Smart Lighting
Fagerhult provides smart lighting control systems and customised solutions for optimising all kinds of environments. We can help you find the right system for your needs so that you can easily create dynamic spaces.
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Experts in retail lighting: Tom Harries
Our focus on retail lighting and design requires a high level of expertise to ensure client satisfaction and to bring their visions to life. With fast-paced project timelines, retail lighting must be tailored to meet specific needs while ensuring full compliance with energy regulations and fulfilling aesthetical needs. We spoke to Tom Harries, Business Development Manager at Fagerhult, to explore how his specialised background supports our retail clients and how his approach goes beyond a typical sales strategy. From product design to lighting expertise Can you tell us about your background and how you ended up in your current role? I earned a degree in Product Design at Brunel University, where I had the opportunity to take part in a year-long lighting design course - the first time such a course had been offered at the university level – which involved designing a light fitting as part of my dissertation. Following that, I had a placement at Aktiva, a UK-based company which designs and manufactures contemporary lighting solutions, specialising in high-quality, bespoke light fittings. After graduating, I joined Fagerhult, as a lighting designer. Initially, I was focused purely on design, but I soon realised I enjoyed the customer-facing side of the role, which led me to transition into sales. Having a design background is quite rare in a sales role and allows me to bring a different perspective to the position. My experience allows me to focus on discussing the scheme with the client, exploring how we can enhance it, and considering how materials can look and feel in the space. It’s very much a collaborative conversation. Overcoming challenges in retail lighting design What are the biggest challenges in retail lighting design? The main challenge is pace—when you’re working on a store refit, everything has to happen incredibly fast. While office projects might take two to three years, retail projects often need to be turned around in as quickly as one month to get the store open as quickly as possible. There’s often only time for quick sketches and drawings, so you need to find ways to quickly bring those concepts to life. Another challenge is the bespoke nature of retail design. Each project must be unique, which I find rewarding. I enjoy finding creative solutions that balance both aesthetic and practical needs. From concept to completion What does a typical day look like for you? A big part of my work revolves around managing accounts like Frasers Group, which owns a wide range of brands, ranging from Sports Direct to high-end stores like Flannels and Frasers and those in between like Jack Wills and Sofa.com. I often attend pre-site meetings in empty buildings, collaborating with architects and clients to explore what is possible. Once the design concept is agreed upon, we work to ensure that everyone is aligned and satisfied with the results. I also deliver CPD presentations to retail design agencies, sharing our expertise and building trust in our ability to bring client's visions to life through effective lighting solutions. Bringing brands to life What aspect of your work do you enjoy the most? I love working on concept development—trying to understand what a brand is aiming to achieve and then figuring out how we can realise that vision in a way that is both practical and visually striking. Sometimes we are working with tight budgets, so part of the challenge is making sure the concept works for everyone involved. Working with twelve brands under the Frasers Group umbrella, each with their own unique requirements, keeps things interesting, and being their sole lighting supplier allows us to create tailored solutions that fit each brand’s identity perfectly. Which project are you most proud of? I’m particularly proud of two standout projects. The first is the Sports Direct flagship store on Oxford Street, a massive 50,000 sq. ft space spread across four floors. This project, part of a £10 million investment from the Frasers Group, took about a year to complete. We incorporated various Fagerhult products, alongside LED Linear and LTS, as well as bespoke elements like the curved LED feature around a custom stretched fabric lightbox. Another favourite is the Flannels flagship store in Liverpool. This 120,000 sq. ft, six-floor store includes unique custom features along with a fully controllable DMX external lighting scheme. The scheme, primarily Fagerhult with contributions from WE-EF, LED Linear, and LTS brands, creates a high-contrast, luxurious atmosphere. This project earned several awards, including the Drapers Award for Best Store Design and Creative Retail Award for Store Design of the Year. What makes Fagerhult stand out? What do you think clients appreciate about working with Fagerhult? Retail is a diverse sector, and our range of brands within the Fagerhult Group allows us to tailor products and solutions to various budgets and needs. From WE-EF to LED Linear, we can provide installations for both standard and bespoke luxury retail spaces. Our team of five in-house designers collaborates closely with clients to create high-quality, customised designs. We’ve also introduced Revvit, a software for creating 3D models that enhances collaborative planning, ensuring clear communication among architects, clients, and designers, which helps to effectively bring concepts to life. Tom Harries' journey from product design to business development highlights the significance of expertise and creativity in retail lighting. His blend of technical knowledge and customer-focused service enables Fagerhult to meet clients' evolving needs with innovative, sustainable solutions. Whether working on bespoke designs for luxury stores or rapid rollouts for high-street brands, Tom effectively bridges the gap between concept and execution, ensuring every project excels.
