Megaman Reports: The LED lamp market is growing steadily with sales expected to reach £600 million by 2018 and it is still a rapidly changing technology. LED’s have become extremely popular for both domestic and commercial applications, with huge growth in the retail sector. The only problem with LED lamps is that whilst they will save up to 80% in energy when compared to a traditional light source, they tend to look very similar to each other, irrespective of the quality of the components that have been used to make them. The trouble is, they may look the same but their performance can vary considerably. This may be in terms of the light output, consistency of colour temperature, energy consumption or the longevity of the lamp.
In many ways, this is potentially more of a problem with LEDs than other light sources because they are more complex than traditional lamps. For example, a typical LED lighting system comprises of a power supply that converts the mains voltage to a constant voltage, which is then supplied to the LED lamp. The role of the LED driver is to convert the mains supply into either a constant voltage or a constant current that is then supplied to the LEDs themselves. The constancy of the current ensures a constant light output, with the light output being proportional to the current applied.
An important point here is that energy is lost at each of the conversion stages described above and this can have a significant impact on the overall power supply efficiency. In fact, the power supply efficiency of LEDs from different manufacturers can vary from 50% to 90% and this will influence the overall energy savings that are achieved.
Also, the light energy generated by the LED is then converted to white light by exciting phosphors that coat the LED, in the same way that fluorescent lighting works. The quality and consistency of the phosphor coating has a direct impact on the consistency of colour temperature and colour rendering. There are huge advantages to be had for commercial lighting by getting the colour temperature right – mood can be increased and atmosphere created for hospitality, whilst the colours of merchandise can be highlighted in retail applications. Megaman lamps can achieve a warm temperature of 2400K for mood creation up to 5500K for colour enhancement in retail applications. Megaman is now concentrating on improving the quality of light and the CRI not reducing the wattage.
While the factors described above apply to all LED light sources, there are also other considerations relating to retrofit lamps that are designed for fitting to an existing luminaire. For instance, the optical design of the retrofit LED lamp has a significant impact on overall performance.
In many retrofit lamps there are both primary optics and secondary optics. The primary optics are frequently built into the LED source, often in the form of a dome that helps to increase light output. There may then be secondary optics added to modify the beam width or light distribution, adding further to the complexity of the design and the intricacy of manufacture.
There is also the whole issue of thermal management as LEDs can generate a considerable amount of heat. If the temperature in the vicinity of the LED and its electronic circuitry is allowed to get too high this will both reduce light output and the life of the lamp. Retrofit lamps therefore have a built-in heat sink to conduct heat away from the sensitive electronics – so the efficiency with which the heat sink does its job is another important element in performance and reliability.
A lack of effective surge protection is also important, as is the use of a sealed housing to prevent moisture infiltration.
For all of these reasons it is clear that each of these components is important in the overall performance of the lamp that the end user experiences, thus reinforcing the importance of high quality manufacture using proven, reliable components.
Trusted brands
Given the complexity of LED lighting, as described above, the reasons for being very cautious when sourcing LED lighting products become immediately apparent. Megaman has addressed the issues above by launching product ranges using TCH technology (an ingenious highway design across the reflector to dissipate heat efficiently) for thermal control, instant start, smooth dimming, Perfect White and Dim to Warm. Megaman also use a ‘true size shape’ that allows easy retrofit and the process of ‘LEDification’ of the traditional light source formats is pretty much complete so there are now LED alternatives for the vast majority of lamp types.
Megaman’s Dim to Warm allows linear dimming from 2800K to 1800K, providing a perfect solution for many applications where it is desirable to change the ambience at different times of day. A cosy hotel bar is one obvious example of this. The fact that these lamps are available in candle, GLS, AR111 and GU10 formats also gives them very wide scope. Tuneable White allows commercial projects to choose between 3000K and 6000K so that users can tune the lighting to the shade of white they want, without needing to change light source, and dim it if necessary. Tuneable white lighting is ideal for multi-use areas or where there is a requirement to link to human-centric lighting systems. Perfect White which makes white clothes in retail look really amazing. This is a significant development because general LED lighting tends not to show plain white fabrics at their best, but by adding a violet spike to the phosphor mix their appearance is transformed.
