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!

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.

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.

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!