London's National Gallery may be nearly 200 years old, but that has not stopped it from deploying the latest in green technology.

 

In a bid to protect the works of Da Vinci, Holbein, Van Gogh and Monet from harmful UV rays and slash its lighting costs by 85 per cent, The National Gallery has installed new LED lighting and a smart digital control system.

 

The suite of technologies is expected to save the Gallery about £53,000 a year on its energy bills, as well as around £36,000 in reduced maintenance costs. It is also expected to help the gallery reach its target of slashing carbon emissions 43 per cent by 2014.

 

The so-called LiGO technology, supplied by Open Technology, allows the National Gallery to automatically respond to changes in the level of light in a given environment. For example, the external roof blinds will automatically adjust depending on the angle of the sun, allowing the gallery to make fuller use of natural daylight.

 

"With our previous system we could only switch on and off, whereas LiGO has enabled us to progressively dim and bring up the light in conjunction with daylight levels," said Steve Van Dyke, head of building and facilities at the National Gallery.

 

Chris Bedford, managing director of Open Technology, said the move marks a growing trend amongst businesses investing in more intelligent lighting systems that can save both money and carbon emissions. "It can respond to the complex and unique needs of their building to create a better environment for staff and visitors," he said of the company's technology.