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!

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.

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.

www.gemmalighting.com

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.

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.