10 Unusual uses for LED lighting

LED lighting is fast becoming the most popular new technology in the industry - with applications ranging from street lights to solar-powered bollards.

With greater efficiency and longer lasting lifespan, more and more business users from all walks of life are discovering how much they can save in energy bills, maintenance costs and carbon emissions by switching to LED lighting solutions.

But every now and again the flexible and adaptable nature of LED sees it reach new corners of the world, being put into practice for the least expected purposes.

Here we look at ten unusual uses for LED lighting, from eyelashes to toilets...

1) LED sculptures

The bright white light produced by LEDs has a clear visual appeal. Both to the human eye and to camera lenses, LED lighting can change any landscape and with varying colour options available today artistic merit is a use LED is becoming more and more regularly used for. Makoto Tojiki is an artist from Japan famous for creating breathtaking images using LED to create sculptures of human and animal figures, like the image here titled 'Hope'.





2) LED eyelashes


Another brainchild of far eastern design, LED eyelashes tick the box for those really wanting to make a unique fashion statement. They are designed to draw immediate attention to the eyes, and come with sensors that detect pupil movement and control the LEDs accordingly and can also be designed to incorporate MP3 headphones.

3) LED goalposts
An idea that is very much in the early stages of its development, but the early signs for LEDs in goalposts are certainly visually striking. This example was a community and charity project in East London, but the advantages of having facilities such as this in many areas across the country, particularly inner city locations, for local communities and young people to use are obvious. Watch this space.

4) LED studio lighting

Whenever the capture of moving images is a consideration lighting inevitably comes into play for film and television companies. The last thing anyone in the media production profession wants is for all their hard work to be undone by poor lighting which turns hours, weeks and months of shooting into wasted time. The high lumen output of LED flood lighting ensures that cameras can pick up excellent visual accuracy, and colour rendition is also improved, as in the case of Renegade Pictures. When filming new series Car SOS, where much-loved classic cars get the restoration their owners have always wanted, Renegade installed LED Flood Lights from Gemma Lighting to improve the lighting for the show and bring out the best in the old motors, whilst reducing costs in energy usage.

5) Built-in to tables

Some call it a gimmick, some say it is unnecessary, others are just plain confused. LED lights built-in to tables come in all shapes and sizes, and whilst some, like this Union Jack design, appear to have been thought through, others can be rather - unstable. Mixing these LED tables with motion sensor technology is one way in which this idea is developing.

6) LED shoelaces

Remember the fashion trend for light-up children's trainers that flashed when kids walked? Well now you can go one further with LED shoelaces. For those who really want to catch the eye with their choice of footwear these LED shoelaces are most commonly purchased by party-goers and followers of fashion but they also have benefits for those jogging or cycling at night with flash functions and long battery lives.

7) Tidal barrier lighting

From something small to something really big, and LED Flood Lights that assist in the running of vital facilities. In 2010 the River Hull tidal barrier underwent a refurbishment that centred around a more modern design, and cool crisp lighting was required to suit. UK Manufacturer Gemma Lighting assisted with their Spitfire LED Flood Light which not only gave a great appearance but also reduced energy costs and CO2 emissions.

8) LED golf balls

Out on the course and you've landed amongst the trees. The long day is drawing to a close and light is dwindling fast. You thought your brightly coloured ball would be ideal for this very situation - but you still cannot find this particular needle in this particular haystack. LED golf balls are the answer to golfers' prayers. Set to either glow or flash, LED golf balls have obvious benefits for those finding themselves a little too far from the green.

9) Directional LED use aids animal habitat

Lighting considerations vary wildly from site to site, and often the direction of light is superseded by longevity and light output. But where habitats for local wildlife are concerned, any intrusive stray lighting can have damaging effects. At Falmouth University's Tremough Campus, their LED bollard lights provided by Gemma Lighting have shield guards placed in one side in order to prevent light spilling into nearby areas where a rare breed of bat lives, causing minimal disruption to the animals whilst keeping the students safe along the well-lit pathways round campus.

10) LEDs in toilets






Yes you read it correctly, and no your eyes do not deceive you. Those are indeed LED lights found inside toilets. This bizarre idea is one of the many examples which show that in some cases, the more traditional uses for LED lighting are the best...






What unusual places have you seen LED lighting in? Let us know in the comment box below!

Benefits of LED: 10 reasons why LED lighting is on the rise

The LED lighting market was estimated to have grown by 50% between 2010 and 2011 according to a recent report by the Clean Revolution, which estimates that the industry will be worth more than $16 billion by the year 2014.

LED Car Park lighting on display in Sheffield

And if the recent showing at the LuxLive exhibition was anything to go by (read our account from the show back in November here), LED lighting is quickly becoming the most talked about new technology in the market.

Each lighting installation may be different, but here we explain why LEDs are superior in many ways to more traditional lighting solutions, and just why the LED lighting industry is one of the few bucking the current economic trend and growing year on year.

