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In modern cruise ships, lighting systems account for up to 25% of the total energy consumption that is not used for propulsion. Therefore, any reduction in electricity consumption for lighting reduces the vessel’s operating costs, as well as reducing the environmental impact.

Electricity aboard these big cruise ships is provided by the diesel engines and generators – no direct drive to the screws these days. Typically, Costa Cruises’ ships are powered by diesel-electric power plant comprising four to six 12-cylinder four-stroke medium speed diesel generating sets (usually by Wartsila with electric propulsion motors by GE of around 21MW coupled to fixed-pitch propellers – though some ships use azipod thrusters instead).

A typical output, depending upon the actual ship, might be around 70 – 80MW (over 100,000 BHP). As well as providing propulsion, these main generators provide power for all shipboard consumers from propulsion motors to hotel functions, such as lighting and air conditioning.

Regardless of the propulsion system used, fuel consumption cost is always a big issue with cruise ships and Costa, for example, has reported a reduction of around 11% in fuel consumption, and with reduced CO2 emissions too. The company has already experimented with LED lighting combined with automatic lighting-control that adjusts light levels to match sunlight intensity.

Slashing carbon emissions

It is here, of course, that Philips comes in, with its over 300,000 LED lights being installed in ten of Costa Cruises’ ships. This lighting renovation enables total annual savings of 30,000 tonnes in CO2 emissions.

It is only relatively recently that the shipping industry has had to meet increasingly tough emissions targets, and the switch to energy efficient LED technology is the latest step towards Costa Cruises’ goal to slash its CO2 emissions according to targets it set out in its Sustainability Report published in 2014.

LED spots and tubes

Philips’ MasterLED spots and CoreProLED tubes installed on these ten cruise ships emit excellent quality white light that does not irritate or tire the eyes. Moreover, the LED light sources last far longer than the older conventional lamps (up to 40,000 hours), so maintenance costs are reduced, while the lighting itself is bright and warm and provides an inviting atmosphere for passengers.

Philips completed the re-lamping of three ships back in 2013, with the lighting of the remaining seven ships completely renovated by December 2014. Philips is also involved in the LED lighting renovation of Costa Cruises’ headquarters in Genoa, Italy.

Cruise ships operate with big fixed costs, so Costa Cruises’ aim as an operator is always to maximise efficiency. Fuel is one of the biggest costs, and prices have soared over the last few years (the fall in price in 2014 is unlikely to be sustained for long) so the company is keen to keep associated expenditure under careful control.

A sustainability boost

Commented Stefania Lallai, Costa Cruises Sustainability Director: “This initiative between two companies engaged in providing solutions for the mitigation of the impact on the environment represents another step forward by Costa Cruises in the field of sustainability. The lighting project with Philips is an important initiative undertaken to lower the CO2 impact generated by our fleet and to reduce energy consumption on board.”

Philips has long had an important emphasis on sustainability. For example, we reported only a few days ago that in its continued sustainability drive, the company had increased its sales of ‘Green Products’ to 52% of total sales and has achieved its ‘Green Innovation’ target a year ahead of schedule (read about this by using the link at the bottom of this web page).

In terms of Costa Cruises, the Head of Sustainability for Philips Lighting, Nicola Kimm, said: “Travel by sea already has the lowest carbon footprint compared to other forms of transport in the wider tourism industry.

‘’Think of cruise ships as self-contained mini floating cities, powered by their own energy supply. Switching from 50W bulbs to 7W LED technology increases energy efficiency by more than halving each ship’s electricity consumption required for lighting,’’ she pointed out.

There is, however, one Costa Cruises ship that won’t be benefitting from Philips LED lighting – the ill-fated Costa Concordia that sank in early 2012.

Visit us at Novel Energy Lighting to browse our range of Philips LED products, including the MasterLED GU10 lamps and Master and Corepro LED tubes.

Lux Reports: Retailers are using light as a branding tool. Primark has opted for a bright feel while the opposite approach is popular with retailers such as Hollister and Desigual. Image credit: Primark

Building brands, driving sales, controlling costs, and preserving the all-important ‘look and feel’… who said retail lighting was easy? Here are the eight biggest trends influencing retail lighting in 2015.

1. Energy Saving LED Retrofits:

Retail was one of the first sectors to start dabbling in LED lighting, because of the big energy savings that can be made by replacing electricity-guzzling halogen spotlights. Major retailers are announcing big new rollouts nearly every day: Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Next, Walmart… but it’s still a small minority of stores that have switched to the new technology, and it’s mainly the bigger chains with significant resources and economies of scale behind them. In time, though, it seems inevitable that LED will be everywhere.

OUTLOOK: Loads of shops have already gone LED but there are plenty left – especially the smaller ones.

2. Branding with light:

 

With stiff competition from online shopping, bricks-and-mortar retailers are having to reinvent their stores as a place where consumers can experience the brands and the product. And they’re learning to use light as one of the most effective ways to become distinctive and recognisable – each in their own way. From Hollister to Primark, light is becoming part of what makes brands what they are.

OUTLOOK: This is a trend the lighting business is well placed to cash in on.

