The new high-brightness LEDs open up a wealth of
opportunity for flexible, creative lighting solutions inside and out. Mark Van Den Berg, Lumileds' Marketing Manager for Europe, takes a look at what lighting designers, architects, and contractors are getting excited about...
The challenge of effective, creative lighting cannot be underestimated. The opportunity to enhance a project through light and achieve the required style and mood takes skill and flexibility. Now a growing number of lighting designers, architects, and contractors are taking advantage of a new generation of LEDs to give them the added creative edge they're looking for.
Perhaps best known as the little red or green indicator lights on our phones, PCs and printers, take another look and you'll see that LEDs are finally coming of age. Silicon Valley, not known for its energy conservation, has created a new era of high-output, high-efficiency LED light sources.
Major advances in brightness or 'lumen' output, combined with a choice of both 'cold' or 'warm' light, mean that these new 'super LEDs' are now challenging incandescent or halogen lights for both internal and external lighting, with a growing number of projects demonstrating the performance and flexibility now available.
Behind the hype
Consider an incandescent light source, which delivers about 10 Lumens/Watt efficacy. In comparison the White Luxeon LED from Lumileds is typically delivering 30 Lumens/Watt. Some of the coloured LEDs have an even higher efficacy, creating significant power savings over conventional lighting. These savings could also have a very real environmental impact, with the USA already investigating the wider usage of LEDs as part of their national energy initiative.
Figures from the US have quantified the savings offered by LED technology - the USA's energy needs cost $60 billion a year, around 20 per cent of which is used for incandescent and fluorescent lighting. This usage can be significantly reduced by deploying LEDs in typical lighting applications such as office and retail environments, saving some $5 billion per year off America's energy bill. Add to this the environmental cost of carbon dioxide pollution, which amounts to millions of tonnes, and the argument for wider use of LEDs is compelling.
If further justification is needed, longevity has long been sought in the lighting arena and with LEDs you get a lifetime of light. The LED light source has a service life of many years, providing the opportunity for integration directly into fixtures, or almost anything such as bricks, tiling, wall-spaces and more, while avoiding concerns over lamp replacement and lowering the on-going maintenance costs associated with traditional light sources.
Finally, LEDs stay brighter for longer; a feature known as lumen maintenance. Independent testing from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lighting Research Center, recently highlighted the new levels of lumen maintenance now being achieved by the 'super LEDs' such as Luxeon. This removes the main concern of brightness suitability that has influenced thoughts over the use of LEDs for general lighting and other applications. The results also validated the longevity benefits of LEDs over incandescent bulbs, underlining the technological advancements that have been made by companies such as Lumileds.
A more flexible light source
In addition, because each solution houses an array of different LEDs, lighting distribution can be varied by selectively switching the LEDs to create a range of effects. This has resulted in more flexible light sources that can be used to adjust lighting levels, change colour appearance, alter light distribution and reduce direct glare, making artificial light more natural and creating a more attractive working or living environment.
The new LEDs are also driving a rethink of lighting systems. In the past we've been encouraged to save energy by switching off unneeded lights, in contrast the efficiency and flexibility of the super LEDs allows a more effective distribution of light, allowing the deployment of light wherever, whenever and however it is needed, providing real savings in lighting costs and management.
The design applications for these new LEDs are endless - take a look at the recently completed Vos Pad in London, or the hotels, national landmarks, cars, concerts, nightclubs and diving lamps that are being talked about - the list is growing all of the time as recognition of the benefits of LEDs becomes more widespread. So, next time you're thinking light, think about LEDs - you may be in for a big surprise.
Designed by Ian Ritchie Architects, the Spire is now Dublin's tallest structure, with Leda-Lite International selected to illuminate the Spire with aviation and architectural lighting that maximises the impact of the overall design.
In total 2000 white Luxeon Star LEDs were used to light the Spire, creating a light output of 2000 candela in all directions and a structure that can be seen from up to fifteen miles away.
Leda-Lite used specially designed optics to create 360 degrees of light around the aviation light. By turning the optics 90 degrees the lighting solution spreads light down the entire length of the spire, emitting it through 11,000 perforated holes along the structure's aluminium core. These holes allow the architectural light to shine through, while in a breeze the slight swaying of the spire allows the lighting to sparkle through the holes, creating a twinkling effect that extends across the city.
Made with polished stainless steel tubes totalling 126 tonnes, the Spire is made up of six sections reaching a total of 125 metres and was completed using the largest crane ever operated in Ireland.
Leda-Lite chose to light the landmark with Luxeon LEDs for a range of benefits Luxeon brings, in particular its significant advantages in terms of longevity. With a lifetime of over ten years, the use of Luxeon will minimise the maintenance costs associated with the Dublin Spire, while the low power requirements provide the city with enhanced energy efficiency. In addition, replacing the light sources in the tower would be extremely difficult to do, due to the tall, narrow design. Luxeon ensures many years of operation without the need to replace light sources.
Reflecting the design of the steel structure, the lighting solution was developed with a twisting design, with the LEDs positioned on a wire rope running up the centre of the Spire. This is operated by a pulley system at the top of the tower, over which the rope is looped.
information: www.lumileds.com
So, just why are these new LEDS creating such interest? Firstly LED devices have very low power requirements, resulting in low operating costs and on-going energy savings. Secondly, the longevity of LEDs puts conventional lighting in the shade, bringing lower maintenance costs and more flexible deployment, and thirdly, the lumen maintenance is unsurpassed - LED lights stay brighter for longer, providing the light performance demanded for a greater time period.
But it is not just the LED brightness and performance developments that are attracting a growing number of followers; the small size and long life bring a new level of flexibility never before possible from conventional light sources. A fraction of the size of incandescent or halogen lighting, designers and architects are now using the tiny size of LEDs to create lighting solutions that are smaller, sleeker and lighter in weight than ever before, bringing new silhouettes and invisible light points to designs.
The Dublin Spire on O'Connell Street has been lit with Lumileds Luxeon LEDs in a project to provide the city with a striking new tourist attraction.
As a specialist in the design and manufacture of bespoke luminaires, LB Lighting is able to incorporate the most suitable range of light sources, including LEDs, into its designs. A case in point is the feature lighting of the entrance stairwell at Lloyds Court in Newcastle. Here, fibre optic lighting was originally proposed for the lighting the backs of the stair treads. As an alternative, the project's lighting consultants, Lighting Design International proposed the use of LEDs, and called upon LB Lighting to develop specially designed luminaires for the purpose. These comprise a piece of Prismex™ sandwiched between 19mm and 10mm thick glass panels. They are used on all landings and stair treads through five floors. The result is a subtle jewel-like effect that has the benefits of long life, low maintenance and resistance to vibration. Where appropriate, LEDs are used widely by LB Lighting, but rather than compromising with standard products, LB will customise fittings to obtain the maximum performance from the fitting and the light source.