Efficiency

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode, and is a technology that is said to date back as far as the 1920s, with the Russian Oleg Losev. LEDs as a light source are far more efficient than incandescent or fluorescent sources, due to their better use of power. The total power output of a light does not just include the visible light emitted, but also takes into account factors such as the amount of base power that is converted into excess heat. When it comes to replacing traditional light bulbs in the home for example they are difficult to handle because of the temperature - an example of how excess heat is to the detriment of the user. Now imagine that on an industrial scale and already one benefit of LED becomes clear. LED in fact operates best in cooler temperatures, and lighting manufacturers often design fittings with as minimal heat loss as possible in mind. LED lights are often better positioned than traditional alternatives also, and this is due to the fact that it is a directional light source, so minimal light pollution is caused by using LEDs and the targeted area receives the maximum amount of light. More on this in the environment section below.

Longevity

Hotels are just one of the industries utilising LED lighting

The long lifespan of LED lighting is down to its robust nature, as a solid-state light source the output of its light will degrade over time like any other, however with LEDs that amount of time can be as much as 80,000 hours. At this point the power of light emitted from the LED will be at around 75% of its total capacity but will continue at this level for another 20,000 hours before the light needs replacing. That works out as more than eleven years’ worth of light output, or based on an average day running lighting for twelve hours, more than 22 years’ worth. This is assuming that the lighting is installed in optimum conditions whereby factors such as temperature has been taken into account. This longevity also means the frequency in which LED lighting need be replaced is dramatically reduced when compared to CFL or HPS lighting, making further savings for the user on maintenance bills. Read more below on the savings LED can make.

Durability

Despite their compact size, LEDs are made to a high specification and good quality products are made to last. As well as their aforementioned longevity, LED lights are also durable with no filaments to burn out or overheat. High quality designs, particularly that of a UK manufacturer such as Gemma Lighting, make their fittings to a high specification that stands up to heavy scrutiny, and offer products with protection ratings of IP66, making them dust proof and resistant to heavy weather such as high winds and heavy downpours. In circumstances where lights are on a tall column, such as LED Street Lighting for example, the problem of vandalism regarding the actual light fitting may not seem such an issue. However for pathways and ceiling tiles this could play a part in a company’s decisions not to invest in a new raft of lighting solutions. But with the high standards of production LED lighting is actually quite safe from such hooliganism, and users can feel quite safe about installing LED lighting solutions. Due to all these factors combined, the maintenance om/index.html UK LED Lighting Manufacturer costs usually set by to replace faulty or flickering bulbs and repair or replace vandalised lights can be a thing of the past for lighting users switching to LED. Reductions in the tens of thousands of pounds have been achieved by those who have already done just that, and the rewards pay off from day one of the new installation.

Eco-friendly

LED lighting has drastically improved
this car park in Portsmouth

As well as being kind to the bank balances of users, LED lighting is far more environmentally friendly than traditional lighting setups. As mentioned already in this blog, LED lights emit less wasted heat energy and therefore reduce light pollution significantly when compared to other lighting choices. Take LED Street Lighting for example, where bright white light is directed in the appropriate angle enabling less light to overspill into neighbouring areas, particularly useful in this application as nearby residents do not suffer from intrusive light glare. Those who have made the switch to LED lighting have also seen dramatic reduction in their carbon emissions, saving tonnes of carbon waste every year. This, in fact, is the main driver for some making the change to LED, as new directives and policies are drawn up in line with national and global environmental policies. With no mercury involved in LEDs, as explained below, the disposal of LED lighting is also better on the environment.

Safety

The volatile nature of elements such as mercury can mean disposing of old lighting is a major problem, particularly for business users. Shedding several units of large, outdated lighting fittings is time-consuming and a poor use of funds for many companies already feeling the strain in current economic times. Disposals such as this must be done though if previous lighting contains high levels of mercury or lead, as they can be harmful if they are not dealt with correctly at the end of their life span. LEDs are far safer and more environmentally friendly as they contain no mercury and increasingly small amounts of lead. They can be disposed of and recycled more quickly and easily, but with their longevity you won’t have to worry about that for many years after installation.

Power

This Portsmouth street was vastly improved
in an LED Street Lighting council-backed trial

It is a myth attached to LED lighting that all these benefits surrounding lower carbon emissions and cheaper running costs must mean a weaker light. Many homeowners will be familiar with the patience required to wait for a domestic energy saving light bulb to power up to full brightness for example. However this is not true of LEDs - as well as an instant strike-up time, more on this below, they in fact have a very high lumen output, which means their power is equal to, and often greater than, similar lighting solutions available. The amount of lumens per watt on LEDs are also increasing, with some industry big-hitters claiming to have topped 250 l/w in the labs at the recent LuxLive exhibition. This was previously thought to be an area of weakness for the LED but progress in production and software design has meant this is no longer the case with high-end products on the market today.