Megaman is also producing fittings that meet the requirements of the hospitality and leisure sectors. Indeed, as the LED light source has become well established there has been a corresponding boost in the introduction of luminaires that have been designed specifically for LED light sources. This is a clear benefit as these luminaires are able to optimise the particular optical characteristics of LEDs to achieve maximum light output ratio and efficient light distribution. In parallel, the ability to use new thermoplastics in the manufacture of LED luminaires – something that couldn’t be done three years ago – is enabling luminaire designers to broaden their creative output.
2015 is set to be a very significant year for low-energy lighting in general, and LED lighting in particular. In order to achieve the maximum benefits available it is important to start thinking beyond simply swapping an energy-hungry light source for a more efficient one and begin to take advantage of the extra functionality that are now making possible. Additionally, Megaman has its own test facility and is able to subject its products to continuous assessment to ensure good quality control and consistent performance.
Megaman has achieved another industry first with the launch of a wide range of LED products that incorporate a new Dim to Warm system which provides improved dimming performance with the warmth and characteristics of halogen.
Megaman has achieved another industry first with the launch of a wide range of LED products that incorporate a new Dim to Warm system which provides improved dimming performance with the warmth and characteristics of halogen. These LED’s emit a warmer light when they are dimmed with a colour temperature that changes smoothly from 2800K to 1800K when dimmed from 100% to 10%.
Megaman’s Dim to Warm LED lamps feature the same compact profile as incandescent and halogen lamps and are true equivalent replacements in terms of performance, appearance and ambiance. Megaman LED lamps with Dim to Warm technology include Candles, Classics, MR16s, AR111s and Integrated LED Downlights, all of which offer a long life of up to 50,000 hours and high lumen maintenance.
The result is a much more intimate LED lighting experience in commercial settings where lighting plays an important role in creating the mood, particularly the hospitality industry. The Dim to Warm capability also provides high energy savings and lower maintenance costs with no compromise in visual comfort.
Novel Energy Lighting supplies all Megaman lighting products. Please contact us for a quote today. Tel: 0208-540-8287, Email: sales@novelenergylighting.com
Lux Reports…The principal legislative requirements for hospitality and leisure facilities in the UK lie in the relevant Building Regulations. These are now separated out between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and while there are some core elements, each has its own nuances so make sure you have the right guidance document for where your building is.
For lighting, the main crux is the part dealing with conservation of fuel and power. In a nutshell, it’s energy efficiency. Hospitality has always been a bit of a grey area where the building regulations are concerned as it includes ‘general areas’ as well as ‘display lighting’, which has much less stringent efficacy demands. The third section is for ‘office, industrial and storage’ where luminaire performance instead of lamp efficacy, is the driver, with additional facility to bring in lighting controls.
The Building Regs, the HSE’s guide to lighting at work and theEsos regulations. Pay attention, we’ll be asking questions later
If you’re feeling lazy, it would be easy to convince yourself that all hospitality lighting is display lighting, but the guidance is quite clear that display lighting should be on separate controls to facilitate it being switched off when ‘people are not inspecting exhibits, merchandise or being entertained’. This effectively precludes the widespread use of inefficient sources, even in restaurants as more efficient lighting must be provided during cleaning, setting-up times etc. It is also worth noting that any task which is predominantly desk-based falls into the office category so reception areas will almost inevitably fall into this category.
