London, England-- (SBWIRE) -- 08/26/2010 -- A lighting expert from the University of Sheffield reveals how 20 per cent could be knocked off workplace energy bills – providing significant environmental benefits with little change to the comfort of occupants – in the latest episode of the Green Office podcast, from office design experts Morgan Lovell.

According to Dr Steve Fotios, a senior lecturer of Environmental Design and Sustainability at the University's School of Architecture, reducing the recommended lux level for office lighting from 500 down to 400 could have a major impact on reducing energy consumption.

For 15 years, Dr Fotios has been researching ways to reduce lighting levels whilst maintaining brightness.

Dr Fotios said: "We could try to encourage better use of daylight, that's perfect, it's a way forward – but it's a long term strategy.

"An alternative that we can apply pretty much immediately is to reduce the light levels, from the lux level of 500 down to 400 or 300.

"A reduction of 500 lux to 400 would save approximately 20 per cent of the energy, depending on the installation – and by changing the spectrum of lamps, for example from warm white to cool white, would maintain the brightness of a space, but still reduce energy consumption."

The podcast is the third in the Green Office series, being produced bi-monthly by office refurbishment specialists Morgan Lovell.

Listeners can hear about the latest trends, technology and people in the world of green office design.

A podcast is a pre-recorded 'radio show' that is posted for download on the internet, typically on iTunes. Users subscribe to a podcast and download individual 'episodes' to their iPods or MP3 players to listen while commuting, exercising or at home.

To download the latest episode, log on to http://www.morganlovell.com/podcasts or subscribe via iTunes.

For a direct link to Morgan Lovell's green office podcast at iTunes log on to http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-green-office/id360984495

Photo: Office design specialist Morgan Lovell covers the topic of lighting in its latest podcast.

Editor's notes: Located in London, Birmingham and the Thames Valley, Morgan Lovell is the UK's leading office interior design, fit out and refurbishment specialist. With its own teams of designers, surveyors and project managers, the company can design, manage and deliver entire projects, with the benefit of just one point of contact. It is part of Morgan Sindall Group plc, a leading UK construction and regeneration group operating through four divisions of fit out, construction and infrastructure, affordable housing and urban regeneration, and an investment unit.

Morgan Lovell is a licensed BREEAM Offices Assessment Organisation. This means it is now licensed to measure the sustainability score of an office in order to identify ways companies can reduce high energy usage and waste, whilst increasing comfort and satisfaction for users of the building.

Media contacts:
Contact Jane Shepherd or Jo Foster,
Shepherd PR Limited.
Tel 01538 308685/308099.
Mobile 07985 129315
jane@shepherd-pr.com
jo@shepherd-pr.com

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

London, England -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/17/2010 -- Office design and refurbishment company Morgan Lovell has pulled together the latest economic, technological and legislative information relating to green workplaces into a free online white paper.

Produced for Morgan Lovell by internationally recognised sustainability expert Beatrice K Otto, 'Sustainable Office Design – Unlocking Performance and Productivity,' is available as a free download at http://www.morganlovell.co.uk/useful-info/white-papers

Aimed at those interested in finding out how to combine environmental efficiencies with an inspirational workplace, the white paper acts as a signpost for users to a wide range of information within the sustainability sector. The paper also includes live links, providing a fast and effective means of downloading information from a comprehensive range of sources.

It also features case studies and an in-depth review of subjects including the use of energy, light, water, materials and furniture – as well as a glossary of green office terms.

David Henderson, managing director of Morgan Lovell, said: "Creating sustainable workplaces is an exciting area of interior design and build, which is moving into the mainstream – and this white paper is an important piece of research centred purely on the subject of green office design.

"Increasingly, green or sustainable developments are being termed high performance buildings because they not only tend to save on running costs, but there is also growing evidence that they can increase productivity and well-being for occupants through improved lighting and air quality.

"Where office buildings have been designed or refurbished to be more sustainable, productivity gains in terms of better quality of work and reduced absenteeism, and energy bills are reduced. Ultimately, more sustainable refits can therefore yield faster returns on investment than is commonly expected."

http://www.morganlovell.co.uk

Photo: A new white paper from Morgan Lovell looks in-depth at sustainable offices

Editor's notes: Located in London, Birmingham and the Thames Valley, Morgan Lovell is the UK's leading office interior design, fit out and refurbishment specialist. With its own teams of designers, surveyors and project managers, the company can design, manage and deliver entire projects, with the benefit of just one point of contact. It is part of Morgan Sindall Group plc, a leading UK construction and regeneration group operating through four divisions of fit out, construction and infrastructure, affordable housing and urban regeneration, and an investment unit.

Morgan Lovell is a licensed BREEAM Offices Assessment Organisation. This means it is now licensed to measure the sustainability score of an office in order to identify ways companies can reduce high energy usage and waste, whilst increasing comfort and satisfaction for users of the building.

Media contacts:
Contact Jane Shepherd or Jo Foster, Shepherd PR Limited.
Tel 01538 308685/308099.
Mobile 07985 129315
jane@shepherd-pr.com
jo@shepherd-pr.com

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm