What does Lux (light levels) mean?

What does Lux (light levels) mean?

 

 

Activity	Illumination (lux, lumen/m2)
Public areas with dark surroundings	20 - 50
Simple orientation for short visits	50 - 100
Working areas where visual tasks are only occasionally performed	100 - 150
Warehouses, Homes, Theaters, Archives	150
Easy Office Work, Classes	250
Normal Office Work, PC Work, Study Library, Groceries, Show Rooms, Laboratories	500
Supermarkets, Mechanical Workshops, Office Landscapes	750
Normal Drawing Work, Detailed Mechanical Workshops, Operation Theatres	1,000
Detailed Drawing Work, Very Detailed Mechanical Works	1500 - 2000
Performance of visual tasks of low contrast and very small size for prolonged periods of time	2000 - 5000
Performance of very prolonged and exacting visual tasks	5000 - 10000
Performance of very special visual tasks of extremely low contrast and small size	10000 - 20000

The standard definition

Direct sunlight	100,000 - 130,000 lux
Full daylight, indirect sunlight	10,000 - 20,000 lux
Overcast day	1,000 lux
Indoor office	200 - 500 lux
dark day	100 lux
Twilight	10 lux
Deep twilight	1 lux
Full moon	0.1 lux
Quarter moon	0.01 lux
Moonless clear night sky	0.001 lux
Moonless overcast night sky	0.0001 lux

Why would you upgrade your lighting?

• Outdated lighting in a large commercial or industrial building can be responsible for up to 60-80% of the onsite electricity usage

• The savings made by new energy efficient lighting is typically the single biggest cut in electricity consumption (and carbon footprint) in one single step - up to 60-80% is possible, with every penny saved contributing directly to net profit and your cost of delay.

• Purely as a financial investment, energy saving lighting provides a quick, guaranteed return 24 months is typical, with less than 12 months being possible in some cases.
• There are many indirect financial benefits including reduced lighting maintenance costs, better productivity in improved working conditions, avoiding financial penalties of new stringent environmental regulations, CCL.
• The cost and disruption of maintaining an existing lighting system can be reduced dramatically. Replacing lamps at high mounting heights may involve hiring expensive lifting equipment.  New lights can provide 5-10 operational years between lamp changes.
• Improved staff productivity and a more comfortable working environment can be achieved when areas are lit brightly enough and/or given a more suitable "quality" of light for the work being undertaken (white, daylight quality for visual inspection etc.). Other benefist include the ability to get full light brightness instantly.
• New lighting can address existing health and safety issues such as: ensuring that CIBSE lighting levels guidelines are met, eliminating dimness in dangerous working areas, lowering exisitng glare, replacing the risks associated with older, unsafe electrical equipment etc. This can protect a business against liability.
• A business will be able to demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and a carbon reduction strategy to supply chains and customers. New lighting also has the advantage of being a very "visual" demonstation of an onsite energy reduction project.
• The quick return on investment ensures that new lighting is a convincing first step to take as part of a wider sustainability initiative or environmental strategy for a business.
• In some cases - New energy saving lighting systems may qualify for Carbon Trust financial assistance. Here, a business can avoid making any capital outlay, only paying as savings are made. This allows budgets to be protected for other areas in the business, eliminating what is usually the biggest barrier for capital investment projects.
 
 
 
 
 

ARE YOU FIT FOR WINTER??

So we had a fairly good summer for the UK and a lovely mini heat wave at the beginning of this month!

But reality kicks in, the nights draw cold and its dark when you get up....yes Winter is coming.

If that’s not depressing enough you realise that there are less than 11 weeks till Christmas and the shoppers will be out in force.

If you’re a facilities or estate manager you are responsible for customer & colleague welfare ensuring their safety. There are some simple questions you need to ask yourself about your building or carpark lighting:

Do you have comprehensive lighting maintenance in place?

Yes or No

Are you sure that your contractor has ensured you are ready for winter?

Yes or No

Can you be sure your all lights will function when usage doubles?

Yes or No

Can you answer YES to all the following questions?

Have you had a re-lamp in the last 4 years?

Has your maintenance been completed regularly?

If you have PIR sensors, have they been checked and maintained?

Are the LUX levels in line with the British Standards?

Have you considered the potential costs of not being ready?

Do you have a reliable company you can trust to help you?

