Imagine our modern cityscapes without sparkling lights after dusk? Imagine our churches and cathedrals without night-time illumination? Or try playing football on a darkened pitch in deep mid-winter.
As cost considerations become front of mind, and responsibility for building efficiency is embedded into regulation and law, every aspect of energy usage is currently under scrutiny.
In this blog, we shine a light on energy efficient floodlighting, which not only does the job, but enhances the subject matter in the hours of darkness.
Enhancing not flooding
Many buildings can come alive at night. Traditional floodlighting uses high wattage sodium vapour or metal halide lamps to create a wash of high intensity light. This type of light is perfect for wide area illumination, but less effective when we want to highlight or enhance intricate architectural detail.
Traditional floodlighting also creates light spillage. With many areas and organisations now more sensitive to light pollution matters and ecological security, there are now even more reasons to consider changes to external lighting systems.
Choosing the right light
In the days before LED lighting technology was sufficiently developed, buyers were faced with very few choices other than wattage, lamp colour choice and luminaire IP rating.
With LED floodlighting around 90% more efficient than its predecessors, buyers and installers should carefully consider the type of light they want to achieve, along with the siting and quantity of fittings they require to do the job.
It’s good to remember that with luminaires requiring much less day to day maintenance, they can often be installed in harder to reach places to ensure smaller or more intricate details than ever before. The best fittings may enjoy up to 50,000 hours of trouble-free use.
Consider colour temperature, brightness and beam
LED Luminaires can be simple, standalone units or controlled via an APP or networked software. This level of lighting personalisation can create almost infinite effects on your building but can also be overused – buildings are seldom pretty in pink!
Brightness is measured in Lumens – a more accurate measurement for LED luminaires than Watts. The more Lumens, the brighter the light. You’ll usually require more fittings (and more Lumens) as your space increases.
Colour Temperature is measured in Kelvin – with the higher degree kelvin figure, the cooler the light. Warm white therefore has a low kelvin number and a higher figure may be more suitable for industrial or cityscape installations.
Installers also need to consider the beam. Luminaires may have a broad beam to mimic more traditional floodlighting or targeted (narrow) beams to pinpoint features.
Doing it right, first time
We’ve installed external LED lighting in almost every location, from commercial locations where safety and security is paramount, to the sensitive nature of illuminating the eternal light at the Coventry War Memorial.
Before embarking on any replacement lighting project, it’s important to understand the effect and cost savings you are looking to achieve along with any restrictions or considerations of the installation.
Our team of lighting experts are happy to listen and recommend an approach that ticks all the boxes and treats your buildings with respect at night.
Smart Systems UK create scalable solutions for every commercial environment. Let us help:
When you’re next wondering at a historic Cathedral or walking the thriving streets of our biggest cities, thank Smart Systems for lighting your way.
Whatever your commercial lighting requirements, Smart Systems UK’s team of experts can help you design and implement lighting solutions which tick every box:
- Retrofitting existing installations to immediately reduce energy consumption
- Reduced power consumption and energy bills
- Improved efficiency and reduced on-going maintenance
- Better lighting performance over time (less degradation)
- Ability to adjust lighting efficacy for differing environments
- Upgradable for remote monitoring and building control solutions
- Reduced WEEE waste
Don’t waste time, start planning your next lighting project today.
The forward-thinking team at Smart Systems UK are always available to talk about your requirements. Contact them via calling or emailing:
0808 178 9070 or pete@smart-systemsuk.com
