Restaurant Turns to Vive Wireless Lighting Control for Sustainable Energy Savings
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The AKM Group, which operates the Domino’s pizza delivery and takeaway franchise in central Luton, England, prides itself on its forward thinking. That philosophy has led to a great deal of success for the company. Since beginning in 1999, the business has grown to encompass 24 locations and more than 800 employees. It includes a little bit of history, too, as the central Luton location – which opened in 1985 – was the very first Domino’s in Britain.
In these sustainability-sensitive times, AKM wanted to make sure the Luton Domino’s remained on the forefront of eco-friendly technology, fitting in with the company’s dedication to green initiatives. Among its goals: cutting energy costs. That meant lighting control. “Here at AKM, we love new ideas, technology, and doing things differently, which we like to think sets us apart,” says Jurate Maseviciute, General Manager of AKM Pizza Ltd. “As business operators we always look for new ways to reduce costs. It was a no-brainer when it came to the lighting control project, as it has a huge added benefit of environmental sustainability.”
All told, wireless was the logical solution, says Maseviciute. It offered remote access and monitoring as well as simple operation. “We wanted ease of use and control,” she says. AKM already had a strong relationship with its electrical contractor, RTEQ London Ltd. Together, they opted for Vive, Lutron’s simple, scalable, and flexible wireless lighting control solution. Vive ticked all the boxes, says RTEQ London Ltd. Director Andrea Icaro Giammaria. Not only was it wireless, it was easy to install, easy to program, included occupancy sensors, and – with Vive Vue software – easy to monitor remotely. It was a solution that would start paying dividends immediately, says Giammaria. “With an affordable investment they could not only save money, but do something noble for the planet, turning Domino’s in Luton into a greener and more eco-friendly business,” he says. “Vive is an outstanding solution.”
The Challenge
The Luton Domino’s is one of AKM’s best-performing rapid-delivery stores – and one the firm was most concerned about for energy consumption. Although ovens would be switched off at the end of the day, sometimes some high wattage-consuming devices would be forgotten and left on, wasting energy.
AKM wanted to be able to monitor the store remotely and ensure automation was used to prevent lights from being left on. Wireless components provided a simple way to do this, with occupancy sensors and timeclock events. In addition, the company wanted to switch the store to more eco-friendly LED lighting. The installation also needed to be done without affecting store operations. The Luton store is a busy location that’s open 19 hours a day, with constant traffic for takeaway and delivery. A wired solution might require time consuming construction to put in new wiring, getting in the way of business.
The Solution
The installation and programming were as easy as hoped, says Giammaria. “Thanks to Vive, we managed to do the installation in a short time without compromising the opening hours and the normal operation of the store, making this project even more cost-effective,” he says. Easy accessibility offsite was a bonus, he adds.
Maseviciute had some concerns that the new controls would interfere with business, but says her worries proved unfounded. “Installation was no hassle at all, as we received outstanding service from Andrea,” she says.
The Result
In the months since Vive was installed, the Domino’s is already seeing results, says Giammaria.
Energy costs, too, have also declined. AKM sees Luton as just the beginning. With two dozen stores, installing Vive wireless lighting control is a terrific opportunity to save energy throughout their system and continue the business’ sustainability strategy, says Maseviciute. “We plan to introduce the same system to the rest of our stores,” she says. “Sustainability should be every business’ concern.”
Visit Lutron.com/vive for more information about using sustainable energy solution on your projects.