Adaptable

LED is probably best known for televisions and mobile device backlighting. But with the increased 

specifications now available LEDs are being used in a variety of ways by a variety of people. You can find LED lighting in street lights, car parks and pathways, as well as in warehouses, cold stores and offices. Hospitals, universities, housing developments, police stations, supermarkets, restaurants – they are all seeing the benefits of LED. Available in a range of different fixtures and fittings, LED lighting now comes in all shapes and sizes and is ready for almost any application. Some weird and wacky ideas are being dreamt up too, but these shouldn't detract from what LED lighting is really about, a great way of keeping costs down and reducing the impact on the environment. Gemma Lighting offers high uniformity across many of its ranges, making the switch to LED as simple as possible.

Improved clarity

LED Street lighting can be found in Egypt,
the Falkland Islands and shown here in Dubai

As well as a high lumen output LED lighting also provides excellent colour rendering, making it ideal for instances where colour definition is crucial, such as shop windows, stalls and supermarkets. Hotels and restaurants can also benefit from this characteristic when attempting to set a certain mood in a particular room. The same is also true of security requirements, as the visual acuity of LED lighting is excellent, improving the clarity of pictures from CCTV cameras, again a perfect application of LED in areas such as warehouses or exterior storage facilities needing LED Flood Lighting.

Instant

Unlike the common energy saving light bulbs found across many homes today, as mentioned beforehand, LEDs do not take any time to get going. In fact that is a literal statement; LEDs have an instant strike up time of 100 nanoseconds. As well as adding to their energy efficiency this also means LEDs are excellent contributing partners to motion sensor technology – they will light as soon as movement is detected, and switch off as soon as that movement ceases. This reduces the effect that some current security systems are suffering from, whereby activation at the slightest movement becomes part of everyday life to home owners, defeating the object of having them as warning systems against crimes such as burglary. LEDs are making homes and business premises alike more secure.

Aesthetically pleasing

LED Flood lighting was chosen in the
re-design of the River Hull tidal barrier

An increasing amount of LED control technology is being produced to complement LED lighting, and that includes dimmable switches. This appeals further to those wishing to create a mood, as previously mentioned, or those with particular requirements to the level of lighting in any given room. Adding to their adaptability, this feature also shows the design benefits LED lighting can bring. LEDs are being used more and more for aesthetic measures as well as cost-cutting projects, and companies in the broadcasting and marine industries are among those putting this to good use. The more powerful, clear bright white light of LEDs is often the ideal companion to buildings of a more modern design, and with its durability and reliability LEDs are less likely to cause eye-sores and irregularities such as faulty bulbs or dim lit corridors.

So there we are - ten reasons why LED lighting is quickly becoming the norm across a range of applications. With the word spreading across the globe, and demand for high quality LED lighting products on the increase, the future is certainly bright for the world of LED lighting.

What are your thoughts on LEDs when compared to other lighting options? Let us know via the comments box below.

LED lighting can prolong stock's shelf-life for retailers - report

Installing LED lighting in supermarkets is becoming increasingly popular

The ability of LED lighting to benefit food retailers has been highlighted by the Environmental Data Interactive Exchange (EDIE).

EDIE reports that supermarkets are responsible for up to 300,000 tonnes of food waste every year, and with LED lighting this could be dramatically reduced.

With LED lighting emitting less heat and no UV rays, food under its scope will not 'sweat in its packaging' according to EDIE and could therefore last much longer.

This will come as no surprise to retailers who have benefited from LED lighting in their stores already, with additional benefits such as reduced carbon emissions, and large savings made on running costs and maintenance.

The EDIE story goes on: "A report released in January by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers revealed that two billion tonnes of the world's food production is going to waste each year.  

"It also stated that up to half of all food bought in Europe and the US is thrown away by the consumer, and smarter strategies around water conservation and waste prevention could potentially provide 60% to 100% more food."

To read the full story on EDIE click here.

Top 10 reasons for choosing LED High Bay Lighting

Cold stores, warehouses, garages, factories - what do all these industry facilities have in common? They share an unhealthy penchant for costly and inefficient lighting.

When you're an owner of one of these businesses the last thing you need is to add to your running costs, maintenance bills and carbon footprint by wasting energy and money on outdated sodium or fluorescent lighting.

More and more of these businesses are switching to LED High Bay lighting, the new industry standard for efficient, environmentally friendly lighting that provides an excellent quality of light to work in.

Here, from the website of UK LED lighting manufacturer Gemma Lighting, we list the top ten reasons why LED High Bay lighting is the only way to go.

LED High Bay lighting - Sovereign 72 from Gemma Lighting

1) More efficient

LED High Bay lighting, as with all LED lighting technology, is far more efficient than the likes of sodium or fluorescent lighting. On average products such as the Sovereign 72 LED High Bay light can save users more than 70% in annual energy costs.

