LED Lighting for a brighter future!

Smart traffic lights to 'communicate' with drivers to inform them when they are about to change. PLUS: Saudi scientists create ‘fastest li-fi luminaire’. AND: New building standard aims to protect the health of occupants.

Critics of the lit environment in the nation’s commercial workplaces say the sector lacks creativity A THIRD of Britain’s office workers hate their lighting, a study by the respected pollsters Ipsos has discovered. Some 32 per cent of white-collar employees told the researchers that they were unhappy with the light intensity, with only a fifth were able to alter the light level. The results are sure to bolster critics of the lit environment in the nation’s commercial workplaces, who have slammed the sector for a lack of creativity. Top lighting designer Paul Nulty, founder of Nulty+, tweeted: ‘Bad lighting effects workplace productivity. Who’d have thought!?’ UK offices still have a preponderance of so-called Category 2 lights – recessed, deeply-louvred fittings designed to minimise reflections on computer screens – which deliver a gloomy environment.  The study of over 12,000 workers across 17 countries showed that the UK workers are the least sat...

Rejuvenating light clinic opens at Harvey Nichols in London. PLUS: LED farm produces 12,000 lettuces a day. AND: GE biosensors monitor athletes at Rio Olympics. Lux Today August 16th 2016.

Smart, energy efficient lighting at Globen parking garage with the PacificLED GreenParking system. The lighting in the parking garage of the Globen Shopping Center needed total renovation. Property owner, Klövern AB, wanted a ‘future-proof’ solution with smart lighting controls. Step forward GreenParking. Sustainable lighting The three-floor, 9,000 square meter garage has 1,500 parking places. The original existing lighting installation was divided into 4 zones per floor, each lit with traditional batten luminaires, each housing a 1 x 58W T8 fluorescent tube. When a car entered the garage, the lighting operated at 100% of its full output for two hours, before switching off completely. The lighting quality was poor, and the luminaires were starting to fall apart. When it came to the renovation, Klövern AB didn’t just want to replace the fluorescent lamps with LED lamps. The company wanted something more sustainable. “We’re highly committed to sustainability, so it was very imp...

New technology gives diners ability to choose a lighting mood to suit their meal. PLUS: Light pollution robs Americans of a night sky view. AND: LED used to battle elephants in India. Lux Today August 2nd 2016.

Lighting can do a lot to assist partially sighted people. The Equality Act 2010 is intended to protect partially sighted people from unfair treatment in employment and when accessing public services. But what more can be done with light to make life a little more equable for those with disabilities? In particular, how can light be best utilised to benefit partially sighted people? Colour Contrast Use colour to highlight differences between objects and surfaces, making it easier to negotiate a complex space. For example, in a white-tiled bathroom have the bathroom furniture in a different colour. Use different colours to highlight circulation routes from functional space (retail spaces, open-plan offices etc). Paint door frames a different colour to the doors and walls. Consider a different colour for door handles.  Ensure that railings on stairs are a different colour to the walls, likewise the banisters.  It is important...

Philips' GreenManufacturing system has been installed in three production units. The functionality of the system can be adapted to individual areas based on behavioural patterns and the requirements of the people working there. Project and requirements Novozymes has three factories in which a large number of T8 neon tube light fittings needed replacing. Access conditions at all three locations were generally difficult, making a traditional cable-based installation very time consuming. The plan therefore called for reuse of the existing cable installation, coupled with an intelligent solution to be able to control lighting levels as needed and based on human presence. The aim was also to reduce electricity consumption and contribute to sustainable production. Furthermore, the two installation contractors, Lindpro and Electricom, had only four months from signing the contract to completing the work. “The installation process had to be flexible enough to give us the opportu...

Elephants are causing serious headaches for farmers in India. Elephants have now started coming out of the forest throughout the year instead of only during harvest seasons. LED lighting is being inventively utilised in East India to prevent rampaging elephants from trampling farmer’s crops.   For months farmers in Odisha have been battling to prevent elephants from raiding vegetables, fruits and paddy. Miles of trenches and solar fencing have all failed to prevent the incursions, but now a newly installed low cost lighting system is showing signs of success. Flashing LED lights suspended on bamboo poles have been installed at sixty metre intervals across forty-five acres of crops. The lights were placed so they would be at the elephant’s eye level, while being visible from a long distance. Despite the fields being full of tomatoes, pumpkins and bananas, the elephants have opted to keep their distance from the illuminated crops. ‘The light s...

Amazon granted patent to develop drone docking stations that sit on street lights. PLUS: Poor lighting prompts concern before opening of Rio Olympics. AND: Top US basketball team announces li-fi first for new stadium. Lux Today August 2nd 2016.

Retail is dependent on turnover. And, of course, profit, in the end. Whether it be food or non-food - the level of financial success is largely dependent on the type of lighting. And in a quite different way. Light inspires, light stimulates, light seduces The correct lighting puts the customers in a buying mood. This starts in the shop window: Effective lighting causes people to pause in fascination. In the sales area the light takes on several roles: from simple orientation, via accenting the products to the staging of the entire indoor area. The right light is pure sales promotion - in retail, in shopping malls and in warehouses. Lighting creates atmosphere, puts products in the right light, supports customer guiding and emphasises the brand image. Clear potential saving by efficient light In retail, lighting represents a considerable cost factor: in the food trade, this is 25 % of the total energy costs. In the non food trade, lighting represents more than 60 % of th...

The technology behind the hit app Pokemon Go looks set to revolutionise the lighting industry. PLUS: Pioneering new smart street lights are able to detect snowfall. AND: New York City gives go ahead for first underground park. Lux Today July 26th 2016.