Energy Efficient Lighting

In recent years, the Royal College of Music have taken action to reduce their carbon emissions by improving energy efficiency through their lighting systems.

The tungsten stage lighting in the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall was by far the most energy inefficient lighting system in the College. With the new LED fixtures installed, the Royal College of Music have seen a significant 80% reduction in energy consumption in the concert hall, delivering carbon emissions savings of around 29 tonnes CO2e per annum. Energy monitoring equipment was used to record energy data before and after installation of the new lighting.

With the cost per unit of electricity having more than doubled between 2021 and 2023, this project will have saved the Royal College of Music almost £50,000 per year in energy costs.

In addition to the benefits from a carbon management perspective, each LED fixture is individually controllable, resulting in significant creative and practical benefits, with vastly reduced demand for maintenance.

The RCM's target is to reduce emissions from gas and electricity use (Scopes 1 and 2) by 73% by 2027 and 100% by 2035, from a 2004/05 baseline. The college are well ahead of this target already, having reduced carbon emissions by 77% in 2022/23 from their 2004/05 baseline.