Win a Christmas hamper courtesy of Gemma Lighting's LED game!

With the sun beginning to set on the last day of November and Christmas right around the corner how would you like to win a luxurious hamper to enjoy on the big day?!

Head on over to the Gemma Lighting website now and play the LED Street Lighting game, which has been given a festive new look, and top the leaderboard to win this fantastic prize.

In the LED Street Lighting game you must guide the Gemma Lighting engineer from street light to street light, converting them to LED and making the huge energy cost savings that LED street lighting brings.

To top the leaderboard you must achieve the highest savings within the time limit, but watch out for the robins and turkeys who are after your health.

The competition closes at midnight on Tuesday 18th December, so click the link and get playing for your chance to win!

Keep up-to-date with Gemma Lighting and learn more about LEDs through Social Media!

LED is no longer the strange new technology it once was - its cost-cutting, environmentally friendly benefits are now well-known to many business users and home owners around the world.

But with LED products so widely available now it can be hard to know where to turn in today's market. The key points you should look out for include reliability, longevity and quality service - all factors provided by Gemma Lighting Limited.

Designing and manufacturing from their UK base in Portsmouth, Gemma are LED lighting specialists who are growing their business year on year. Their all-inclusive service means all your LED needs can be served in one stop, with a dedicated team that can explore the best options possible for users looking to switch to LED lighting, the products from Gemma's wide range that would suit the customer's needs best, and ensuring the right payment options are available too.

To find out more about Gemma Lighting visit the website at www.gemmalighting.com, where you will learn about what Gemma stands for, and why LED lighting is the way forward for the future of the lighting industry. You can also browse the Gemma range of LED Lighting products, and learn more about LED leasing options. If you remain unconvinced, have a look at the case studies section to hear from other happy customers and keep up-to-date with the company goings-on with the news section.

You can even test your skill and nerve in the LED lighting game - fit as many LED street lights as you can within the time limit, and watch out for the seagulls who are after your health!

Get involved even further by joining Gemma Lighting on social media networks. The LinkedIn page is constantly updated with industry news, products and company news and you can also interact with Gemma and recommend LED products if you are one of the many clients who have been delighted with the results of installing Gemma's LED lighting.

Like our Facebook page and engage on a whole new level, sharing and commenting on stories and updates from Gemma. Post your photos of LED lighting and join the discussions with other users.

Follow the Twitter account of Gemma Lighting and join the debate. Keep posted on exciting new opportunities and industry news, as well as engaging with other customers and hearing about their experiences with LED lighting.

And of course don't forget to keep checking back to the Blog for news from around the world and the lighting industry as a whole, and learn how LED lighting can solve many of the biggest issues being faced in the current economic climate.

Are you one of Gemma Lighting's new fans, followers or readers?! Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments box below.

How LEDs can make blackouts a thing of the past

Hurricane Sandy recently plunged New York, one of the biggest cities in the world, into total darkness as power outings hit the Big Apple in one of the biggest storms to hit the east coast in years.

New York residents make their
way through the blackout

The super storm flooded tunnels, streets and subway lines, cutting the power supply in the city and its surrounding areas as President Obama declared a state of emergency in New York as even now it continues to recover.

In the UK meanwhile, safe from the effects of such tropical weather patterns, local authorities up and down the country are facing a nightmare of a very different nature – the choice between making vital cost-cutting measures and ensuring the safety of local residents.

That’s how many see the decision to switch off thousands of street lights in order to save money on energy bills.

Many local residents have experienced a blackout usually in the early hours of the morning, as the cost of keeping the street lighting network running all night is proving too much for local councils already under pressure to trim costs due to diminished government funding.

A Daily Telegraph investigation that took place on the day the clocks went back an hour found more than 3,000 miles of motorways and trunk roads were completely unlit, and a further 47 miles of motorway have their lights switched off between midnight and 5am.

Earlier this year Nottinghamshire County Council announced it would turn off 90,000 street lights in order to save an estimated £1.25m, following Derbyshire County Council’s similar decision to save more than £400,000 a year by switching off street lights in rural areas between midnight and 5.30am. An investigation by the Daily Mail in fact found out that 21 out of 27 county councils in England were turning street lights off at certain times, or in some cases entirely, back in February.

Jupiter LED Street Light www.gemmalighting.com

More than the convenience of having light through to the early hours, there is an argument that local road users will not feel safe when councils plunge them into darkness in order to save money.

Pedestrians are at particular risk - according to governmental crime statistics the number of personal robberies occurring in England and Wales has fallen progressively in the last four years but in 2009/10, the most recent year available, there were still nearly 80,000 cases recorded by the Police. The same can be said of sexual offences, with over 50,000 incidents reported to Police between July 2011 and June 2012. With pedestrians highly likely to be targets for both these crimes, effective and reliant street lighting is clearly vital to ensure their safety.

