column // personally speaking
Lighting the load:
making positive change
Following last month’s CI feature
on the rise of LED and energy-
saving lighting options, Paul
Wilmshurst, managing director of
Dynalite Europe, says that it is the
responsibility of corporate R&D
divisions to develop eco-sensitive
products. Paul recommends further
development of effective and
efficient lighting solutions. But,
he says, this should not be looked
upon as a burden and instead, an
opportunity...
Paul
Wilmshurst,
Dynalite
Europe
managing
director
There’s a lot of talk going on about the environment and what we industry is to give our young engineers and designers the free-
can do to save it. In the lighting industry, the most obvious area hand needed to achieve such weight/volume, efficiency and
to address is power consumption through innovative lighting lifespan goals; to afford them the licence to re-examine design
automation technologies. Yet, although this is essential, it is by fundamentals and create truly innovative lighting automation
no means the only method by which our industry can reduce solutions. Where it has been implemented, this kind of thinking
environmental impact. It has now become imperative that we is already paying dividends.
examine the total life cycle and carbon footprint of everything Now is the time to take a holistic approach to environmental
we do and take bold steps towards design innovations that awareness and responsibility, even if it means taking a few
contribute to minimising it. risks. The industry has a golden opportunity to get it right and
With any technology, the real impact of the design and there has never been a better time to start.
deployment decisions, taken over the total life cycle, is not
always apparent. A case-in-point is global freight, the so-called
“By empowering R&D
carbon miles component. How do you know, for example, how
your computer monitor reached you, or what path it took? You
departments to think outside
don’t and it’s impossible to find out. the box, we can take steps
By empowering R&D departments to think outside the
today to not only improve
box, we can take steps today to not only improve intrinsic
efficiency, but to also minimise the carbon miles. Let’s nurture
intrinsic efficiency, but to
the environmental awareness of the next generation and give
also minimise the carbon
them latitude to design products with the future of the planet
in mind.
miles. Let’s nurture the
No matter what material we need to move around the globe, environmental awareness
if it’s lighter and smaller, less energy is needed to create,
of the next generation and
transport and install the product. If it lasts longer and operates
more efficiently, then the total costs and carbon footprint are
give them latitude to design
further reduced. Attaining these objectives can take a little
products with the future of
lateral thinking, but it’s exciting work.
The immediate challenge for the lighting automation
the planet in mind.”
28 May 2009 www.custominstaller.co.uk
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