Commercial lighting is changing fast, with the gradual and seemingly endless increase of energy costs, business owners and installers are now realising that low energy lighting is the way forward and are starting to understand the financial savings that can be achieved.

Since the EU banned T12 8FT fittings and tubes in 2010 and the price of replacement 8FT tubes rising to over £15.00 +VAT, business owners are seeking out new longer lasting, low energy alternatives.

A Brighter Alternative

This may come as a surprise to many consumers but LED is not always the best option, although LED is the latest in lighting technology it is still in its infancy other options such as T5 fluorescent should also be considered. We’ve put together a commercial lighting guide to explain why.

Commercial lighting comes in various forms and there is now low energy alternatives that can replace most of the ‘old guard’ such as metal halide, SON and T12 fluorescent. Choosing the most suitable one for your application can be difficult as you may not be fully aware of the facts and benefits that each one has to offer. We take the following factors into consideration when recommending new fittings:

• Application, what type of room they are being used in?
• What is the main function of the room?
• What lux levels needs to be achieved and maintained?
• Light output ratio (LOR) when comparing the lumen output of old to new fittings, the LOR should also be considered. Although an LED luminaire may produce fewer lumens, the LOR will be higher meaning that more light will reach the desired are and not wasted in the reflector.
• What is the mounting height of the luminaire. Would a low bay or high bay be more suitable?
• How many hours per day do they need to be on for? Could your existing in-efficient luminaires be retained and fitted with an occupancy sensor?
• Do you have sufficient daylight for most of the day? Or are some of your luminaires positioned nearer to windows or skylights? Perhaps some of them could be fitted with daylight harvesting sensors and/ or dimmed to 10% for long periods of the day.

Contact a Lighting Expert

Please feel free to contact us to discuss your project, we can offer lighting design, site visits and energy saving surveys. We can help you to reduce your energy consumption and achieve Part L2 compliance.

One of the main stumbling blocks for businesses when trying to upgrade to low energy lighting is the costs. In the current economic climate, budgets are tight and funds are often limited, if the funds are not currently available what about getting an interest free loan to fund the project? This loan can even cover the installation costs.

Government Funding

The Carbon Trust is a Government funded project that allows business to start saving energy immediately rather than waiting around. We can assist with Carbon Trust loans but they are subject to certain conditions.

And did you know that there are tax incentives that can be made by switching to energy efficient lighting? As part of the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme (ECA) you can claim 100% offset against your corporation tax in the same financial year.

Start saving energy now, view our Commercial Lighting Guide below:

Or CLICK HERE to view our latest range of commercial lighting products.