BP is investigating the role of daylighting to reduce CO2 emissions at its UK retail sites and has installed 17 Solatube® daylighting systems in Childs Way, Milton Keynes. With Solatube installed in the modern toilets, retail area, and offices, there is no need to use electricity for lighting during daylight hours.

Jason McMenamin, BP’s maintenance co-ordinator comments:
“Installing the Solatubes has the potential to help us to reduce our carbon footprint. In addition, the use of daylight rather than electric light creates a better place for our customers to shop and our staff to work.”

The Solatube is comprised of a dome fitted to the roof, which actively harvests daylight and optimises the amount of light transmitted down a highly reflective tube, then diffused into the room below. The 99.7% reflective material enables up to 10 times more light transmission from roof to room than any other tubular daylighting system.

Background Information
• Lighting typically accounts for 40% of annual utility costs in commercial applications.
• According to research at the University of Nebraska, poor lighting in the workplace can lead to excessive sick days, worker discontent, high turnover, and poor-quality work. Natural lighting makes workers feel and work better, retain learning, and boosts productivity.
• A utility company reported that after upgrading their buildings to use more daylight, absenteeism dropped by 25%.
• A retailer which lit two-thirds of its stores with daylight determined that these stores had 40% higher sales.
• In a shopping mall in the USA, traffic increased over 30%, and sales 38% home post lighting improvements including increased use of daylighting.