HYTRONIK AND KOOLMESH DELIVER 83% ENERGY SAVINGS AT HALESOWEN COLLEGE
Halesowen College, a Further Education college located in the West Midlands, UK, needed to reduce energy consumption across its campus, make progress towards its decarbonisation goals, and modernise a fragmented lighting infrastructure without disrupting academic activity.
The project was led by Uni-Smart Solutions, which deployed its Eco Pulse Smart Lighting platform, integrating Hytronik control devices configured, managed and monitored via Koolmesh.
The upgrade covered three campus blocks, with 1,045 luminaires modernised, 955 wireless control nodes, 383 occupancy detection points and 224 self-testing emergency units.
The most visible result: 83% energy savings, achieved without disrupting the academic programme.
The challenge
Reduce energy consumption and modernise the campus without disrupting classes.
Halesowen College needed to reduce energy consumption, improve operational control and automate critical processes across a fragmented infrastructure.
Reducing one of the campus’s largest controllable electrical loads.
Lighting accounted for a significant share of electricity consumption, yet the existing system offered limited visibility, little real-time control and very restricted zone-based management.
Meeting public sustainability targets.
Halesowen College had clear carbon reduction commitments: 50% by 2032 and 75% by 2037. The project needed to generate measurable savings, not just a theoretical improvement.
Delivering the retrofit without interrupting academic activity.
The works had to be carried out without affecting classes, students or teaching staff. This required a phased approach, working within very limited windows and without rewiring occupied classrooms.
Eliminating the manual BS 5266-1 emergency testing regime.
The college needed to automate emergency lighting tests and records, reducing a manual workload that was costing the estates team thousands of pounds each year.
Responding to the technical framework of the British education sector.
The solution had to fit within an environment where energy efficiency, lighting quality, safety and compliance coexist: Part L 2021, CIBSE LG5 and BS 5266-1.
Moving from fragmented systems to intelligent infrastructure.
The campus needed a solution capable of providing data on energy, carbon, usage, diagnostics and compliance, not just switching luminaires on and off.
The solution
A wireless architecture managed through Koolmesh.
Uni-Smart Solutions deployed Eco Pulse Smart Lighting as a managed solution for Halesowen College, integrating Hytronik control devices configured and managed through Koolmesh.
The solution was not based on a single device, but on an architecture made up of DALI/Bluetooth nodes, occupancy sensors, self-testing emergency devices and luminaire-integrated modules.
Each element played a specific role within a Bluetooth Mesh network designed so that classrooms, corridors, toilets, stairwells, communal areas and emergency luminaires could respond intelligently to the real use of the campus.
The results
Measurable energy savings from day one.
The project transformed a fragmented infrastructure into an intelligent, verifiable system ready for operational campus management.
Total energy reduction
Consumption fell from 192,583 kWh to 17,042 kWh.
Of CO₂ saved every year.
Net savings in operational costs from day one.
Estimated financial impact
175,541 kWh/year less ≈ £52,000 per year
The verified reduction of 175,541 kWh/year equates, at an indicative rate of £0.30/kWh, to approximately £52,000 per year in electricity savings, before taking into account additional savings in maintenance and manual emergency testing.
Luminaires modernised
Wireless control nodes
Occupancy detection points
DALI emergency drivers upgraded to self-testing
Campus blocks upgraded
Operational outcome
Less than seven days of installation per block.
No interruption to the academic programme.
No rewiring in occupied classrooms.
Automated emergency testing and reporting.
Reduced manual workload for the estates team.
Verifiable data for energy, carbon, usage and ROI.
How it was achieved
Wireless luminaire-level control, zone-based detection and operational data in one solution.
The architecture combined wireless luminaire-level control with zone-based detection: 1,045 modernised luminaires, 955 wireless control nodes and 383 occupancy detection points, all integrated into a Bluetooth Mesh network commissioned through Koolmesh.
Hytronik devices to deliver field-level control.
Hytronik provided the equipment that enables real control of the installation: DALI/Bluetooth nodes, occupancy sensors, emergency converters and luminaire-integrated modules.
Koolmesh as the configuration, management and control app
The Hytronik devices were commissioned and managed through Koolmesh: groups, rooms, zones, schedules, scenes, network parameters, diagnostics and automatic emergency testing.
