Creating a greener and brighter future with the help of LED-UK and LoCASE – Newhaven Enterprise Centre

After receiving a grant from LoCASE and support from LED-UK in upgrading light fixtures and fittings in its communal areas, Newhaven Enterprise Centre is on the road to Net Zero.

Newhaven Enterprise Centre, based in Denton Island, Newhaven, is owned by Lewes District Council, and managed by business support organisation Let’s Do Business Group. The Centre provides a range of managed office spaces and units on flexible terms – spanning small one or two person units or mid size and larger incubator units. 

Tenants at the Newhaven Enterprise Centre span businesses of all sizes from a wide range of sectors – and are able to benefit from bookable meeting rooms, free parking, a full time reception service and regular networking events. Due to being managing by business support organisation Let’s Do Business Group, tenants can also benefit from free and impartial business support to help them grow.

In Summer 2022, Newhaven Enterprise Centre got in touch with Low Carbon Across the South and East (LoCASE). The LoCASE programme is supported by the European Regional Development Fund to enable businesses to become more competitive and profitable in their sector while protecting the environment and encouraging low carbon solutions. Working on plans towards Net Zero throughout the business, Let’s Do Business Group were able to secure a grant of £5k through the LoCASE programme for upgrades to Newhaven Enterprise Centre that could reduce emissions and provide future cost savings for the managed workspace.

Through the Hastings Chamber Area of Commerce, Newhaven Enterprise Centre contacted LED-UK to assess the feasibility and potential cost savings of an overhaul of lighting and fittings in the Centre.

After having a survey completed by LED-UK and securing a plan and estimate for the improvements, Newhaven Enterprise Centre was supplied and fitting with new LED lighting throughout the communal areas in the Centre and in some units – including emergency lighting with lithium batteries. The new lighting and fittings running on a lower wattage of 18w and providing more light at 1200Lm in communal areas, upgraded fixtures were also fitted in stairwells – operating from sensors, meaning energy was not being wasted when the areas were not in use.

“Steve from LED-UK was very knowledgeable, and took the time to understand our needs and come up with the most cost-efficient solution”

— Kaye Crittell, Let’s Do Business Group  

The initial free survey by LED-UK showed that the Centre could potentially have a saving of 70.62% by updating the lighting in communal areas in the Centre. This could potentially translate to £11,000 in yearly running costs, with a return on capital investment in the update being recouped with 1.7 years.

Since the updating of lighting and fixtures by LED-UK in August 2022, the replacement is not only expected to help reduce running costs for the centre, but also lead to a reduction in yearly maintenance costs due to the warranty of the new fixtures and durability.

On the project at Newhaven Enterprise Centre, LED-UK said ‘both the client and their tenants now have a ‘brighter future’ with all their businesses’.

Could LoCASE help your business with your plans to go green? Find out more about LoCASE