As a premier retail and leisure destination in the heart of Reading, The Oracle welcomes over 12.4 million visitors annually. Owned by Hammerson, the destination is governed by an ambitious, industry-leading Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework. Key to Hammerson’s transition pathway is the commitment to reach Net Zero carbon emissions for landlord-controlled operations by 2030.
To progress toward this goal, we collaborated with asset managers Hilson Moran and installers GA Harpers to upgrade the lighting infrastructure across the two flagship smart car parks (totaling 2,300 spaces), as well as essential back-of-house areas.
Multi-storey car parks are traditionally heavy energy consumers, requiring illumination to ensure visitor safety, security and operational compliance. The Oracle needed a modern lighting solution that could:
- Reduce energy intensity and carbon footprint in line with Hammerson’s Net Zero Asset Plans (NZAPs).
- Deliver smart, responsive control without the need for expensive, invasive data cabling.
- Provide robust, failsafe emergency lighting that is easy to monitor and maintain.
- Maintain a welcoming, premium environment for millions of visitors.
Dynamic Dimming & On-Demand Light
Before a single luminaire was manufactured, our design team produced detailed lighting calculations to ensure every space would receive the right level of illumination for its intended use. We then designed a comprehensive, highly efficient LED lighting scheme integrating a secure, fully wireless, and decentralised control system. By embedding Tridonic Mymesh-enabled drivers and smart sensors directly into our luminaires, we created a responsive network that eliminates the need for central control panels or additional data cabling.
Instead of running at 100% capacity around the clock, the car park lighting now operates on a dynamic profile. Using integrated microwave and PIR sensors, the system detects vehicle and pedestrian movement.
- When areas are vacant, the lights dim down to a safe, low-energy background level.
- As a car or pedestrian enters a zone, the wireless mesh instantly communicates ahead, raising the light levels along their path to 100% to ensure suitable visibility.
- Self-testing emergency luminaires communicate their status wirelessly. This automates the mandatory compliance testing, sending digital reports directly to facility managers and eliminating manual maintenance walks.
Financial & Environmental Impact
The system will deliver:
- 87% reduction in lighting energy consumption.
- 155.38 tonnes of CO2 saved annually.
- A Return on Investment of 4.74 years.
By choosing our smart LED lighting, The Oracle has successfully transformed its car parks into ultra-efficient, future-ready smart environments with a rapid financial payback and helping with progress toward Net Zero carbon goals.
