| LED lighting comes of age |
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Posted: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 4:11 pm
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Meeting the challenges of lighting a modern workplace requires a light source that meets a wide range of criteria, above and beyond light output. Lee Bensley of Philips Lighting explains why LEDs now fit the bill.
There can be little doubt that the design and specification of lighting for offices and other workplaces has become increasingly complex in the last couple of years.
Not only have workplaces become more dynamic in line with more flexible working practices, but there is also more pressure to achieve high quality lighting with low energy consumption.
At the heart of any such lighting installation is the light source, its performance enhanced by the optical design of the luminaire to optimise light distribution. So it’s not surprising that light sources have paved the way for many innovations in lighting. The TL5 linear fluorescent lamp is a prime example of this, having brought significantly improved lighting efficiency and controllability to many workplaces. Nevertheless, some 75% of workplaces are still lit by outdated light sources.
For some years the light emitting diode (LED) has been heralded as the next major breakthrough in light sources and, as with other electronic technologies, the functionality of the LED light source has increased in leaps and bounds. The result is that LEDs have now made the transition from specialist light source for accent lighting to a general, everyday light source that is ideal for a wide range of uses in the modern workplace.
 This is clearly exemplified when one considers the changing requirements for modern workplace lighting, as mentioned above, and their implications for anyone involved in developing or improving commercial properties.
One of the most topical, and perhaps most urgent, issues to be addressed is that of energy efficiency – driven by a combination of both environmental and commercial imperatives. As well as the obvious costs of energy consumption, coming straight off the bottom line, there is the additional cost of carbon allowances for those 20,000 or so organisations that have been captured either wholly or partly by the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC EES).
Of these, around 5,000 will be required to participate in the scheme fully because of their electricity consumption in 2008 (over 6,000MWh per annum) and will be required to purchase carbon allowances in advance. If these companies are able to reduce their electricity consumption, they may then receive a rebate in the future.
In addition, around 15,000 organisations that have half-hourly electricity metering but consume between 3,000MWh and 6,000MWh per annum will be required to submit reports on their energy consumption. These organisations will be very keen to remain below the CRC EES threshold. All of these issues will focus the minds of building occupiers when purchasing or leasing office space.
For those organisations outside the CRC EES there is also the likelihood that the Display Energy Certificate (DEC) scheme will be extended to all non-residential properties. Consequently, this is set to become another key issue when selecting office space.
When looking at ways to reduce energy consumption, the lighting is an obvious area to consider and LEDs are able to address most of these concerns. They are highly efficient, even when compared to the most efficient fluorescent light sources and very controllable so that the lighting is easily controlled in relation to variable occupancy and daylight levels.
 At Tower 42 in the City of London, for instance, the recently refurbished Level 12 is lit solely by Philips LED light sources linked to a lighting management system, giving an energy saving of around 40% when compared to a conventional TL5 fluorescent installation.
Other major considerations for building occupiers are the quality of the lighting and its ability to complement their activities. Flexible working practices such as hot desking, combined with more collaborative work spaces such as break out areas, means that the lighting needs to support that flexibility. Again, the controllability of LEDs is a real bonus. It enables people to adjust their lighting to suit personal visual requirements or specific tasks, and it is also very straightforward to use the lighting to change ambience through simple scene setting controls.
This is because LED light sources for office lighting can mix red, green and blue light to create white light. Adjusting the proportions of these primary colours enables different hues to be created to suit the activity in the space. Thus, in a meeting room, a relaxed and informal gathering may be accompanied by a warm ambience, whereas a highly focused technical discussion may be better served by a cooler, whiter setting. With LEDs these and many more scenes can be created with the flick of a switch. This advanced colour control of LEDs also makes it possible to match the lighting to the company brand image, something that helps to reinforce the corporate identity and motivate staff.
For more functional office applications where colour adjustment isn’t the primary concern, but where energy efficient controllable lighting is the paramount consideration, then LED light modules utilising ‘Remote Phosphor’ technology offer an effective solution.
Furthermore, these options manifest themselves through the life of the lighting installation. Modular LED light sources can be very quickly and cost-effectively replaced with different modules, with minimal disruption. This enables LED installations to be ‘future proofed’, insofar as the lighting can be upgraded or modified when new LED sources are available. This is a particularly important consideration as many more organisations look to refurbish existing property rather than move to new premises.
In parallel, LEDs offer a much longer life than other light sources so cost of ownership is reduced through extended re-lamping schedules and lower maintenance costs.
For all of these reasons it is clear that the LED has ‘come of age’ as a light source that is ideal for any office lighting application, be it general ambient lighting, architectural lighting or accent lighting. As such, LED lighting makes commercial properties more attractive to buyers and tenants while also reducing environmental impact and carbon emissions.
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