LIGHTING
SEEING THE LIGHT: TACKLING WHOLE-LIFE COSTS OF WORKPLACE LIGHTING
The modern workplace has evolved almost beyond recognition in many instances. Adaptability has emerged as a defining factor when it comes to design, and whilst many of the fittings and furniture can be altered, one area that has always proved difficult to change is lighting. Here Steve Marr, an expert in power distribution at Legrand UK, outlines some of the most common difficulties.
Unlike many elements of a workspace or office, lighting is a constant. There are very few jobs where you can get away with just natural light, and therefore understanding how to get the best out of a lighting system is essential, especially given the amount of energy it can consume.
However, most facilities managers responsible for a commercial offices are now familiar with ways of ensuring that a system is performing efficiently when it comes to energy consumption. This could include the switch from fluorescent to LED lights, and embracing lighting control technology such as energy-saving switches, sensors and dimmers; to ensure the
38 | TOMORROW’S FM
optimum level of light is achieved. However, the ability to cut cost does not stop with the lights themselves, or the control.
In fact there are both short-term and long-term cost savings which can be made early on during the specification and installation stages, by paying further attention to how the power is distributed to the various lighting outlets.
CABLE CONCERN Traditionally, one method of power
distribution has dominated the commercial market: cable. From a pure distribution perspective, cable is still an extremely effective way of getting power from the distribution board to the lighting. Yet where
cable has perhaps fallen behind when compared to other methods is its speed of installation and, more importantly, its adaptability.
If you know exactly where you want both your lighting system and the wider power distribution infrastructure to run, then you can plan a cable installation very effectively. However, it is still a rather labour-intensive installation process, as prior to any cables being introduced a cable management system must be installed to properly support the run. Then cables must be laid, pulled through, and secured; all of which adds a significant amount of time to the overall installation process. Whilst it will result in an
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