But how can councils balance the need for this safety with their tighter budgetary requirements and rising energy prices? By changing the type of lighting these authorities use, their street lighting could in fact remain on throughout the night whilst seeing their energy bills reduced thanks to more efficient LED street lighting.

LEDs convert more power to light, as opposed to traditional lighting sources that lose power through excess heat, and with no filament to burn out they are more reliable and can save users money on maintenance bills.

With a life span of up to 100,000 hours LED street lights offer long-term solutions for financially conscious councils. Schemes, such as the Green Lease for LED lighting, are even available whereby purchasers can offset the capital expenditure of LED replacement lights by making repayments through the savings they make in energy costs.

As part of the Telegraph investigation the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said: "The presence of lighting not only reduces the risk of traffic accidents but also their severity. Surveys have shown that the public are in favour of street lighting as a way of improving road safety and that, if anything, it needs to be improved in some areas. There are economic and environmental reasons why some organisations may wish to reduce the amount of lighting. However there are safety reasons why lighting needs to be available."

With new LED technology, road safety and cost-efficiency need no longer be separate considerations for hundreds of authorities up and down the country, and the blackouts that are concerning so many, can be a thing of the past.

Have the street lights in your area been switched off? Give us your thoughts in the comments box below.

LuxLive 2012: Mark's diary

It’s a busy time here at Gemma Lighting as the days grow darker and November, known as the ‘buying month’ in the lighting industry, hits us like a brisk winter chill.

As if that weren’t enough, November is also when we see LuxLive hit our calendars, the biggest exhibition event in the lighting industry.

Not wanting to miss out on the debates and latest industry news, Gemma Lighting were represented at Earls Court by our marketing administrator Mark Allaway, who shares his thoughts with us in this special LuxLive blog:

“Being a newcomer into the LED lighting industry isn’t easy.

For the past few weeks I’ve been learning my lumens from my CRIs, my LEDs from my metal halides and my high bays from my low bays.

Travelling up to Earls Court London for the biggest exhibition in the lighting industry, LuxLive, last week, I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed ready to get a more in-depth understanding of what the issues in the industry really were.

London's Earls Court hosted the event

I had already discussed with my colleagues at Gemma Lighting some of the issues – the issue of low quality products infiltrating the market at low prices and giving LEDs a bad name. The issue of ‘hero numbers’, where sales personnel talk up what their products can do whilst ignoring and concealing their obvious downsides. And the issue of stoicism in the way some industries think about their lighting setup, being confused by new LED technology and not wanting to change from their fluorescent or sodium-set ways.

Thoughts in my head during the train ride to London surrounded what other lighting manufacturers were doing to combat these problems, were these issues steadily being resolved, and what did the future hold for LED lighting?

The last question was answered to some degree upon my entrance to Brompton Hall, where I saw the number of stands, exhibitors and visitors at LuxLive 2012. I was thoroughly impressed with the hustle and bustle of the venue considering it had only been open a matter of minutes when I arrived. Some had already begun their caffeine intake for the day.

The Caterham F1 car at LuxLive 2012

After a quick look at the winners of the Lux Awards from day one, I made my first lap of the circuit, taking in the different shapes, sizes and colours of the exhibiting stands on display, passing (as you do) a Dalek and a formula one car on the way - LED lighting car.

Then I hastily made my way to the Design Clinic Live, where Lux Review publisher Gordon Routledge was speaking on how LEDs are reshaping the lighting business. Gordon spoke of how LEDs are progressing into areas where they have not traditionally been considered as relevant options – the ability of some LED products to take on the dreaded T5 ceiling light in offices being cited as one example.

Gordon also talked about how customers that are engaging with the lighting industry now are very different customers than before. Previously you may have spoken to the CEO or MD or perhaps the branch manager when discussing new lighting solutions, but now you may be speaking to the facilities manager or the environmental officer, meaning the benefits of switching to carbon-reducing energy efficient LED lighting is already known to the customer, and therefore reducing the barrier that educating the customer on how the technology works used to prove.

LEDs are being used for all sorts...

With the average age of lighting in the UK reported to be 18 years, Gordon said, more efficient lighting technologies are opening up more possible uses for lighting itself. The examples that followed included the wonderful to the wacky – from a clever use of lighting on handrails in a pedestrian subway to a toilet with a bowl that was backlit with bright white LED light.

