Fluorescent battens have been a stalwart of commercial and industrial installations, but LED technology brings a whole host of new benefits as well as regulatory compliance, writes Scott Brewer, Head of Technical at Knightsbridge.
It would be hard to argue against the assertion that LED lighting is now the predominant lighting source for UK residential, retail and commercial applications. Industry researchers IBISWorld estimates that sales for LED products and ancillaries are over £2.5 billion annually.
While other mainstream lighting sources have fallen by the wayside, the LED world has exploded. There’s probably not a house, office or retail shop in the UK that doesn’t have LED lamps installed somewhere. According to findings from German electrical magazine Reichelt, 73% of UK consumers are already reaping the benefits of using LED lamps in their home, with 17% of respondents having already switched to LED lights completely.
In the commercial sector, the fluorescent batten has come a long way since American electrical engineer and inventor Peter Cooper Hewitt and German physicist Leo Arons pioneered the first mercury vapour lamps in 1901. The fluorescent tube came into being 30 years later when a phosphor coating was added to the inside of the tube to improve the quality of the light output.
Fast forward to now and LED is the future and the way forward, offering superior performance across a whole range of metrics – efficiency, cost, design, and most importantly, speed of installation.
So what does this new generation of LED battens ‘look like’? And what can be expected from them?
Probably the first thing to say is that dimensions-wise, LED battens are available in the same sizes as their fluorescent predecessors, making them ideal for retrofit installations, while not forgetting their potential for new-build environments. For example, proprietary fast-fix LED batten ranges come in lengths of between two and six feet, so refurbishing existing schemes isn’t a problem.
The next benefit is the sheer efficiency of which LED battens are capable, with lamps producing upwards of 120 lm/w eclipsing the typical 40-100 lm/w from, say, a conventional T5 or T8 lamp. In addition, the quality of light is generally better, and the light distribution is improved, reducing unwanted glare which can be disruptive in office or commercial situations.
As with many products, the adoption of electronics has helped improve not only efficiency but also the versatility of LED battens. One can now expect to see LED battens that have an emergency lighting function, or a sensor control that detects movement with all the additional environmental and cost benefits that technology brings. For instance, emergency ranges can include a lithium-ion battery capable of storing more energy than the traditional nickel cadmium version, providing extended duration for emergency lighting in the event of a power outage.
And perhaps most significantly these advantages have not come at the expense of making LED battens more difficult to install. Ever conscious that time is money, proprietary fast-fix systems have been designed and manufactured to make installation as simple as possible. Push-fit, loop in/loop out terminal block means wiring is quick and easy; hinged gear trays allow untroubled access to lighting bays and end conduit entry makes completion neat and trouble-free.
One consideration when it comes to specifying LED battens is compliance with ErP directives. The new ErP Single Lighting Regulation directive EU 2019/2020 and the Energy Labelling Regulation directive EU 2019/2015 were implemented on Christmas Day 2019, and became enforceable from September 1 last year, replacing the old ErP directives EC 244/2009, EC 245/2009, EU 1194/2012, and directive EU 874/2012. These changed the way lighting energy efficiency is assessed and labelled, as well as the quality of light output of LED lamps and luminaires.
The Energy Labelling Regulation (ELR) changed the old rainbow colour labelling scheme which gave a broad indication of the energy efficiency of a product. It introduced new technical parameters to determine this efficiency, so that the ratings are not like-for-like replacements for the previous scheme. As a result, even previously top-rated products achieving A++ (the maximum for lighting) now come in at anywhere from C to G.
This doesn’t mean that products previously rated A++ perform poorly for having a lower rating, just that the criteria for assessment has changed.
For lighting, there is an 18-month transition period applying which means that existing stocks with the old labels can be sold and displayed side-by-side with new items. From March 1 2023, all products must display the new labels only.
However, many low-quality budget products won’t achieve even a G rating and will have to be removed from sale, improving the overall average performance and energy efficiency of goods on the market.
All light sources with an energy label will have a QR code which will direct you to the ‘EPREL’ register, where more detailed information about the product and its efficiency can be obtained. This can also be used for verification of compliance.
The Single Lighting Regulation (SLR) relates to ‘light sources’ and stipulates certain performance criteria in terms of light output, for example, colour rendering, flicker, stroboscopic effect etc. This more stringent focus on light performance will also see cheaper items removed from the market as upgrading them will be uneconomic, while certain types of lamp will effectively be phased out as they fail to meet the new criteria.
The SLR also places an obligation on manufacturers to improve the replaceability of component parts within luminaires, including a clear labelling scheme to specify which parts can be replaced by the end-user or by a professional.