Decentralised wireless architecture
Instead of relying on a centralised architecture with control cabling, the solution created a distributed network where luminaires, zones and detection points could be integrated and configured according to the real use of each space.
No rewiring in occupied classrooms
The installation was carried out mainly in circulation areas and service risers, avoiding invasive works in teaching spaces and maintaining academic activity.
Three blocks, less than seven days per block.
The three blocks were upgraded in phases. Each block was completed in less than seven days, with no interruption to the college’s day-to-day activity.
1,045 luminaires modernised and integrated into the network
The existing luminaires were upgraded to become part of an intelligent network managed through Koolmesh, simplifying commissioning, zone-based management and future system optimisation.
955 nodes to turn luminaires into smart points.
The wireless control nodes, integrated at luminaire level, transformed the existing installation into a connected, dimmable infrastructure that could be managed through the Bluetooth Mesh network.
383 occupancy detection points
The occupancy detection points enabled lighting to adapt to the real use of classrooms, corridors, stairwells, toilets, communal areas and technical spaces, avoiding unnecessary consumption.
224 emergency units automated without replacing luminaires.
The existing DALI emergency drivers were retained and upgraded to automatic self-testing using the HBEM038 converter, with no luminaire replacement and no additional cabling. HBEM038 was the converter used in this project to integrate the existing DALI emergency drivers into Koolmesh.
Automated BS 5266-1 compliance
The system enables automatic tests to be scheduled and digital records to be maintained, reducing time, documentation risk and repetitive work for the estates team.
Data to justify savings, carbon reduction and operations.
Eco Pulse Smart Lighting provided the managed service, reporting and analytics layer, making the savings verifiable and useful for decision-making.
Ready for future BMS integration
The project left a clear pathway for future integration via BACnet/IP, allowing system data to be incorporated into a wider building management strategy when the college decides to take that step.
Integrated products
The Hytronik architecture behind the savings.
Hytronik devices were integrated into the Koolmesh architecture according to the role they needed to fulfil: DALI control, occupancy detection, self-testing emergency lighting or luminaire-integrated solutions.
Wireless control of DALI luminaires
HCD038/BTBluetooth/DALI node for DALI luminaires
Integrated DALI luminaires into the Koolmesh network for group, zone, scene and schedule-based control. In some cases, it acted as a control node; in others, it was combined with occupancy sensors.
Occupancy detection
HIR63, HIR63/R, SAM20Sensor heads / occupancy sensors
Provided presence and occupancy detection across campus areas, allowing lighting to adapt to the real use of each space.
Self-testing DALI emergency lighting
HBEM038Bluetooth/DALI converter for emergency lighting, with 30 mA DALI power supply
Enabled existing DALI emergency drivers to be retained and integrated into Koolmesh for automatic testing, digital records and compliance reporting. In some cases, it acted as an emergency node; in others, it was combined with sensors.
Luminaire-integrated control and detection
HCD049/BTLuminaire-integrated Bluetooth/DALI module
An integrated solution for luminaires or technical areas where control and detection were built directly into the device itself.
Integrated self-testing emergency lighting
HBEM049Bluetooth/DALI emergency module with integrated detection
Integrated emergency lighting, wireless control, self-testing and detection into a single solution within the Koolmesh network.
Technical note
In some luminaires, HCD038/BT and HBEM038 were combined with sensor heads such as HIR63, HIR63/R or SAM20. In others, they acted solely as Bluetooth/DALI nodes within the Koolmesh network, without an associated sensor.
Testimonials
Beyond the data, the value of the project was reflected in the client’s satisfaction.
Once Uni-Smart explained how this would work, it became a no-brainer. We’re seeing a revolutionary way of achieving sustainability while improving lighting functionality.
Corinne Youren
Estates Director
This has been brilliant for the College. Uni-Smart are not only improving the College’s lighting but really helping us to achieve our sustainability targets.
Jacquie Carman
CEO
Uni-Smart’s package hasn’t just delivered savings — it’s allowed us to upgrade our systems without the need for capex and go truly smart with a clear business-case-led approach.
Andrew Woodford
CFO