The legislation governing the quantity of light is pretty much restricted to that published by the Health and Safety Executive, and its guide on lighting at work. As might be expected, it really only deals with the health and safety aspects of lighting for people in the workplace, rather than the creation of pleasant or appropriate lighting environments. It says it’s important that lighting in the workplace:
allows people to notice hazards and assess risks;
is suitable for the environment and the type of work (for example, it is not located against surfaces or materials that may be flammable);
provides sufficient light (illuminance on the task);
allows people to see properly and discriminate between colours, to promote safety;
does not cause glare, flicker or stroboscopic effects;
avoids the effects of veiling reflections;
does not result in excessive differences in illuminance within an area or between adjacent areas;
is suitable to meet the special needs of individuals;
does not pose a health and safety risk itself;
is suitably positioned so that it may be properly maintained or replaced, and disposed of to ensure safety;
includes, when necessary, suitable and safe emergency lighting.
The guide also gives recommended illuminance levels, although these are only split into five categories dependent on risk and level of detail with average illuminances ranging from 20 lx for circulation to 500 lx in drawing offices. It also gives minimum levels deemed acceptable. Given the limited scope of the categories, it is better to obtain more detailed guidance.
Guidance
The Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) publishes a raft of lighting guidance which reflects the relevant European standards. This covers not just the recommended illuminance levels for the tasks involved, but also application guidance.
The SLL’s Guide to the Lighting of Licensed Premises differs from many of their technical guidance as it is aimed primarily at the manager of the premises – a non-expert. By contrast, the ‘Code for Lighting’ is highly technical and probably more suited to larger chains of premises with lighting specialists or facilities managers within the staff. Having said that, the licensed premises guide does tackle design considerations such as distinguishing the bar back from drinking or eating areas as well as detailed guidance on surface colours as well as key factors such as colour rendering and selection of suitable lamp types for different areas within the building and the principles in the guide can be applied in many different types of hospitality and leisure facilities.
Many people will have experienced poor lighting in restaurants and bars and the key remains to consider the users of the space. Creating a moody, subdued lit environment is not much help if you can’t read a menu. The SLL guidance always puts the users at the heart of its design guidance and the licensed premises guide is a useful starting point.
Esos
Much of the regulation and guidance for hospitality and leisure facilities covers the individual buildings. But companies comprising a large number of facilities, such as hotel or restaurant chains, must also comply with the new Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme, or Esos.
Esos will require large companies to conduct a full energy audit by the end of 2015 – and repeat it every four years.
The definition of a large undertaking is a company or organisation with 250 employees or with a turnover in excess of €50m (£38m, $57m); this includes all organisations – including not-for-profit ones – that are part of a corporate group that includes a large undertaking. If a company qualifies for Esos and is not fully covered by ISO 50001 they will need to carry out an Esos assessment.
Esos itself goes much further than purely the building premises; industrial processes and transport are also part of the assessment so companies with fleets of company cars or transportation lorries are going to have to assess each vehicle.
The deadline for submission of the Esos assessment is 5 December 2015.
Emergency lighting
To comply with the Fire Safety Order, you need to have emergency lighting and look after it properly. Facility managers or owners are required by law to test their emergency lighting once a month. The fines can be in the thousands for people who can’t provide a monthly test record, and the responsible person can end up with a hefty fine or even a prison sentence if someone ends up getting hurt as a result. Turn to page 60 for more on how to stay out of trouble on this one.
Foibles
When is industrial not industrial? Well, in pretty much every chic hip eatery or drinkery in every major city in the UK. The prevalence of squirrel cage-style filament lamp dominates the interior design scene of just about anywhere that sells pulled pork these days. Now, these filament lamps clearly don’t meet any of the requirements of the Building Regulations and fall into the inefficient sources that were banned years ago. So how have they survived the cull? Simply because they are sold as non-domestic, ‘rough service’ lamps for use in industrial areas such as factories and building sites where they might get knocked about.
Retro-style exposed filament lamps and luminaires are big business. But it’s a fine line as to whether you could actually specify them if you reconsider the Building Regulations. Urban chic is all well and good, but there’s more choice than the ubiquitous squirrel, believe me.
Call us today to begin your hotel LED lighting retrofit. Tel: 0208-540-8287. Email: sales@novelenergylighting.com
Megaman have launched their new product catalogue for 2015. With 20 years of experience in the industry, Megaman low energy lighting continues to lead the field in product design and performance. The product range has moved almost fully to LED and away from CFL as new technologies supersede old.
