in rows that run along the ceiling, controlled by a Dimtek LCD touchscreen at the West end and a 8 button panel at the East end. Each open plan area has four distinct lighting states:
AMBIENT: The normal lighting state dureing office hours. PE cells monitor the available daylight and lower perimeter lighting, and adjust the dimming levels accordingly. Lights in the meeting rooms are activated by motion sensors.
ACCESS: This is the lighting state used mainly by security staff. Only ceiling
lighting comes on and at a very low level. The lighting is controlled by a timer
and will automatically turn off after two hours.
AFTER HOURS: This lighting state is used by cleaners or staff who work back late. The Lighting will be at a level similar to that of the ambient state, but will automatically turn off after two hours. Indication will be given prior to the lights turning off, allowing a staff member to turn them on again if required.
Electrical Contrator Heyday Electrical installed the T5 light fittings that have been used in all ambient lighting, to severley reduce the rate of energy consumption. In fact, it is estimated that energy consumption for this building will be 65% less than that of the previous Council House.
Combined with the myriad of energy saving techniques, the Dynalite system has proven once again how a carefully implemented lighting control and energy management system can save the customer money, but more importantly, benifet our environment.
For more information on the Dynalite system, contact Haydn Brennan of Lightmoves on (03) 9701 2500
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