If you are unable to answer yes to any of the above then it may be time to seriously look at the potential issues you could face if your lighting is not what it should be. Poor or improperly maintained lighting can cause serious injury which in turn can lead to a serious insurance claim against your company.

Prevention is the best cure!

Call or email us to find out how Weblight Ltd have helped companies get Fit for Winter and save money on the energy consumption.
kim.wade@weblight.co.uk

07802 932 543

Reduce your energy and maintenance costs by switching

T12 Conversions

T12 8 foot tubes often represent a significant percentage of lamps installed across an estate, however with energy prices rising and an array of environmental legislation, the push is towards more energy efficient products. Weblight has undertaken nationwide T12 replacement works for a number of key clients including Midland Co-operative Group, ASDA and Sainsburys.

 

Major manufacturers have now ceased production of the 8 foot lamp – the only product now available is the basic white tube from a ‘B’ grade manufacturer, who will only supply lamps in quantities upward of 4000. In addition, the Federation of National Manufacturers Associations for Luminaires and Electrotechnical Components for Luminaires in the European Union have disqualified the production of this inefficient control gear and all stocks are now exhausted, meaning that lamps can be sourced but gear cannot be repaired to operate it. Of course, this means that simply relamping is no longer a viable option.

 

Disadvantages of T12 Lamps

• Contain a high mercury content and are therefore environmentally unfriendly

• They have a short lamp life of only 9,000 hours thus increases maintenance costs
• Only 75% lumen maintenance causes loss of lamp lumen output at end of life Lamp flicker and stroboscopic effects can create discomfort and should be avoided The lamps are now only available as halophosphate hence poor colour rendering.

There is a potential risk to the site as insurance companies have recognised that the control gear in these fixtures is old and inefficient. The starterless circuits that operate these lamps can also be the cause of overheating and a potential fire risk.

Benefits of Converting to High Frequency Luminaires

• Automatic shutdown of failed lamps

• Silent in operation

• Significant energy savings available from HF gear

The T5 lamp has significant benefits over the T12

• A superior service life of 25,000 hours
• 95% lumen maintenance
• Excellent colour rendering presenting the colours of the products accurately. To do this, lamps require a colour rendering of 80+ (CRI)
• Cost savings due to reduced WEEE fee impact
• Environmentally-friendly product, RoHS compliant and contains recyclable components Substantial energy savings, as example shown below

8ft T12 REFIT

Total no. of lamps	T12   1340	T5   1340
Luminaire type	125w	49w
Store operational hours per year	4,380	4,380
Elec tariff £kw/h	£0.11	£0.11
Design specification	150 lux floor	150 to 170 lux floor
	T12	T5
Type	Halophosphor	Triphosphor
Lamp rated watts	1 x 125w	1 x 49w
Control Gear	Switch start	High Frequency
Lamp life (hrs)	9,000	25,000
Lumen maintenance	75%	96%
total circuit watts kw	0.136	0.025
Annual Running Costs/Savings	T12	T5
Existing Energy costs	£80,701.50	£31,634.99
Savings per Annum	£49,066.51
Cost of Delay	£147,199.53

The above is an example only based on one of our Clients estates –figures shown are not representative of all sites.

What is the Cost of delay?

The cost of delay quite simply is the revenue a company would need to generate to compensate for the high energy bills they currently pay. As a rule for every £1 spent on wasted energy a further £3 of revenue/sales is needed to pay for this. In terms of GP this significantly impacts the overall bottom line figure on your P&L.

IP Rating and what is it?

NEMA and IP

There are two major electrical manufacturing organisations monitoring product enclosures and/or their degree of

protection; each organization also publishes technical manufacturing standards. The National Electrical Manufacturers

Association (NEMA) Standard No. 250 – 2003 addresses non-hazardous locations, enclosure design and

its environmental performance requirements. These are referred to as NEMA Types. (www.nema.org)

The International Electro technical Commission (IEC) 60529 Standard addresses Ingress Protection (IP); this

describes the degree of enclosure protection provided, not the enclosure itself. The first digit of the IP Code designation

describes the degree of protection against the ingress of solids; the second digit designates the degree

of protection against the ingress of liquids. IP Codes support NEMA Type designations. (www.iec.ch)

Digital Systems Engineering designs mobile computers and sealed monitors to exceed Standard Sections NEMA

6P and IP68; these units incorporate a range of environmentally-sealed connectors and enclosures engineered to

provide a safe and secure dust and waterproof environment in harsh rugged conditions, meeting NEMA 6P and

IP68 summarized as: protection against objects (dust-tight) and ingress penetration against liquids at occasional

submersion, at up to depths of 10 m (33 ft).