Wishing to remove that image from my mind, and having a little time before the next session scheduled in my plan for the day, I decided to tour the stands a little more, seeing what some of the biggest organisations around had in the pipeline. I noted that even though LuxLive was a demonstration of what the whole lighting industry could do, LEDs were so dominant, both in the number of products on display and the number of times they appeared in the debates and seminars. LED Street Lighting was on show on many stands, with chips, drivers and bulbs all being showcased as well.

It was with some intrigue that I attended the next session in the Design Clinic Live, titled ‘LEDs: What they don’t tell you in the spec sheets’. Rather than highlighting the downfalls of LEDs as the title suggested, this session was actually about how consumers can better understand what spec sheets are telling them, and how to understand the figures. The Ska rating system from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) was highlighted as a way of comparing LED lighting, as well as the criteria found on the Energy Technology List (ETL). Fittings that comply with the latter may be entitled to tax refunds, further advancing the appeal of LED to customers.

Gemma Lighting has worked with several
Marriott hotels on  LED Car Park Lighting

Hotels and their use of LEDs was next under the spotlight, and I was interested in the considerations that hotels go through when choosing their lighting setups. It may not be rocket science but subtle changes in the way lights are installed, angled and coloured can have a major aesthetic impact on a hotel environment, and all three factors can really affect the mood of the room, a key consideration in areas such as bars, rooms and restaurants for example. Examples were shown whereby poor lighting products or lack of maintenance had led to instances where the brand of the hotel itself was at risk of being damaged. The aforementioned issue regarding industries that were reluctant to make the change to LEDs rang true here also – but it would appear this is changing.

After a break for lunch I made a particular note to grab a seat early for a session in the Tech Theatre, for a talk entitled ‘LEDs: Under the bonnet’. As a newcomer this, I had hoped, would prove to be a good test to what I had learned so far and may provide some extra technical nuggets of knowledge for me. I was not disappointed. I learnt about the dangers of ‘colour shift’ in poor quality products, regulatory tests such as LM-80 and TM-21 and more about the key components of LEDs.

Mark brought this back from his busy day!

My final talk of the day was again in the Tech Theatre, with a discussion on light colour and quality of LEDs. There was more talk of lab tests and the lumens-per-watt figures that are being achieved behind closed doors, the different mixes that can create bright white LED light aside from the traditional mix of naturally blue LEDs and yellow phosphor, and an important point on colour rendering index, and how having a top score of Ra100 may not mean that a particular LED light is the best choice for a certain project.

Before the day was out I met with several of the lighting publications who were also in attendance and was able to speak with some lighting enthusiasts who had come all the way from Germany to be at LuxLive on the tube journey back to Waterloo.

All in all my busy day at LuxLive was a great eye-opener and great timing for this LED rookie to gain an insight into the industry.

The scale of LuxLive and wealth of knowledge and debate on show this year makes me certain that LuxLive 2013 will be an event to remember for LED Lighting Manufacturers and users alike.”

- Mark A.

What do you make of Mark's account of the day? Were you at LuxLive too? Leave us your comments below.

Gemma Lighting MD’s trip to Dragons’ Lair deemed a success

Amazing cup cakes, mobile phone covers, and clothing ranges can only mean thing... Craig Manuel, MD of Gemma Lighting Limited, is back at Chichester College meeting the latest Young Entrepreneurs at the Peter Jones Academy.

Craig Manuel, MD of LED lighting manufacturer
Gemma Lighting, with some of the students

Our MD Craig was invited back for a second year to give a 90-minute masterclass on what makes a good business idea and how to start up a successful business.

Entrepreneur and star of popular BBC show Dragons’ Den Peter Jones set up the academy to boost the chances of young people starting their own businesses. Chichester College is now one of over 30 sites the Academy now runs.

Craig used all of his knowledge as head of thriving LED lighting manufacturers Gemma Lighting Limited which has gone on to become a multi-million pound business.

Craig is hoping that his experience can be passed on to the next generation of successful young entrepreneurs for the second consecutive year. 18-year-old Rob Nunn from Chichester College was one of the students present for Craig’s visit last year and went on to be awarded ‘National Entrepreneur of the Year’ by Peter Jones himself back in July (Pictured below).

Craig said of this year’s visit: “It was a pleasure to be invited back to Chichester College again and meet the Peter Jones students - some first rate ideas from this year’s students, which could potentially turn into profitable businesses.

Peter Jones presents Rob Nunn with his award

“What’s more, this year’s group contains a number of students with great personalities and business acumen, which will hopefully help them succeed in gaining finance from private investors.

“I wish all the students the best of luck and look forward to hearing their final pitches next year,” Craig said.

The Academy, formerly known as the National Enterprise Academy, was delighted to welcome Craig back for a second year, and business enterprise manager at the academy Tara Lovejoy said Craig’s masterclass had gone down well with the students.

