Commercial LED lighting design tips
As commercial LED lighting design and installation experts we’ve developed systems for all kinds of businesses, creating carefully considered designs for offices, warehouses, retail premises and much more. Every system needs to be developed according to each client’s specific needs, so if you’re thinking of upgrading to commercial LED lighting, take a look at these tips first…
The benefits of good LED lighting design
Before we guide you through the design process and considerations, let’s take a quick look at the benefits of installing commercial LED lighting – many of which also apply to domestic applications too:
• Superior performance
• Low maintenance
• Lower cost – up to 80% more efficient than traditional lighting
• Better working environment
• Increased staff productivity
• More control
Getting the best LED lighting design for your business
You may think that designing an LED lighting system is pretty much just a case of swapping bulbs and fittings, and perhaps adding a few extras here and there. But to ensure the design gives you the best results, you need to consider the following…
Look at the working plane
The starting point of any commercial LED lighting design is to take a look at the working plane. This ‘bird’s eye view’ of your space allows you to see all areas clearly, helping you to identify areas that require extra lighting, areas that are busy/heavily used, and areas that may already have good natural illumination.
The function of your business
How does your business operate? What is its function? Are you only open during regular business hours, or do you have staff onsite all the time, working shifts? Do you have office spaces where you may need better lighting for staff working at computers? Or do you use machinery or equipment that may need improved illumination for ease of working, or even health and safety?
Think about who’s responsible for locking up, processes for shutting off lights, and areas where your lighting needs may differ due to the functions of your overall operational requirements.
Function of the building
Even if you own your business premises, you may sub-lease or share areas with other companies, residents or retail outlets. You may be a landlord with lots of different tenants to consider, all of whom may have different ideas about lighting.
Essentially, if you own the property but don’t actually manage each individual area, you need to ensure that you have some level of control even when you’re not there. For example, if you rent out storage space, it’s probably a good idea to consider PIR motion sensors, so that lights aren’t left on when these areas aren’t in use. You want to get the maximum energy efficiency benefits from your lighting installation, so you need to look at the building overall, and how each different space is utilised.
Current facilities, structure and materials
The fabric and facilities of your building can have a significant influence on your LED lighting design and installation, so we need to create a ‘map’ of what we’re working with, so we can identify what products we can use and any installation accommodations we need to make.
For example, if you have asbestos present in your building, we’ll try to find an alternative lay-out so that this remains undisturbed, or we may advise getting a specialist in to safely remove it prior to the lighting install – which will have an impact from an investment point of view.
Also, if you have false ceilings in situ, solid ceiling, beams, brick or stone walls we can source suitable products to fit in with your building structure and aesthetics.
Quality of products
We all know that there’s such a thing as false economy, but when you’re faced with differing quotes and you’re about to part with a lot of money, it can be tempting to go with the cheapest option – but we highly recommend that you put quality ahead of price in this instance.
Many cheaper quotes for commercial LED lighting installations will include budget products that have been manufactured overseas to fairly low standards. Unfortunately, they’re prone to fail much faster than better quality alternatives plus can be less energy efficient, which can increase maintenance needs and ongoing costs. Most of the LED products we use are made here in the UK and fully lab tested, giving you plenty performance and better value overall.
Return on investment
Last but by no means least, you need to think about the return on investment that your new LED lighting design will represent – and this means getting a full breakdown of the figures, not just vague promises of increased efficiency.
Our energy and lighting experts will take the time to show you exactly how – and when – your installation will pay for itself, along with the subsequent benefits it will deliver in ongoing energy costs.
We work on the basis of providing a tangible ROI within 2 to 3 years, so it won’t be long before the design and installation has paid for itself!
If you’d like any more information regarding commercial LED lighting design, or would like to arrange for a consultation and site survey, please either call us on 0333 8000771 or email us enquiries@hawleyenergy.group and we’ll be happy to help
