Kingston Grammar School goes wireless with Tridonic system

Kingston Grammar School, an independent school located in Kingston Upon Thames, South-West London, boasts a rich heritage dating back to the 13th century. Many of the school’s facilities are housed in historic buildings.

The school recently upgraded its outdated exterior and emergency lighting systems, opting for a modern, efficient, and sustainable lighting solution. The project involved replacing metal halide fixtures with RGBW LED uplights and wall lights, alongside the introduction of wireless controls. Fluorescent lights were also retrofitted in key areas, such as the Art Block and Main Hall.

Lighting firm Silent Design was appointed to deliver the project and partnered with connectivity experts Tridonic. Having previously collaborated on several successful projects, the Silent Design team was confident that Tridonic could handle the wireless control components of the upgraded lighting system.

The project also included a comprehensive emergency lighting upgrade, featuring central monitoring and reporting across three buildings via the school’s IT infrastructure. By partnering with Tridonic, Silent Design was able to provide a holistic lighting solution tailored to the diverse needs of Kingston Grammar School—combining emergency lighting, retrofit upgrades, and exterior lighting systems.

Replacing older lighting systems in heritage educational buildings presents unique challenges. Together, Silent Design, Tridonic, and the project’s electrical contractor, Redlands Electrical, delivered an innovative lighting solution that overcame these obstacles. The system integrates seamlessly into the existing infrastructure while meeting modern lighting and safety standards. Wireless controls were implemented to avoid extensive rewiring, and prototype testing ensured that the final design met the school’s requirements.

For the emergency lighting upgrade, Tridonic supplied sceneCOM evo to create a central DALI emergency monitoring and reporting system, seamlessly integrated with the school’s IT infrastructure. EM R2A PRO emergency lights, in recessed, surface, and bulkhead formats, were equipped with basicDIM Wireless G2 wireless modules to ensure effective control and communication across the wireless network, supported by basicDIM Wireless Passive Modules for enhanced connectivity.

In the retrofit upgrade, Tridonic delivered ADV6 LEDs paired with NFC PRE3 LED Drivers, offering efficient lighting performance and flexibility. Tridonic’s basicDIM Wireless G2 Modules provide wireless control across most retrofit lights, while basicDIM Wireless SR Modules power luminaires with integrated PIRs and DALI2 sensors, including 4DPI for wide coverage in the Art Block and 10DPI for high-level installations in the Main Hall. For exterior lighting, Tridonic deployed LC 75 UNV 24V Outdoor LED Drivers and basicDIM Wireless PWM 4-Channel Controls, ensuring robust and reliable performance in outdoor conditions.

This integrated solution has brought significant benefits to the school, including advanced lighting control, increased energy efficiency, and simplified maintenance. Kingston Grammar School now has a reliable, future-proof system that enhances safety, functionality, and sustainability across its campus.

“Tridonic’s comprehensive offering made us the ideal partner for Silent Design on the Kingston Grammar School project,” said James Huntington, OEM Controls & Solutions Manager from Tridonic. “Our sceneCOM evo system provides unrivalled control and extensive data collection, so making this the heart of the school’s lighting system delivers exceptional monitoring and reporting capabilities. The benefits are already being realised by the school’s administration.”