Tara commented: “The group really enjoyed Craig’s presentation. Craig was very inspiring, especially as he has achieved so much with Gemma Lighting LTD.

“Craig provided the students with a really useful insight into company formation and how to overcome some of the obstacles they likely to face.”

Leave your messages to Craig in the comments box below.

LuxLive, biggest lighting exhibition in the UK, starts today!

Visitors to Earls Court will be treated to a two-day extravaganza starting from today as the UK’s biggest lighting exhibition, LuxLive, comes to London.

LuxLive will be at Earls Court on November 6-7

On November 6^th and 7^th thousands of exhibitors from all across the lighting industry will pack Brompton Hall for the event organised by the Lighting Industry Federation and LUX magazine.

Gemma Lighting Limited will be attending the many seminars and debates on display to ensure our LED products are right up to date with the latest technological developments in the industry.

Designers, manufacturers, consulting engineers, contractors and distributors will all be in attendance with seminars, debates, product demos and master classes spread across the two days.

Last year almost 4,000 people visited LuxLive and with free registration even more are expected this time round.

With so many industry names in attendance it is an apt time to discuss some of the key issues within the industry, and the programme for both days certainly provides the arena.

Today topics such as The Green Deal, lighting within the healthcare industry, and the use of LEDs in emergency lighting are up for debate, with LEDs again in the spotlight tomorrow - with clinics on how the lighting industry has been changed by LED technology, how hotels use LED lighting, and a debate on the use of LEDs in the office.

Case studies will also look at how impressive lighting projects over this past year have been carried out, such as the Olympic Park, the Shard and the London Underground.

And with regulatory updates, finance news and the industry’s biggest publications on site visitors and exhibitors alike are sure to have a busy 48 hours.

LED Street Lighting Jupiter 72

It’s a busy time for the UK lighting industry, with November known to some as ‘the buying month’, and the LUX awards also taking place on Tuesday.

Titles such as ‘Manufacturer of the Year’, ‘Award for Urban Lighting’ and ‘Young Lighter of the Year Award’ will be handed out at the ceremony taking place at the Natural History Museum.

Furthermore, with the clocks recently returning to Greenwich Mean Time the days are growing shorter and light is fading faster, another reason this time of year is so important for those in the lighting industry.

High streets need street lights to keep shoppers safe in the busy shopping period running up to Christmas, and businesses need better flood light coverage to provide workers with visibility later on in the day – all the while these lights need to be reliable and energy efficient in these tough economic times.

With LED featured in a large part of the LuxLive schedule on both days, the benefits of using technology such as LED Street Lighting and LED Flood Lights are sure to be a talking point that will resonate with those at the exhibition and beyond.

For more details on the event visit www.luxlive.co.uk.

Will you be going to LuxLive? Comment below and let us know.

Gemma Lighting MD invited to give lecture in Dragons’ Lair

Craig Manuel, managing director at Gemma Lighting Limited, has been invited for the second year running to give a lecture to students at the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy at Chichester College this Wednesday.

Peter Jones, entrepreneur and star of popular BBC show Dragons’ Den, set up the academy in 2009 to boost the chances of young people starting their own businesses, and Chichester is just one of over 30 sites the Academy now runs.

Craig will be giving a lecture on how to set up a successful company, using all his experience as head of successful LED lighting specialists Gemma Lighting Limited, based in Portsmouth.

Gemma Lighting, founded in 2009, has gone on to become a multi-million pound business, and Craig is hoping that his experience can be passed on to the next generation of successful entrepreneurs for the second consecutive year.

Peter Jones presents Rob with the keys to his new Alfa Romeo

One such youngster is 18-year-old Rob Nunn from Chichester College, who was one of the students present for Craig’s visit last year and went on to be awarded a top honour by the Dragon himself back in July.

Craig said: “It was a pleasure to offer advice to Rob Nunn and the 2012 students at Chichester College and I was delighted when I heard that Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Peter Jones CBE had presented Rob Nunn with the highest accolade ‘National Entrepreneur of the Year’.

“I am really looking forward to meeting the candidates for 2013 this week and hope the group contains another winner!”

The Academy, formerly known as the National Enterprise Academy, was delighted to welcome Craig back for a second year, and business enterprise manager at the academy Tara Lovejoy said: “The students last year really enjoyed Craig Manuel’s session and found it really useful.”

Gemma Lighting provides LED solutions for car parks, roads, warehouses, cold stores and more, reducing carbon emissions and saving money on energy and maintenance costs.

For more information visit www.gemmalighting.com.

Leave your messages to Craig in the comments box below.