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External Low Energy Luminaires and Lamps
In preparing for the installation of a lighting installation there are many key factors to be considered. This document sets out to identify and assist in the clarification of some of the more important issues.
Design Criteria.
Any proposed scheme should be designed to provide an appropriate amount of light to allow any task to be carried in the space to be carried out safely and effectively, without subjecting the operative to glare.There are recognised standards that recommend a level of illumination for most types of installation whether it is for an ‘office type’ project or an area within a ‘factory/industrial’ environment. These standards will refer to the ‘average illumination’ and the element of glare.Documents to be used for reference…………CIBSE Guides, Health and Safety Guides, dedicated manufacturers handbooks, etc.
Energy Efficiency
Government Legislation, in the form of Part L of the building regs. must be applied to many types of project. Key considerations are switching and control of the light source, together with the efficiency of any integrated control gear. It is worth noting at this point that dimming controls can be very effective, but can only be applied to dedicated luminaire’s using specific control and wiring systems. There are also factors to be applied in regard to the efficiency of the structure of the luminaire.
Lighting Controls
As has been mentioned lighting controls are a very important element of any scheme. They can take any/all of the following formats…i. Presence detectionii. Daylight Linkingiii. Absence detectioniv. Time based controlv. Manual dimming controlThere are savings to had when using any or all of the above……..they range between 10% and 50% and normally require specialist additional components and wiring systems.
Lamp Selection
The essence of any lighting scheme is the light source. The wrong choice can lead to many problems not lease in attempting to control the amount of light. There are also serious issues in regard to lamp life and the maintenance of the luminaires on a project.Lamps do fail and the issue of ‘acceptable rate of failure’ must be considered.
Application/Situation
Once a scheme has been established is then extremely important to select the correct luminaire to perform the task within that design. The selection of the’ right product for the right task’ is not just a matter of initial cost.
The following are some of the factors to be considered….
.i. Degree of Protection (IP ratings) for liquids and solids
.ii. Degree of protection for mechanical impact (IK ratings)
iii. Method of fixation.
iv. Visual performance
.v. Aesthetic suitability relevant to the selected location
.vi. Compliance with approved standards ( eg BS and BSEN standards)
vii. Availability of spares and support.
Emergency Lighting
This is an important element and there is legislation covering the areas to be protected and the level to which they are to be serviced. All work in this respect must be fully documented, as there are possible issues in regard to insurance cover.There is tremendous amount of jargon used within the lighting industry; much of it is based on common sense. However as in any industry three are some specialist elements that should be considered by an experienced engineer or designer. Any installation must be carried by a competent person and on completion all the required documentation should be handed over. Information on lamp types and circuit currents are two elements that should form part of the project record.