Megaman have also launched a brand new range of stylish fixtures, including integrated LED fittings, recessed downlights, track fittings, battens and LED panels – for applications such as retail, hotels, restaurants, homes and offices. The extensive range of interior and exterior light fittings are designed around LED lighting, promoting energy efficiency and delivering high performance lighting effects in commercial and residential applications.
Megaman are also proud to announce the introduction of some new innovative technologies, including:
Dim to Warm – a comprehensive range of lamps that smoothly dim down from 2800K to 1800K, simulating the characteristics of halogen.
Perfect White – LEDs that intensify and brighten the colour white, perfect for retail lighting.
Ingenium BLU – Bluetooth enabled LED lamps which use Bluetooth technology to connect to and control our lighting.
Visit Novel Energy Lighting to view our range of Megaman LED products
Getting that graphene glow: Graphene Nobel Laureate Sir Kostya Novoselov (l) and UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne light up with one of the graphene LED lamps at The University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute.
LUX Reports: For LED bulbs, not only are prices coming down, but also the bulbs themselves keep getting better. The latest example: in a few months you’ll be able to purchase a light bulb made with everybody’s favourite miracle material, graphene.
The bulb, from a UK startup called Graphene Lighting, ‘Is expected to perform significantly better and last longer than traditional LED bulbs,’ a press release from the UK’s The University of Manchester states (it must be a sign of progress if we can now refer to ‘traditional’ LED bulbs!). ‘It is expected that the graphene lightbulbs will be on the shelves in a matter of months, at a competitive cost.’
That’s a lot of great expectations from the university, which is excited because, for among other reasons, it has a financial stake in Graphene Lighting. The company is a spin-out from the National Graphene Institute, founded at the university with British and European government funding to advance commercial applications of graphene.
Graphene Lighting will coat a bulb’s LED chips with graphene, improving the bulb’s heat removal process, a university spokesperson told Lux. (For those who need reminding: LED bulbs give off light from semiconductors known as light-emitting diodes. And while LEDs are far more efficient than conventional bulbs, they’re still inefficient enough to yield heat that must dissipate).
According to the press release, the graphene leads to ‘lower energy emissions, longer lifetime and lower manufacturing costs.’ The university would not quantify those improvements.
A BBC story suggested that the bulb will cut energy consumption by 10 per cent over other LED bulbs because it enhances electrical conductivity. The Financial Times (registration may be required), which appears to have broken the story about the bulb, also suggested a 10 per cent improvement.
The university spokesperson told Lux that ‘it’s too early to say,’ whether the 10 per cent figure is accurate.
The BBC story said the bulb uses a filament-shaped LED. The FT said it will be priced lower than the ‘£15 and more’ that it said is typical for comparable dimmable LED bulbs.
Lux has requested an interview with Prof Colin Bailey, a director of Graphene Lighting and deputy president of The University of Manchester, to find out more about the lamp’s workings.
The University of Manchester is the birthplace of graphene. Scientists Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov first isolated the wonder material there in 2004, an achievement that earned them the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics.
‘This lightbulb shows that graphene products are becoming a reality, just a little more than a decade after it was first isolated – a very short time in scientific terms,’ Prof Bailey said in the press release.
Graphene is a one-atom thin sheet of carbon heralded for having the strength of Superman and conductivity that’s 100 times better than today’s silicon-based semiconductors.
Potential uses span from building materials through energy and electronics, including semiconductors, solar cells and of course, light bulbs. The BBC noted that it is already used in tennis rackets and skis.
The Down Hall Hotel, one of the UK’s most established country house hotels, has achieved considerable energy savings on lighting thanks to a simple retrofit to Megaman LED lamps. With Phase 1 of the project concentrating on the main function rooms, lounge and anti-lounge areas, the current estimated figures are 7736kw of energy saved per annum which equates to an annual CO2 saving of 4.21 tons.