2) Brighter per watt

A better ratio of lumens per watt means LED High Bay lighting has a better efficacy when compared to other light sources. This also aids efficiency as a higher quality lighting level is achieved with less power output.

3) Longer life

LEDs provide long-term lighting solutions for a huge range of users, and this longevity translates into up to 100,000 hours of light. Installing LED High Bay lighting, along with the annual savings in energy bills, ensures a speedy return on investment for those wishing to switch to LED lighting.

4) Robust

Gemma Lighting’s LED products are built to last. With a protection rating of IP66 the Sovereign LED High Bay lighting range for example is vandalism proof and offers greater protection from accidental breakage.

5) Goodbye maintenance

With no bulb to replace in LED High Bay lighting the cost of maintaining lighting setups is dramatically reduced when LEDs are installed. Their reliability also ensures that the labour costs of having a maintenance contractor regular working on lights, often at a considerable height, are also shed, lowering overheads even further.

LED High Bay lighting - Sovereign 96 from Gemma Lighting

6) Meet your carbon reduction quota

With carbon reduction schemes commonplace across many industries today, switching to LED High Bay lighting can be a great step in meeting targets over one or five year periods. Tonnes of carbon emissions every year can be saved by LED lighting, and with many cold stores and warehouses needing numbers in bulk, the amount of carbon being saved can prove substantial.

7) No wasted light

Because LED is a directional light source, unlike many other types of light installations, LEDs are designed to target a desired area and refrain from wasting light out into the surrounding areas. For LED High Bay lighting this means maximum efficiency as a large storage or refrigeration area can be comprehensively covered with as few lights as possible. This also means minimal light pollution for LED High Bays in exterior locations.

8) Safer lighting

With no glass to break, no white-hot filament to handle or replace and no noxious fumes involved in its construction, LED High Bay lighting is far safer than many more traditional lightings methods. They also have a better impact on the environment, and can dramatically reduce the carbon emissions of large users of lighting year upon year.

9) Better quality light

LED lighting offers excellent colour rendition – with its crisp white light as close to daylight as artificial lighting can be. Gemma’s LED High Bay lighting has a colour rendition index of RA>70, offering benefits such as better visibility and enhanced picture quality with CCTV security systems.

LED High Bay Lighting TV studio

10) Suitable for a number of uses

The Sovereign LED High Bay lighting range from Gemma Lighting suits a range of applications for a wide range of customer bases, with both chain and ceiling mounting options available as well as adjustable side pods to suit a variety of mounting heights.

Have you recently switched to LED High Bay lighting? Tell us of your experiences in the comments box below!

Gemma Lighting named ‘Overall Business of the Year’

Growing LED lighting specialists Gemma Lighting are celebrating after receiving five awards and being named ‘Overall Business of the Year’ at the Portsmouth News Business Excellence Awards on Friday.

Steve Reid/Blitz Photography

The glittering ceremony, in association with BAE Systems, was held at the Portsmouth Guildhall and Gemma were honoured with the top prize of the night, being named by the judging panel as ‘Overall Business of the Year’.

It was a fantastic evening for the UK-based LED lighting manufacturers, who were winners or runners-up in every category for which they entered into.

As well as taking the top award for overall company of the year, Gemma also scooped the ‘Innovation of the Year’ prize in recognition of their innovative solar LED Street Lighting systems being exported around the world.

The fantastic evening was hosted by broadcaster Fred Dinenage MBE, and highlighted the true success stories of businesses in the Portsmouth region.

Before the trophies were handed out, the Portsmouth News editor Mark Waldron spoke about the many stories of triumph and inspiration from all the nominees present, and told of how difficult the judging decisions were with so many achievements on display.

His speech was followed by a fine three-course meal and entertainment from Manic Stage Productions, a nominee themselves in the Team of the Year category.

Gemma Lighting Sales Director Mark Major with host Fred Dinenage - Blitz Photography

Mr Dinenage then summed up the last twelve months in the business world with his Review of the Year before the announcements got underway with the Retailer, Hospitality, Tourism & Leisure award.

Local landmark the Spinnaker Tower were named as runners-up in this category after helping Portsmouth win Best UK City in the Group Leisure Awards in 2012, whilst bridal store Creatiques received Highly Commended after recording a 62% increase in dress sales.

The first award of the night however went to All About Tea - the Southsea-based tea emporium that has seen a boom in business in the last part of 2012 and now sells all over the world.

The shortlist for the hotly-contested Apprentice of the Year award started with 700 applicants - giving the judging panel a headache to reduce to just the 17 candidates that made it through to the nominees list on the night.

James Bengree of McAndrew Martin received a Highly Recommended achievement, and Thomas Howard was named runner-up for his work at Anglesey Hotel, but it was Holly Diaper who won the award after her colleagues at First Chapter Consultancy said she had overcome being a 'painfully shy' person.