3. New colour technology:

 

Colour has always been key in retail lighting. Many buyers still assume that going LED means compromising on colour quality; but if you avoid the cheap rubbish, it doesn’t have to be so. Halogen has long been the benchmark for colour quality, but in fact many LED products are now outperforming halogen and the latest colour technologies use specially tuned light to keep whites clean while making certain colours even more vivid

OUTLOOK: LED spent a long time proving its adequacy. Get set for it to start fulfilling its real potential.

4. Lights that do new things:

 

What if lights could guide you around a shop and send you special offers when you’re looking at particular items? Well, now they can, thanks to super-accurate positioning systems powered by LED lights. It’s done by modulating light in a way the human eye can’t see, but that can be picked up by the cameras in shoppers’ mobile phones. The light from each luminaire carries a unique code, which the phone uses to pinpoint its position. EldoLED is already installing its Lux Award-winning positioning system at retail sites in the US, GE has several trials under way at retail sites in the US and Europe, and Philips is trialling its system at a museum in the Netherlands.

OUTLOOK: We’ve yet to see it in a real-life retail application, but we’re very excited about it.

5. The flight to quality:

 

We’ve all seen heartbreaking examples of poor-quality LEDs in retail. A well-meaning store manager has tried to save money on energy and maintenance, and now the shop is dim, all the clothes look washed out and the customers feel like zombies. Those days are coming to an end: the wild west of the LED market is being tamed, and even those buyers who had their fingers burned (literally or figuratively) in the early days are trying again, with a renewed focus on look and feel.

OUTLOOK: Some scepticism remains, but LED is winning new friends daily.

6.Overcoming the fear:

 

Retailers can’t afford to get the look and feel wrong, so LED rollouts tend to be nerve-wracking. There is always a certain risk when you invest in new technology. And with no real standards for LED lighting products, we might just have to embrace that risk. With warranties, funding and improved quality, it’s getting easier, but there’s still inertia – partly the result of bad experiences, uncertainty or mistrust over exaggerated energy-saving and lifetime claims made by manufacturers.

OUTLOOK: Lighting refits are never simple, but more and more people are at it, giving buyers confidence – and it’s getting easier by the day. 7. 

 Justifying the spend:

 

It’s easy enough to prove the environmental benefits of an LED upgrade, but sadly that’s not always enough to persuade the finance department to approve the upfront expenses associated with a new lighting scheme. Imagine how much easier it would be if you could prove the correlation between better lighting and increased sales. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy to separate the lighting from the myriad of other variables that influence people’s shopping decisions. As Simon Waldron, Sainsbury’s electrical engineering manager, told Lux: ‘The controllability of variables is missing. We need a standardised approach to proving the link between lighting and sales which at the moment can’t be applied.’

The Big Four Bridge was originally built in 1895 as a railway bridge and was named based on the four railways served — Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis railways — which were collectively dubbed the Big Four Railroad. The bridge was decommissioned in 1969 and much later renovated by a public-private partnership for pedestrians and cyclist and reopened in 2013.

In Louisville, the reincarnation of the bridge had already been a hit with as many as 1 million people visiting annually including both residents and tourists. The architectural lighting was intending to add a nighttime element to what had become a popular draw, with the SSL project able to act as a backdrop for waterfront events. The lighting was included in a six-year plan launched by Mayor Greg Fischer to leverage energy-efficient LED lighting to create a green and inclusive environment around the city.

“This was a strategic opportunity to leverage LED technology to further enhance the city’s most popular attraction and continue the momentum of moving Louisville forward as an innovative and independent city,” said Mayor Fischer. “The new lighting will make the bridge safer at night, enhance waterfront events, and contribute to the artistic flair and pride of this community.”

The project utilized more than 1500 Philips Color Kinetics luminaires on the interior and exterior structure of the bridge. The dynamic software-based control system was installed by Vincent Lighting Systems. The light show is visible from dusk to 12:30 AM nightly from the bridge and surrounding parks.

Louisville hopes that LED architectural lighting will help boost tourism just as SSL projects have done so in other cities. For example, the San Francisco Bay Bridge “Bay Lights” project has been very positive for the California region and is nearing the end of a two-year run, although plans are underway to revamp that project.

Philips has been instrumental in supplying the SSL products for many of the most significant outdoor architectural lighting projects around the globe. Philips was the supplier behind the Birmingham and San Francisco projects. Philips also supplied the lighting for the dynamic lighting of the Miami Tower, New York’s Madison Square Garden, and many more SSL projects.

“Illuminating iconic structures creates a meaningful impact in a community, a source of pride for residents that brings people together, attracts visitors, and is a reflection of the city,” said Amy Huntington, president of Philips Lighting Americas. “The Big Four Pedestrian Bridge is a shining example of the positive impact that public-private partnerships can have in our communities. We are committed to working with city officials and local organizations to help make neighborhoods more livable.”

Novel Energy Lighting supplies Philips Color Kinetics products, including coving, DMX, and Pro controllers. Contact us for your architectural lighting needs: sales@novelenergylighting.com or Tel: 0208-540-8287