Posts by Victor

The LED panel is the fixture that is making the largest contribution to energy savings in the corporate sector. The switch from fluorescent louvred ceiling grid units to LED is well underway, and growing rapidly thanks to tax breaks and other government incentives. Organisations across the UK are refurbishing their offices and enjoying immediate savings direct to the bottom line – but which format of panel do they choose?

Since their introduction, LED panels have been available in two distinct designs: side/edge-lit and backlit. Let’s explore the advantages of each design and consider which is best suited for your next project.

Efficacy

Short-lived tubes and ballasts and, of course, the dreaded flickering were reasons why fluorescents were disliked by office workers and managers alike. Initial versions of the LED replacements offered only a marginal benefit in terms of luminous efficacy – 64 lm/W were swapped with 78 lm/W when the first edge-lit LED units appeared. Over time, each new generation of LED panels has delivered improved ratios of power to light. To the extent that Integral’s new 152 lm/W backlit panel prompts the question whether it is now worthwhile to replace first-generation LED panels with new?

Edge-lit versus backlit

In edge-lit models the LED chips are arranged on the inner edge of the luminaire. The light is then bounced downwards through a diffuser. Edge-lit was the most popular format in the LED panel category during the introductory stage of the LED lighting market. However, there has been a parting of the ways between models in terms of efficiency.

Backlighting has proved the natural benefit of projecting light through less material. Edge-lit retains a share of the market where unit costs are a higher priority than running costs, and where there is an aesthetic preference. However, the real saving is in the lower operational costs delivered by backlit panels.

The bottom line

Corporate cost savings are a hard-nosed decision. With every breakthrough in luminous efficacy in terms of power to light, the payback time on installations shortens, while the unit cost of LED panels continues to fall. Additionally, recent government-backed initiatives, including interest and tax-free loans promoted through the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme, is pushing refits higher up boardroom agendas.

Choosing to switch from fluorescent lighting schemes to LED panels for an office has become a no-brainer for both commercial business and public organisations. Increasingly, the need to replace less efficient legacy LED panels with newer, more efficient models will be on the schedule too.

Kitchens are no longer just for preparing food – they are multifunctional spaces that can be used for dining, entertaining guests, hosting parties, and much more. Which makes the question of choosing kitchen lighting a lot more complex.

A good start is to make the lighting a component part of the kitchen design process. Don’t let the lighting element be the last thing you consider, because by then it will be too late. Consider how the room is to be used: where the appliances and worktops will be situated, how guests will circulate, where best to place the dining table and kitchen island.

Here are some suggestions that should meet the needs of most modern kitchens.

General lighting

LED downlights have been the go-to source for kitchen lighting for many years. The LED downlight is the workhorse of kitchen lighting. It can provide general illumination, but also deliver light to specific features such as worktops, even artworks. And although we’re beginning to see alternative ways of providing this general illumination, including more use of decorative ceiling fixtures, the downlight is still prevalent in today’s kitchen.

A dining area within a kitchen needs to be separately controlled from the other lighting. Once the food is prepared and everyone is seated at the table, there should be the choice of dimming the general lighting or switching it off entirely.

Task lighting

Task lighting is essential in any modern kitchen and should be the brightest of all the luminaires in the room. To achieve this, localised task lighting should be provided above every working surface.

The essence of good task lighting is to have a light above the worktop and in front of the person working, ensuring that no one is chopping food (and fingers) in their own shadow. Downlights can be used for this, or slimline units mounted under kitchen cabinets. Ventilation hoods designed to fit above the hob will usually include lighting that is specially built to resist steam and fat deposits.

If all lighting is positioned correctly, the work surfaces will be perfectly illuminated.

Pendants

Pendant lighting can be used to make a statement in the kitchen. Suspending pendant luminaires over the dining table or island creates visual focus. Making those pendants dimmable enables you to add diversity – dimming them for drinks with friends, for example, or increasing the brightness when preparing or serving food.

Pendant lighting should always emit a warm white light, providing a comforting glow that isn’t intrusive and adds to the ambience of the space.

Mood lighting

If you’re looking to create a multifunctional kitchen, suited for a quick meal after work as well as for entertaining guests, you need to be able to control the lighting for different moods and occasions.

Consider installing softer, secondary ambient lighting, such as a warm white range of fixtures with an output of around 2700K to 3000K. Stylish LED striplighting can be installed above and below cabinets, providing a subtle effect as well as looking good.

LED strips should also be dimmable, enabling the lighting to adapt to different occasions.

Integrated design

Integrating these lighting principles into the overall kitchen design at an early stage ensures that everything is considered and coordinated.