What is Industrial LED Lighting?
Industrial LED Lighting is classified as lighting installed in buildings such as a Chemical Works, Car Body Repair Shop, Foundry, Docks, Factory or Warehouse. This list is by no means exhaustive and could also include sites such as Power Stations.
Industrial LED light fittings are often assembled to achieve a level of Ingress Protection such as IP54, IP65, IP66 and IP67, with some lighting products also able to withstand heat and fire for a period.
Why LED?
From about 2010, the UK started switching to cost saving LED lighting and thousands of times every day, internet search engines are now asked questions such as ‘how much does a 10watt LED light bulb cost to run’.
It takes thousands of electrical contractors to facilitate this switch to cost saving LED across the UK and although you may not notice, slowly but surely old-style light fittings are disappearing. The Government is also phasing out products such as son lamps incandescent lamps and fluorescent tubes and by September 2023, they will likely disappear from the shelves of resellers.
10 Advantages of LED in Industrial lighting
Whether you are a warehouse manager or factory owner there are dozens of advantages in switching to LED. You may have dozens of old ‘twin fitting’ fluorescent tubes in place and want to switch to a cost-effective equivalent vapour proof fitting. Here are ten reasons for doing so:
- Cost savings of approximately 55% to 85% in electricity. Particularly attractive if you have 250w son lamps and upgrade to an equivalent LED fitting.
- LED emit far less heat so are safer, last longer, therefore reducing maintenance costs
- Far more versatile and allow for smaller overall size of fittings
- Quality LEDs generate a better colour rendering index (CRI) meaning the subject matter you are illuminating is more closely visualised in its original state.
- LED can provide a more directional beam of light which is particularly useful in Asymmetrical Floodlights, as well as ‘high rack’ areas in storage warehouses
- Installing LED lighting enables an organisation to proactively reduce its carbon footprint
- LED provides instant illumination from the moment you flick on the light switch
- Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s) can generate an almost limitless range of different colours so whether Red, Yellow, Blue, Pink, Green or Purple, any light colour is available to you, dependant on style of fitting.
- If you are old enough to remember dropping an old light bulb, you will probably remember that LEDs are much harder to break.
- LED’s work better in the cold. Unlike old incandescent and son lamps as well as fluorescent tubes, of which millions remain installed, LEDs will work far better than these when it’s cold. (Always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions if using LED in sub-zero temperatures)
LED technology is still improving
Manufacturers of LED light fittings and their associated products such as LED drivers, become more innovative as the years pass. Over the past 5 to 6 years, we have witnessed improved efficiency in the conversion of wattage into lumens. This means that for every watt of electricity required to power an LED fitting, more lumens of light are being produced from a single watt. This wattage to lumen conversion rate may continue to improve, therefore producing even more efficient LED light fittings than currently available. This leads to a healthier carbon footprint for Industrial users of LED light fittings because less and less electricity is needed to power them.
If you require further information or guidance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Thank-you.
Your Electrical Supplier,
Birmingham 0121 439 8010