Located in Hatfield Heath on the Hertfordshire/Essex borders, Down Hall was built in the Italianate style of architecture, which was a distinct 19th century phase in the history of Classical architecture and the hotel dates back to 1322 with luxurious interior and ornate ceilings, all set in 110 acres of parkland. The hotel has many high ceiling function rooms including the Prior Suite, and this was the first room to be considered for the new LED lamps.
With chandeliers and wall lights in constant use, the old Halogen 28W lamps were constantly failing which meant a scaffolding tower had to be erected each time to replace the lamps, taking up valuable maintenance time and causing serious potential health and safety issues. On review of the lighting it was agreed to switch the existing lighting to Megaman’s 5w candle lamps in warm white, which also offer dimming capabilities for changing the ambience of the room at different times of the day and evening. On completion of the Prior Suite, the staff at Down Hall were so delighted with the result that the other function rooms, namely
Rookwood, Lyndhurst, Harley and the lounge and anti-lounge, were also changed to the new LED lamps. Bob Parker at Down Hall commented “We are extremely happy with the new LED lamps which, apart from the energy savings achieved, actually look better and complement the existing fittings, plus they offer 50,000 hours life. The light output is excellent and staff are commenting that the new lighting has improved the whole ambience of the building. We are now in the process of putting Phase 2 into action which will include the Bridgeman Selwin Suites which is our main ballroom for wedding receptions”.
Novel Energy Lighting supplies LED lighting to the hospitality sector and can provide many references of hotels which have been retrofitted. We sell LED lamps and fittings, and can provide services such as surveys, lighting designs, and installation to help you start saving energy as quickly as possible.
Call us: 0208-540-8287, or email: sales@novelenergylighting.com for more information
When H&M arrived on Australia’s shores last year, it did so in style with a vast, mostly LED-lit flagship store in the former General Post Office building in Melbourne.
The building’s long history, and its 18 meter high ceiling, presented the facility team with a challenge of respecting its heritage while ensuring that the fixtures were as easy to maintain as possible.
This has been achieved mainly with linear LED luminaires, recessed from existing ceiling pockets, which focus the light down the central spine of the building’s three-storey glazed atrium.
Lighting designers kept in close contact with Heritage Victoria throughout the project and ensured that the lighting installation was fully reversible and didn’t do any damage to the building surface.
As well as recessed ceiling fixtures, linear LED luminaires have been placed high up to uplight the ceiling and emphasise the columns and the geometric shape of the atrium.
Lower down, mannequins sitting on swings and posing on podiums are lit with narrow-beam metal halide spotlights. The spotlights are placed in pairs on the columns around the atrium with linear LED uplights positioned in-between the spotlights to highlight the top part of the columns above.
The arcade arches around the building are lit with linear LED fixtures concealed within the structure. All light sources are warm white with a colour temperature of 3000k.
Using mainly LED light sources means the store has achieved an electrical load of 12W/m2 for the downward light and 10W/m2 for the architectural lighting to the arches, trees and ceiling structure.
Novel Energy Lighting supplies LED lamps, fittings, and controls for many retail applications. Contact us for volume quotes or for lighting designs: www.novelenergylighting.com, or Tel: 02085408287
Lux Imagines: What would happen if all the fittings in Britain’s hotel bedrooms were replaced with LEDs? And what if we add all the corridors and toilets to the equation? Lux‘s lighting economist, Dave Tilley, has done just that in this thought-provoking calculation based on hotel industry information and 2015 projections.
First, Tilley considered changing eight incandescent and halogen lamps to LED in every one of the UK’s 615,000 hotel bedrooms – and then a complete changeover including common areas in 31,000 hotels.
Let’s see what happens:
Conclusion
The results are staggering: £131 million ($199 million) and 677,000 tonnes of CO2 could be saved if Britain’s hotels changed their bedroom, corridor and toilet lights to LED.
