Define Needs: Introduction
Once a potential energy saving project has been identified it will be necessary to define your required solution in further detail before you are in a position to approach potential suppliers.
To achieve an energy efficient lighting solution you need to consider the luminous efficacy of your proposed lamp types. The luminous efficacy tells you how much output light (lumens) a lamp produces for a given amount of input power (1 watt). As far as possible you should select lighting with the highest luminous efficacy. However, there are other design criteria to consider.
To define your lighting needs you should follow a structured process:
- Design criteria: what do you want the lighting system to achieve in terms of energy efficiency, illumination, colour appearance, colour rendering? How much light do you need - are there natural sources of light?
- Maintenance criteria: what are your criteria in terms of lamp life and access to light fittings?
- Control criteria: what type of control will allow you to realise the benefits of your light installation. The less time you lights are switched on when not required the more you will save.
Having defined your lighting needs you will need to select the three key components of your lighting system:
- Lamp – a source of light. Select the lamp type which matches your design criteria and has the optimum luminous efficacy and lamp life.
- Luminaire – a light fitting (that incorporates one or more lamps). Note that the light output ratio (LOR) of the luminaire can also determine overall efficiency of the solution. Select the optimum luminaire for the lamp type you have chosen.
- Controls – manual or automatic switching equipment by which you control the operation of the lighting system.
For more information follow the links above to define your needs and then visit the:
NOTE: For information on minimum lighting recommendations and the legal responsibilities associated with lighting in the workplace, you can purchase the Heath and Safety Executive guidance document ‘HSG38 – Lighting at work’.
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