It was at this stage of the night that Gemma Lighting first featured - with the combination of Jupiter LED Street Lights and solar power management systems working to great effect and being considered for the title of Innovation of the Year.

Highly commended in the category were Cobweb Solutions who have developed a secure way for staff to access work remotely, with property superstore group uMoove named as runners-up.

When Gemma Lighting were announced as the winners by award sponsors the University of Portsmouth the two tables featuring Gemma team members erupted with delight and, after some encouragement from the host, all took to the stage to accept the award.

Steve Reid/Blitz Photography

In fact, the team had barely taken their seats once again when the runner-up of the next category was announced - in the Business Personality & Achievement award.

Gemma Managing Director Craig Manuel was asked to return to the stage by Fontwell Park who sponsored the category, and received the runner-up prize for driving Gemma on to post a growth of 132% last year in the manufacturing industry which is in decline overall.

There was a brief interruption to Craig's acceptance speech - when host Fred Dinenage asked what the key to Craig's success was, Gemma Sales Director Mark Major had a modest suggestion that saw Craig double Mark's sales targets for the rest of the year...

Keith Leaning, Catering Manager at Fruitloops, was highly commended, and for his firm's work in preparing Horseguards Parade for the Queen's Birthday, Jubilee and London 2012 Olympic Games Bill McAndrew of McAndrew Martin was named the winner.

Next up was the Team of the Year prize, sponsored by PPA. Winning the award, ahead of Tiger Tiger who were highly commended and runners-up Pompey in the Community, were mystery shopper firm Douglas Stafford.

Gemma Lighting customers Portsmouth Marriott Hotel were on the list of nominees for the Community Contribution award, and were highly commended for their work, spearheaded by Lisa Bowles in a category which was eventually won by Affinion International for their work in Portsmouth schools. Property firm Malins group were runners-up.

Fresh-thinkers and driven business minds were acknowledged in the Start Up Business of the Year category, where Dynamite Recruitment were highly commended, Coconut & Chocolate were given the runners-up prize for their inventive way of creating child's play mats, and recruitment firm Carrington West took the prize.

The Gemma Lighting team before the ceremony - Helen Tinner Photography

With their heads still spinning from two trips onto the stage, the Gemma Lighting team held their breath as the next category was Exporter of the Year. Having seen major exports to Dubai and the Falkland Islands in 2012 Gemma had a strong year for export orders and this was reflected by their inclusion on the shortlist for this award.

Although their name was indeed read out once more, it was to be for the runners-up prize in the category, meaning another trophy for Gemma Lighting and an award win for marine safety firm Daniamant.

With the ceremony coming to the closing stages the awards for both Small/Medium Business of the Year and Large Business of the Year were still to be decided.

Gemma Lighting were on the shortlist for Small/Medium which was up first. Highly commended were Fedden USP, a firm which uses lean business training to ensure companies are running as efficiently as possible, and Gemma Lighting were named runners-up for their fourth trophy of the night.

As Gemma received the award from Councillor Rob Wood of Portsmouth City Council the team could reflect with great pride of their night's work - having won or come runners-up in every category for which they were entered into.

Communications experts Twisted Pair took the SMB prize and in the Large Business category Gemma Lighting customers Portsmouth Marriott were Highly Commended, Aerial Business Communications named runners-up, and STS Defence named winners.

Gemma Lighting are announced as Overall Business of the Year - Blitz Photography

The Gemma Lighting team took a deep breath in - completely unaware that the awards were not over as this was the first time Gemma had ever taken part in the Business Excellence Awards.

Little did they know that all winners from the eight group categories are entered into the biggest prize of the evening, the Overall Business of the Year.

Stunned and pleasantly surprised at even being amongst the nominations for this prize, Gemma were then flabbergasted when it was announced by Brian Johnson of BAE Systems that they had won.

Mr Johnson had been on the judging panel for all the award categories, and said of Gemma Lighting: "The firm is innovative, it is exporting, it is expanding, and all while manufacturing is in decline. We just felt that because Gemma had done so well in each of the categories they were far and away the business which we felt ticked every box."

Managing Director Craig Manuel described the award as 'great for UK manufacturing', saying: "We want to thank our staff, our shareholders for standing by us and our customers. It's brilliant to be recognised."

And Sales Director Mark Major spoke of his pride at winning the award, and said: "We are ecstatic about picking up these awards – there were a few of us there to accept the award but in fact the whole team at Gemma worked towards this moment and deserve recognition because they’ve been fantastic."

Gemma Lighting and the other award winners from the evening will now be entered into the regional business awards in Brighton in the Autumn.

The awards come at a great time of expansion and development for Gemma Lighting, who have already broken their annual sales figures from the previous trading year, again recording growth figures in the double digits.