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Can smart lighting solutions help businesses meet their energy and sustainability goals?
As businesses increasingly prioritise environmental responsibility, lighting is emerging as a key player in helping to achieve ambitious energy and carbon reduction targets. Smart lighting technology offers numerous advantages - from reducing energy use to enabling precise energy reporting - which can support businesses in their sustainability journeys. Dean Campbell-Smith, Director of Sustainable Innovation at Fagerhult, discusses how implementing smart lighting systems can help companies reach their goals efficiently and sustainably. What sort of energy efficient targets are customers working to? “At a super high level, net zero is certainly a target that we find ourselves talking to customers about more and more, particularly for larger clients who signed up to be net-zero by a certain date and have had their net-zero target endorsed by the science-based targets initiative. “For the Fagerhult Group, we need to account for the GHG emissions from the use of our products as part of our net-zero target. These emissions also need to be accounted for by our customers in their reporting – so it is a common goal – we are in this together. “Customers also need to be aware of Part L of the building regulations, which focuses on the conservation of fuel and power, and sets standards for meeting energy efficiency goals, reducing operational costs, and staying compliant with legal requirements in the UK.” How does smart lighting play into these targets? “From a smart lighting perspective, it’s twofold; one is the lighting control piece. By putting in a sensor and measuring occupancy and daylight, energy consumption can be reduced by something like 35 to 45%, and that's great. But with smart lighting, the light can be controlled autonomously, whilst also connecting with other sensors and systems to share information - we can start to learn how the building is actually being used. “For instance, if a building has different tenants with different ways of working, the lighting control system can be adjusted or optimised based on those tenants’ actual usage. We might find, for instance, that some staff come in at the weekends, walk through the office, all the lights come on, then they sit down in their corner and work. But all those lights might remain on for a period of time, so we look at how can we adjust the settings to take advantage of these kind of occupancy behaviours. Often this is where we can see up to 25% in energy savings. “It's obviously very dependent on the building, but what smart lighting solutions give customers is the ability to make energy savings based on behaviour, and it allows customers to report on their own energy consumption.” Is it mandatory for customers to report on their energy consumption? “It’s not currently mandatory for all businesses, but it’s on the horizon. However, even if it’s not compulsory to report energy consumption yet, it’s important to understand where emissions are coming from, that’s how we effect change. Smart lighting solutions produce reports which allow customers to have this kind of visibility, which is fantastic.” Are there other areas where smart lighting solutions can help reduce emissions? “Absolutely. In offices for instance, occupancy sensors are distributed throughout the space for the lighting control system, and that information can be shared with the heating and ventilation systems, which can then be optimised based on our information. This allows us to come together and potentially create more savings for the building. “Smart lighting will also be a key enabler (likely the key enabler) for transitioning to circular solutions, by providing real-time updates on repair or replacement needs, enabling proactive maintenance planning, and reducing service costs. “Additionally, by tracking luminaire usage, smart lighting allows warranties to be based on actual burn time rather than fixed durations. This not only extends the lifespan of the lighting asset but also supports the reuse of luminaires and or components through more realistic and adaptable warranty terms.” What factors should building owners take into consideration when looking to implement a smart lighting solution? “It’s important to understand the system that they already have, and what their journey is: are they constructing a new building? Are they renovating an existing building? What kind of technology do they need? “The Fagerhult Organic Response system is very compelling for renovation projects because it’s wireless. A light with a mains plug can be taken down, and a new smart light, with a mains plug and wireless technology, starts working from day one. For customers, having a vision for how their building can become more intelligent by sharing data with other systems and therefore saving energy is really exciting. “There are other benefits too of course; people want to work in nice places, and creating an environment with excellent light quality that can be tuned according to individual needs has significant benefits for occupants’ comfort and wellbeing.” Smart lighting: a forward-thinking solution In addition to being an effective tool for reducing energy consumption, smart lighting is a forward-thinking solution that supports sustainable practices, health, and long-term cost savings. By embracing these systems, businesses can meet their energy targets more effectively, prepare for future regulations, and create a positive impact on the environment and their bottom line.
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