Low Energy Lighting
Energy is a big problem for us humans. We’re utterly dependent upon it, yet we haven’t quite worked out a fool-proof plan for where we will get in from once our fossil fuels run out. We’ve got wind turbines, solar energy, tidal power and a whole host of other options but we’ve a long way to go before these renewable sources start producing anything like the amount of energy we are using. Then of course there’s global warming to think about, but let’s leave that to one side for today…
To help fix our energy problems and reduce carbon emissions government building regulations now state that we must use all manner of green technologies in new homes to make sure that they use as little energy as possible. The ‘Code for Sustainable Homes’ offers big bonus points to builders for using over 75% energy efficient lighting in a new home and it’s this point that I’m going to discuss here.
A large part of my business is designing and installing lighting control systems. Lighting control systems allow my clients to control the lighting throughout their homes using a concept of simple lighting ‘scenes’ as opposed to having to manage several independently controlled dimmer switches. Lighting ‘scenes’ can be recalled at the touch of a button and pre-set the various different light fittings in a room to a level suitable for a particular activity. For example a Kitchen might have a ‘Cook’ scene that selects the correct lighting for cooking, whilst an ‘Entertain’ scene will set the lighting to be appropriate for dining and chatting with friends.
So being able to dim lights adds to the comfort and ambience of a home. The big snag is that the new generation of energy efficient lamps really don’t like being dimmed. While many of them state in their marketing material that they can be dimmed, in practice they flicker wildly at certain levels of light which can make them rather infuriating and highly unpleasant to live with. Not only that, but the quality of light that most low-energy lights emit is not what we’re used to with normal incandescent light bulbs or low-voltage halogen lamps. They can appear quite cold and clinical compared to the nice warm ‘yellowy’ light we get from conventional lamps, although they are getting better all the time.
On the plus side, many of the energy efficient LED lights on the market claim up to 50,000 hours lifetime, which could see them last up to 30 years in normal use. So reduced electricity bills are not all energy efficient lights promise - not having to change your light bulbs for 30 years is not only thrifty, it’s also highly convenient!
I’ve spent considerable time researching and testing various new energy efficient lighting technologies and now consider myself to be somewhat of an expert in dimming energy efficient lights. As the old adage goes, you get what you pay for. There are a myriad of Chinese fittings available but I wasn’t able to find any that would dim properly. Even the more expensive European models didn’t totally live up to the manufacturers claims. The only model that I found that worked (and it worked absolutely perfectly, dimming right down to 1% without any flicker whatsoever) was made by an English company who manufacture LED lights predominantly commercial applications and retail display. These fittings are beautifully made and offer an excellent light output with perfect dimming but they do of course carry a ‘made in England’ price tag. But as it’s a purchase that will last up to 30 years whilst saving money all the way, maybe the up-front price shouldn’t be such a tough pill to swallow.
Another method of controlling lights that I’ve been researching and testing instead of using conventional dimmers is by using DMX (or DMX512 as it is also known). DMX is a lighting control technology that has traditionally been used in stage and theatre productions, where hundreds of different channels of light need to be controlled quickly and accurately. We’ve adapted DMX technology for use in the home as it’s an established and stable technology and works very well for controlling LEDs, offering much more flexibility than traditional dimmers. More than that, colour changing lights are also a possibility with DMX, which can create beautiful if not just plain fun lighting effects. The installation doesn’t use traditional electrical cabling but uses CAT5 networking cabling to run up to 10 lights off one single CAT5 cable. CAT5 cable is not only easier to install, but far less expensive and offers much more flexibility and control over traditional ‘twin and earth’ lighting cable. We’ve recently completed the installation of a project using DMX controlled LED lighting throughout and both the client and I were over the moon with the results.
In fact we’ve been so impressed by our DMX LED lighting system that we’re going on to specify the same system in many other projects. By doing so we’re pioneering the technology in home use, saving our client’s money, helping builders to meet tough new regulations and saving the planet to boot. Ooh, I feel all warm and fuzzy…