Gemma Lighting Limited was established to create an innovative concept for environmentally friendly lighting requirements. Drawing on vast experience of LED Technology since 2003, the team at Gemma Lighting have been designing, developing and manufacturing a new generation of LED lighting solutions for numerous applications, both indoors and out.

From a UK manufacturing facility in Portsmouth, Gemma Lighting’s products incorporate the very latest in power efficient Light Emitting Diodes (LED) technology and organisations such as British Gas, the Marriott Hotel group and BAA have benefited from Gemma’s high quality products and customer service alike.

For more reaction to the awards see our Facebook and Twitter pages!

Awards Summary:

Winner – Overall Portsmouth Company of the year
Winner - Innovation of the year

Runner-up - Achievement of the year

Runner-up - Exporter of the year

Runner-up - Small / Medium Business of the year

Gemma Lighting celebrate after being shortlisted for 4 business awards!

UK LED lighting manufacturer Gemma Lighting is celebrating after being shortlisted for four different awards at the Portsmouth News Business Excellence Awards.

2012 was a fantastic year for Gemma Lighting, as the company went from strength to strength; smashing the previous sales year’s figures and securing large export orders to the likes of Dubai and the Falklands Islands.

This amazing year has seen Gemma nominated for Small / Medium Business of the Year, Exporter of the Year, Innovation of the Year and Achievement of the year in the annual awards event.

It is the first year Gemma had been entered into the awards, and with no other company being shortlisted for more awards than Gemma Lighting, it is a fine achievement for the Portsmouth-based LED lighting specialists.

The Gemma Lighting team

The News Business Excellence Awards are now in their 11^th year and honour all those companies which help make the Portsmouth region a success.

The gala awards evening will be held at the Guildhall Portsmouth on Friday 15^th February and will be hosted by Fred Dinenage MBE.

Keep up to date with news from Gemma Lighting and the awards ceremony through the website at www.gemmalighting.com/news and on Twitter.

Merry Christmas from Gemma Lighting!

Merry Christmas from all the team at Gemma Lighting Limited!

Wishing all our customers, colleagues and of course Blog readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We'll see you in 2013!

Mark Chivers joins the team at Gemma Lighting Limited

UK LED Lighting manufacturers Gemma Lighting Limited have recently appointed Mark Chivers as their new Sales Office Manager.

Mark Chivers (left) has joined Sales Director Mark Major (right) and the rest of the Gemma Lighting team

Mark joins the Portsmouth-based LED lighting specialists having had eight years experience in the lighting industry at Anglepoise Limited, where he ran the sales office and supervised sales for both the UK and US markets.

Joining the company at a busy time, Mark will oversee the day-to-day operation of the sales office and will report to Sales Director Mark Major and Managing Director Craig Manuel.

Gemma Lighting have gone from strength to strength in recent years, having recorded over a million pounds worth of sales last year and having surpassed that figure already in the first five months of this trading year.

With recent exports to Dubai and the Falkland Islands adding to the list of locations where Gemma Lighting LED products can be found, Gemma’s range of LED Street, Flood and High/Low bay lighting are all proving a popular choice for a varying range of customers, from universities to police stations, hotels to hospitals.

Gemma Lighting Limited was established to create an innovative concept for environmentally friendly lighting requirements. Drawing on vast experience of LED Technology since 2003, the team at Gemma Lighting have been designing, developing and manufacturing a new generation of LED lighting solutions for numerous applications, both indoors and out.

For more on the company visit the website at www.gemmalighting.com.

Why more and more restaurants are eating up LED lighting

Of all the regular clients using LED lighting solutions, restaurant and cafe owners are probably not top of any prolificacy lists.

They do, however, have extensive overhead costs to consider like everyone else when balancing the books of their business, and their energy bills are primary among those concerns.

Restaurant owners have enough to deal with
without thinking about  rising energy costs

As well as powering kitchen equipment such as cookers and storage facilities, lighting and computing requirements make restaurants one of the biggest user groups of electricity across the world. In the United States for example the annual energy bill for the commercial food service sector is estimated at $10bn, according to environmental protection agency Energy Star.

To drive down their running costs, and also reduce their carbon impact on the environment, several chains and sites are making the change to LED lighting – but are they doing it the right way?

The transfer to more energy efficient LEDs is an easy decision to make. With better power to output ratios, LEDs are far more energy efficient solutions in comparison with fluorescent or sodium light fittings that are more commonly found in restaurants. As well as reducing energy costs, the longevity and durability of LEDs also means a cut in the cost of repairing and replacing lighting, and installations of LED lighting, both interior and exterior, have seen many reduce their carbon emissions year upon year.

So what can go wrong? Well LEDs are becoming increasingly adaptable, their ability to replace traditional lighting setups means they can be found in more and more locations in and around homes and businesses today. Their use has stretched to LED lamps also, which boast all the benefits of regular LED lighting fittings with the convenience of coming in a small package. However these come at a significantly higher cost than market alternatives, and do not have the lifespan of their larger cousins.

