Industrial Lighting: How to Avoid Common Problems

Eaton offers guidance on the key questions you should be asking in order to avoid some of the common lighting pitfalls associated with industrial buildings.

Eaton believes that lighting costs in industrial buildings can be cut by up to 50% with new technology, but is warning buyers and specifiers to avoid a plunge in the dark during the purchasing process. As a result, the power management company has released new guidance to help those responsible for lighting in industrial premises such as factories and warehouses.

To simplify the decision-making process, it has set out 10 key questions it advises customers ask to achieve compliant, safe, reliable, efficient and effective lighting.

Market saturation

Steve Currier, UK Sales Director at Eaton, said: “Selecting a lighting solution, potentially including luminaires and controls, is a complex and technical task that might only be conducted once every 10 years. That’s a challenge for building owners and facilities managers and is exacerbated by the proliferation of companies that have recently entered the lighting market.

“The rise of LED technology has brought myriad benefits but has also opened the gates for unscrupulous manufacturers to enter the industry. The manufacture of LED luminaires is based around electronics and the smaller size and reduced fragility of the finished products make them easier to ship over long distances. Unfortunately many of these luminaires fall below the safety and performance standards you would expect from a more established supplier.”

As part of its rigorous research and development programme, Eaton regularly purchases and tests competitor products and the company has reported that a significant proportion of these fail to comply with prescribed safety standards or fail to deliver the performance that is listed in their specification details.

For example, more than 30% of the imported luminaires tested by Eaton fail to comply with the safety requirements set out in the EU Low Voltage Directive.

“Our research resonates with feedback from customers who have experienced, at worst, the complete failure of luminaires and, at best, an inability to achieve the predicted energy savings,” adds Steve.

“At Eaton, we believe this puts lives at risk, endangers reputations and damages the credibility of the whole lighting industry. As one of the leading global manufacturers of lighting products we have a responsibility to support good decision-making by providing reliable advice and guidance.”

Better education

The challenges associated with non-compliant and insufficiently tested products are also acknowledged by the Lighting Industry Association (LIA), which also aims to improve education to help businesses make more informed decisions. Peter Scott, President of the LIA, recently commented: “Most people would not buy cheap imported product if they really knew what they were buying. The problem is that in many cases, the supply chains themselves are not fully aware.” [i]

In the summer of last year, industry body LightingEurope launched its own market surveillance programme to address concerns over non-compliant lighting. The scheme is being deployed in the UK by the LIA following a survey which revealed businesses lacked confidence in existing market surveillance measures.

Peter Hunt, who was recently elected President of LightingEurope and is co-ordinating the scheme in the UK, said: “Without doubt the biggest concern expressed by our members is the plethora of non-compliant products carrying exaggerated claims appearing on the market. Compliance with the wide range of regulations our industry is subjected to comes at a cost. It is simply unfair that certain companies are avoiding the cost of compliance in order to gain a competitive advantage. This program aims to tackle this problem and help create a level playing field.” [ii]

wholesale, logistic, people and export concept – manual worker and businessmen with clipboards at warehouse

Energy savings

The potential for energy saving is a major influence on the decision to implement a new lighting scheme in industrial buildings, where it can account for much as 35% of the overall energy cost in manufacturing environments and up to 50% in warehouses. LED technology has made significant savings possible, as well as extending the lifespan of luminaires. The integration of daylight and occupancy sensors can further enhance efficiency savings.

In addition, Eaton advises that the quest for efficiency should not overshadow the purpose of the lighting and its effect on the health, wellbeing and productivity of people in the building. The tone, colour rendering and distribution of light are important and may differ between areas of the building, depending on the particular tasks being undertaken.

The importance of emergency lighting, which can in some cases be integrated into the body of a mains luminaire, is also a factor that must come under consideration as it is so crucial in protecting people during a power outage or other emergency.

Eaton has recently added the latest LED technology to its Tufflite, Linergy and Litex luminaires, which are part of a comprehensive range designed for industrial applications, all of which are rigorously manufactured and tested at in-house facilities. The use of calibrated laboratory equipment simulates real-life conditions to produce performance data that can be relied upon. Furthermore, all products are backed by a comprehensive warranty and an extensive technical and service support team is available in the event of an issue.

THE 10 KEY QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK A POTENTIAL LIGHTING SUPPLIER

How long has the supplier been in existence? Do they manufacture their own products or source them from a third party?
What are the warranty terms? Many suppliers exclude diffusers, require product to be returned to base, require registration and have severely limited run hours.
Does the supplier have a service and technical support function in the UK?
Does the manufacturer or importer possess the necessary laboratory equipment to test performance and conformity?
Is the quoted performance data based on testing by a calibrated photometer or is it from theoretical modelling?
Is the efficacy figure quoted in luminaire lumens per circuit watt? Beware of suppliers quoting chip efficiency or masking losses in LOR factors
Is the supplier willing, if required, to subject the product to third party testing?
Are the LED chips from a reputable manufacturer? Are they binned to ensure consistent colour? What is predicted lifetime? Eaton advises asking for the L70 or L80 lifetime data curve.
Is the LED driver ENEC or equivalent approved?
Are emergency versions available and, in addition to meeting the basic requirements of the EU Low Voltage Directive, do they comply with BSEN60598-2-22, which is the safety standard for all emergency luminaires? Remember that emergency lighting is a life safety issue and, in legal terms, the building operator may be held personally responsible under UK fire safety regulations.