[ Focus: LED lighting ]
issues by creating a lighter, brighter office. What’s more, the lighting can be tailored to individual needs.’ Just as importantly, LEDs start up quickly and don’t flicker, so they don’t cause eyestrain and irritation.
8. LED lighting offers an excellent revenue stream for electrical contractors LED lighting is on the radar of everybody – from multinational corporations down to homeowners – as a key method of saving energy and money over the long-term. This means that there are clear opportunities for electrical contractors to take advantage of the rapid adoption of LED. Asked what advice he would give to electrical
contractors when specifying and installing LED lighting products, Neil Parrott of Riegens, says: ‘Ensure you know what you are buying. Focus on companies who know light and lighting and ensure you’re confident that the product will meet the customer’s expectations.’
9. Not all LED lighting solutions are the same The LED market has been inundated with suppliers over the past few years as manufacturers seek to take advantage of this new technology. A lack of recognised and enforced standards has resulted in a dramatic variation in the quality of products available. LED lamps sold on the European market should,
by law, carry the CE mark, which is a statement by the manufacturer that the product complies with all the relevant EU legislation, including the product safety standards and directives. Nick Shaw, technical services director at Dextra,
comments: ‘The pitfalls of selecting a poor-quality luminaire can be significant. Premature product failure and the associated costs, poor lumen output, low lm/W and inefficient design, can compromise the customer’s lighting scheme and ROI. When specifying a product, the manufacturer should always be asked to provide full photometric and electrical data, as well as conformance certificates, to ensure that the product will provide the customer with the full benefits of their investment.’ These sentiments are shared by Collingwood
Lighting’s Tony Allison, who says: ‘Make sure that you understand the warranty. Many manufacturers have stipulations regarding warranties that make it difficult to judge whether the customer would be able to claim a replacement if something goes wrong with the product.’
10. LED lighting has a bright future With LED lighting becoming more mainstream, the next generation of this technology is beginning to create interest. Organic LED (OLED) lighting works by passing
electricity through one or more extremely thin layers of organic semiconductor material. Already being used in TVs and mobile phones, OLED lighting products currently available include Philips’ Lumiblade
June 2013 ECA Today 49
panels and Osram’s Orbeos products. Duncan Chamberlain, of Philips, says: ‘Designers,
Such impressive figures suggest that electrical contractors should be looking to get involved with this potentially lucrative sector
architects and consumers are increasingly using OLEDs in a variety of contexts. Research and development continues at top speed, conquering new and unexplored territory. Imagine ceilings glowing with colour, glass walls that light up at the wave of your hand, or windows that provide subtle illumination after dark. The result is large areas of evenly distributed light that can be adjusted in brightness and colour and can be applied to almost any surface in almost any shape.’
In summary LED lighting technology is developing rapidly and will become even more affordable as time goes on. Further improvements in efficiency and light output are already taking place, and the way light is delivered is changing, putting electrical contractors in pole position to benefit from the specification and installation of this technology. ECA members that require further information on LED lighting technology can contact the ECA’ s head of Technical Services, Giuliano Digilio, who has been monitoring the development of LED technology and now believes they are suitable solutions for most types of lighting applications within buildings using LED technology. He can be contacted by calling 020 7313 4825 or at
giuliano.digilio@eca.co.uk
Lighting technology is
developing at a rapid pace
LEDs can be used in a wide variety of everyday situations
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