High quality LED lighting specialists manufacture their own LED product ranges in order to maximise the benefits that LED lighting can bring to the user, installing and testing their products in optimum conditions for maximum capacity.

Lighting is a key consideration for
restaurants looking to create the right mood

LED ceiling tiles, street lights and bollard lights are all available as complete packages, and installation of these fittings can mean bigger savings over longer periods for users. Take an average restaurant with car parking for example; the owners could replace the lamps in their street lights, interior lights in the dining area, and lights in the kitchen and offices with LEDs. But to maximise their savings, they could replace all of these with brand new, vandalism and weather-proof, environmentally friendly LED light installations.

It isn’t just about cost reduction with LEDs either. Every successful restaurant has a theme and a mood it creates for its customers, who will return time and again to experience that unique feel. Several factors go into making this possible, and lighting can underpin all of these attributes. An elaborate design layout with bespoke colour schemes can be rendered useless if adequate lighting fails to sufficiently bring out the tones of those colours. The colour rendering of LED lighting is excellent, and the strength of its bright white light is more aesthetically pleasing than the pale yellow hue that can be emitted by older lighting systems, particularly as their lifespan diminishes.

This technical superiority also stretches to external uses, as LED lighting improves the picture clarity on CCTV pictures, meaning that your restaurant is more secure and ensuring that should anyone cause your business any damage you won’t face the frustration of seeing them walk away from punishment due to insufficient proof – a common problem for CCTV systems let down by sub-standard lighting (see our previous blog here for more on this).

Just as important as protecting your business itself can be protecting the name and brand of your restaurant. A flickering lamp over the bar area or seating in a dark corner of the room lessens the appeal to diners, and reflects badly on the professionalism of your establishment. Reliable and low maintenance LED lighting do not suffer from these problems, and with increasing developments in control technologies and dimmer switches, the levels of customisation available for LED lighting are becoming increasingly more effective.

Some of the biggest names in the restaurant industry have switched to LED in recent times, the likes of McDonalds, Nandos and Cafe Nero to name but a few. When LED lighting becomes the norm for all restaurants, do you want your restaurant to be the one left behind, and more importantly – can you afford it to be?

Leave us your comments in the box below.

Challenges and issues discussed at NPL's LED Street Lighting Conference

Gemma Lighting were delighted to attend the Best Practice in LED Street Lighting Conference at the National Physical Laboratory earlier this week, engaging in seminars and discussions on one of Gemma’s key product areas.

LED Street Lighting is quickly becoming the best option for many businesses and authorities across the country, and on this day of debates including participation from contractors, designers and manufacturers subjects such as measurement, application and financing were raised between the members present.

 The NPL hosted the event at its base in Teddington, Middlesex and being home to the Centre for Carbon Measurement the world-leading centre of excellence in developing testing systems was the ideal location to host the day’s proceedings.

Gemma were one of the many LED specialists in attendance with Mike Elwell discussing the challenges of implementing solid-state lighting (SSL) in the first session of the day.

Mr Elwell spoke of the influence of industry bodies such as the Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP), which was formed in 1924 and now has more than 1900 members.

As with many considerations regarding local authorities in the current climate, the issue of reducing number of consultants in local councils in order to reduce consultancy fees was highlighted as an issue with regards to implementing new SSL, and Mr Elwell highlighted some common reasons given for not switching to improved lighting solutions such as LED.

These were discussed throughout the day but what all delegates were in agreement of was that these common issues were misunderstood – the cost of installing LED light fittings for example was considered too expensive even though prices are lower than when the technology first became available and funding schemes are there to aid local authorities in reducing costs and cutting carbon emissions via projects such as LED lighting.

Of course being at the NPL there was a heavy focus on testing and measurement also, and Mr Elwell highlighted the need for more stringent testing that would become standard across the industry – something Gemma and the other manufacturers present certainly welcomed, as this means higher quality products manufactured in the UK, such as those made at Gemma’s base in Portsmouth, will stand out from cheaper foreign imports.

We then heard about the relationship between the NPL and their Dutch counterparts VSL who have worked together on metrology and environmental factors affecting SSL performance, and from Huw Convery on a street lighting project in Salford before a LUX-TSI presentation on measurement and data confirmation.

After lunch Teresa Goodman from the NPL looked at the relevance of mesopic photometry in LED street lighting, and went over the means in which it can be calculated, followed by a presentation by Steve Fotios of Sheffield University on his MERLIN project, which stands for mesopically enhanced road lighting: improving night-vision.

A panel discussion with the various speakers from the day saw questions raised about LED performance, warranties and power supply options that saw engaged input from many of the gathered delegates.