But for many businesses, the capital investment needed to do this is still considered a barrier, even when it might pay for itself in a year or less.
The scale of the potential savings – and their contribution to CO2 reduction targets – should capture the imagination of the hotel industry. But government should also be more involved in encouraging better lighting, if it is serious about lowering the country’s energy consumption.
Novel Energy Lighting has supplied LED lighting to many hotels in the UK, and can support you in your hotel retrofit. We also offer LED lighting finance through our partners at Lombard Capital to eliminate the capital barrier, and allow you to pay for your upgrade from the energy savings alone! Visit us to discuss the opportunity in more detail, or call: 0208-540-8287
You be the judge: The last time you were at the Sistine Chapel, it probably didn’t look like this.
Lux Reports: ROME – If you’ve been to the Sistine Chapel, you probably recall the crick in your neck and the strain on your eyes as you gazed upwards to spot Michelangelo’s ceiling.
Strain no more.
The Vatican will today officially switch on 50 new luminaires containing 7,000 LEDs that illuminate masterpieces such as The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgement in a way that brings the paintings and frescoes into full, clear and colourful view, as was evident at a press preview last night.
‘We want to honour the 450th anniversary of Michelangelo’s death by providing new lighting for his work,’ said Prof Antonio Paolucci, director of the Vatican Museums.
The great artist would probably be proud of the project, led by Germany’s Osram, which said the new LEDs provide ten times the brightness of previous lighting, while slashing energy consumption by 90 percent.
What was the most difficult aspect of the two-year job? ‘To prove that the light was not harmful for the art,’ said Martin Reuter, senior technical project manager at Osram, speaking to Lux at the event.
In order to be kindler and gentler to the paintings, the company did not use phosphor-coated white light, but instead used of a mix of blue, red and green LEDs. Osram sent original pigments for the ceiling, which Michelangelo completed in 1512, to Hungary’s Pannonian Univeristy for testing. Pannonian gave the all-clear after a year.
Other partners included Barcelona’s Instituit de Recerca en Energia, which investigated the energy reductions, and Rome-based lighting designer Faber Technica.
The European Commission helped fund the partners (the money did not go straight to the Vatican, as the Vatican is not part of the EU). The parties have not revealed the cost of the project. But the results speak for themselves, as the photo above shows.
Novel Energy Lighting has provided LED lighting for many churches here in the UK – contact us for details for your upgrade to LED, to save up to 90% energy
Optics in the new OSRAM classic bulb-shaped LED lamps ensure uniform light with beam angles of up to 300°
The unique optic by OSRAM
Whether the light of a lamp is perceived as being pleasant by customers depends on many different factors, for example color temperature and luminous intensity.
The distribution of luminous intensity in the so-called far field is also important, meaning where light hits walls, floors or table surfaces, and of special importance in this respect is that light is distributed homogeneously and that no shadowing or linear structures are seen.
These tasks are achieved by optics assembled within the LED lamps with classic forms, i.e. pear, candle or drop shapes. In the past this often presented a problem particularly with clear lamps, because with these lamps such optics can be seen from the outside, meaning that these are not only a functional element but must also be visually attractive. In this respect the optic also ensures that the “technology” of the lamp, meaning its LEDs and electronics, cannot be seen from the outside, making it more attractive for consumers.
Optics in the classic bulb-shaped lamps in the new OSRAM LED portfolio have been designed to largely exclude irregularities such as dark shadow lines in the far field light and to achieve homogeneous light distribution, achieved by the particular form of the plastic optic, developed specifically for the new lamp generation.
The optic design was challenging due to the high technical and aesthetic demands, and was developed with the aid of in-house programmed software. Optics in the new OSRAM LED classic portfolio radiate at angles of up to 300° and are based on a uniform optical concept across all lamp types.
This achieves a uniform design appearance, and also shorter development periods and lower costs because the optics of various lamp types are compatible with identical mechanical components. This modular construction principle has been consistently applied by OSRAM to all components in its new LED lamp portfolio.
