Philips Lighting’s OLED chandelier
that allow it to closely mimic an incandescent bulb. The company claims that because the new bulb is 83 per cent more energy efficient than the standard 60W incandescent, consumers can now experience long-term savings.
While this all sounds highly attractive, the fact is that each bulb costs up to £37.
One common mistake when assessing the performance of an LED product is to base the light output solely on its wattage
Netherburn Primary School in Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, uses Thorn Lighting LED equipment
Proof of the pudding Price aside, a recent field trial of LED light fittings in social housing found that LED technology delivered huge energy savings, reduced costs and made residents feel safer. The study, carried out by the Energy Saving Trust (EST), measured the performance of more than 4,250 LED light fittings installed at 35 sites. The EST says it carried out the trial because an
increasing number of LED lights were now commercially available. ‘We like to test things in-situ in order to understand their real performance, rather than rely on manufacturers’ claims,’ explains James Russill, EST’s technical development manager. ‘Some of the comments we had were that the light was fresher, brighter and more like daylight. Generally, the feedback was that the lighting make it a nicer place to live.’
A touch of class
New premises built for Netherburn Primary School in Larkhall were designed by South Lanarkshire Council to replace the original, older building. The Council required high quality control of the light distribution to ensure good teaching conditions, together with an attractive appearance and economical operation through life. Therefore, a major feature of the £2.4m building is the use of Thorn Lighting’s LED equipment. Among the luminaires used are recessed modular 48W Quattro LEDs and Base LED downlights.
Thorn Lighting’s marketing director, Kelly Herrick, says: ‘It was not simply the aesthetic appeal of the luminaires that prompted the choice. The advent of LEDs had given the opportunity of formulating a new lighting package that not only gave high quality colour rendering, but also significantly reduced energy usage.’ Some idea of the improvement in performance can be seen by the fact that to achieve an illuminance approaching 400 lux in one of the larger classrooms, with conventional fittings using 2x40W TC-L lamps, would require 11 fittings, giving 398 lux for an installed load of 14.10W/m2
. The same number of Quattro LED luminaires achieves 380 lux for a load of only 7.69W/m2. Running costs are cut by
45 per cent and the long LED lifetime is expected to generate considerable savings in maintenance.
Tried and tested With the market experiencing an influx of LED lighting solutions from a wide range of manufacturers, contractors should remember that not all products are the same. There are some bold claims being made for the longevity of these products and the general advice is to be cautious. Simon Dixon, account manager at Riegens, states: ‘Always use a reputable company who will give guarantees on the life of the equipment and, in particular, the drivers.’ Tridonic’s Matt Caygill, adds: ‘If a manufacturer is going to offer a life of 50,000 hours for a product, there must be at least a five-year guarantee – after all, there are 8,760 hours in a year. There are too many manufacturers out there offering 50,000 hours’ life with only a one- year guarantee.’
It is also advisable to check the detail behind warranties and guarantees and ensure that the product claims make sense under analysis. For example, examine whether the claims are for system performance, rather than chip performance, or whether life values have been measured in the luminaire at realistic ambient temperatures. For GE Lighting’s Simon Fisher, the only way to back up claims is via supporting data. He advises: ‘Ask whether the fitting has LM79/80 reports to justify the life claims and whether there is photometric data that proves that the glare ratings outlined in EN 12464 are achieved with the product. Finally, make sure that the fittings have got full CE/CB certification.’
Light work One common mistake that contractors often make when assessing the performance of an LED product is to base the light output solely on its wattage. ECA’s Giuliano Digilio explains: ‘When it comes to LEDs, wattage does not equate to light output. Performance is
58 ECA Today July 2012
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