Andrew Dennington was next to speak on free-form optics and the design and validation process behind their performance, and Graham Scragg took the final session of the day by presenting street lighting projects in Birmingham and Sheffield.

www.gemmalighting.com

One theme that clearly emerged from the day was the need for LED lighting specification standards to be mandatory in some form – providing customers with the peace of mind that the technology they are purchasing does what it claims to do in the factsheets. There are current guidelines such as the ‘Guide to specification of LED lighting products 2012’ from the Lighting Industry Liaison Group (LILG) but nothing currently in UK law specifically regarding the design of LEDs.

Gemma Lighting tries to reassure its customers in other ways such as the three year warranty that comes as standard with all LED lighting, and the benefit of having the whole operation here in the UK, from the sales team to the factory floor, so customer communications to be handled easily and efficiently.

The high quality standards of Gemma’s products is one of the key benefits for users, as the longevity and reliability can lead to a lifespan of up to 100,000 hours and massively reduce maintenance costs, and with high IP protection rated fittings Gemma’s LED lighting range is durable against adverse weather conditions and vandalism.

Were you at the Best Practice Conference? Why not give us your thoughts on some of the issues using the comments box below.

The Energy Bill: How to offset the rising cost of renewable energy with LED lighting

As the fallout from chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement begins today, many in the energy and lighting community are still discussing the details of the Energy Bill announced late last month.

The UK government announced the details of the long-awaited bill aiming to set down the plans and schemes that will help Britain be more reliant on renewable energy sources in the future.

he Bill was met with a mixed response from 
political and environmental commentators alike

Met with a mixed response from political and environmental commentators alike; although the bills motives have been widely applauded, many have cited the lack of a target for a reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 as a large downfall.

And the news that energy companies will be able to charge over £7.5bn extra to household bills by 2020 has not gone down well with many homeowners either.

Plenty has been made already of the profits being recorded by energy suppliers when the average cost of vital services such as electric and gas are on the rise, and the news that suppliers will charge between £75 and £110 extra every year to go towards renewable energy will not sit right with struggling households.

But the need for the UK to become less reliant on fossil fuels and foreign imports of fuel has been widely documented, and the necessity to put plans into motion for the development of technologies such as solar, wind and nuclear energy are vital.

Under the Climate Change Act, signed in 2008, the UK is legally-bound to reduce its carbon emissions by certain amounts at landmark dates. The key point of the 2008 act is that by 2050, Britain’s carbon emissions should be 80% less than they were in 1990, and 34% of this reduction must be achieved by 2020.

The bill does leave room in 2016 for the Committee on Climate
Change to make a recommendation on a decarbonisation target

Many were expecting a similar target to be set for 2030 in last week’s Bill announcement, but none was forthcoming. The bill does leave room in 2016 for the Committee on Climate Change, an independent government advisory body, to make a recommendation on a decarbonisation target - but clearly this is a few steps short of the giant leap many hoped this bill would become in shifting towards greener energy in the UK.

Perhaps reflected by the coverage of the bill and the number of parties who came out in the press to criticise the lack of a decarbonisation target - a vote on the Guardian website initially showed 58% of people would be willing to contribute more towards greener energy the day after the bill was announced - by the time the Guardian had closed the pole, that figure had dropped to just 31%.

Although the goal may be for 30% of electricity by 2020 to be supplied via renewable energy sources, such as solar energy and wind farms, the downside of many greener technologies is the high capital cost, but more and more schemes and funding resources are becoming available for those wishing to reduce their CO2 emissions.

Organisations such as Salix offer the public sector the opportunity to invest in carbon reducing technologies by partly funding the capital expenditure through an interest free loan. Many manufacturers of these same technologies also offer their own financing options, such as Green Lease for LED lighting.

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LEDs are becoming more and more prolific with businesses and authorities wishing to reduce costs and lower carbon emissions, and with the payback time of many lighting solutions numbering just a few years, organisations are realising that regardless of what the future holds for renewable energy, savings can be made with LED lighting right here and now in the present.

Replacing traditional light fittings with LED lighting has seen a range of businesses around the world make those savings, and the reduction in carbon emissions can be emphatic. In the case of security and CCTV systems provider Evolution Security for example, switching to LED lighting saw them save 100 tonnes of carbon every year.

Along with the other advantages of LED lighting, such as the savings in maintenance costs, better energy efficiency and lifespan of up to 100,000 hours, LEDs are one of the many green technologies that can see users hit their own targets in carbon reduction in years to come.

Consumer groups such as Which? have voiced concerns about an increase in household bills, with the current average at £1,249 a year according to the government, but what about the cost for businesses who have longer hours of operation?

LED provides these companies with the ideal chance to avoid serious hikes in their energy costs whilst cutting back on the amount of carbon waste they emit, giving them peace of mind in knowing whatever the next step for environmental government policy is, they will be doing all they can to make the world a greener place.

What did you make of the Energy Bill details? Let us know through the comments box below.