The following information is taken from both electrical industry Standards; it matches NEMA Ratings with its IP

counterpart, with a brief description of each rating.

NEMA Rating	IP Equivalent	NEMA Definition	IP Against Objects	IP Against Liquids
1	IP10	Enclosures constructed for indoor use; to provide a degree of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment and to provide a degree of protection against falling dirt	1 = Protected against solid foreign objects of 5 cm (2 in) diameter and greater	0 = Not protected
2	IP11	Enclosures constructed for indoor use; to provide a degree of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment; to provide a degree of protection against falling dirt, and to provide a degree of protection against dripping and light splashing of liquids	1 = Protected against solid foreign objects of 5 cm (2 in) diameter and greater	1 = Protected against vertically falling water drops
3	IP54	Enclosures constructed for indoor or outdoor use; to provide a degree of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment; to provide a degree of protection against falling dirt, rain, sleet, snow and windblown dust; and that will be undamaged by external formation of ice on the enclosure	5 = Protected against dust; limited to ingress (no harmful deposit)	4 = Protected against water sprayed from all directions; limited to ingress permitted
3R	IP14	Enclosures constructed for indoor or outdoor use; to provide a degree of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment; to provide a degree of protection against falling dirt, rain, sleet and snow; and that will be undamaged by external formation of ice on the enclosure	1 = Protected against solid foreign objects of 5 cm (2 in) diameter and greater	4 = Protected against water sprayed from all directions; limited to ingress permitted
3S	IP54	Enclosures constructed for indoor or outdoor use; to provide a degree of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment; to provide a degree of protection against falling dirt, rain, sleet, snow and windblown	5 = Protected against dust; limited to ingress (no harmful deposit)	4 = Protected against water sprayed from all directions; limited to ingress permitted
4	IP56	Enclosures constructed for indoor or outdoor use; to provide a degree of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment; to provide a degree of protection against falling dirt, rain, sleet, snow, windblown dust, splashing water and hose-directed water; and that will be undamaged by external formation of ice on the enclosure	5 = Protected against dust; limited to ingress (no harmful deposit)	6 = Protected against strong jets of water from all directions; limited to ingress permitted
4X	IP56	Enclosures constructed for indoor or outdoor use; to provide a degree of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment; to provide a degree of protection against falling dirt, rain, sleet, snow, windblown dust, splashing water and hose-directed water, and corrosion; and that will be undamaged by external formation of ice on the enclosure	5 = Protected against dust; limited to ingress (no harmful deposit)	6 = Protected against strong jets of water from all directions; limited to ingress permitted
5	IP52	Enclosures constructed for indoor use; to provide a degree of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment; to provide a degree of protection against falling dirt; against settling airborne dust, lint, fibres and flyings: and to provide a degree of protection against dripping and light splashing of liquids	5 = Protected against dust; limited to ingress (no harmful deposit)	2 = Protected against direct sprays of water up to 15° from the vertical
6	IP67	Enclosures constructed for indoor or outdoor use; to provide a degree of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment; to provide a degree of protection against falling dirt; against hose-directed water and the entry of water during occasional temporary submersion at a limited depth; and that will be undamaged by external formation of ice on the enclosure	6 = Totally protected against entry of dust	7 = Protected against effects of submersion from 15 cm (6 in) to 1 m (3 ft)
6P	IP68	Enclosures constructed for indoor or outdoor use; to provide a degree of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment; to provide a degree of protection against falling dirt; against hose-directed water and the entry of water during occasional prolonged submersion at a limited depth; and that will be undamaged by external formation of ice on the enclosure	6 = Totally protected against entry of dust	8 = Protected against the effects of occasional submersion in water, up to 10 m (33 ft
12	IP52	Enclosures constructed (without knockouts) for indoor use; to provide a degree of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment; to provide a degree of protection against falling dirt; against circulating dust, lint, fibres and flyings: and to provide a degree of protection to against dripping and light splashing of liquids	5 = Protected against dust; limited to ingress (no harmful deposit)	2 = Protected against direct sprays of water up to 15° from the vertical
12K	IP52	Enclosures constructed with knockout(s) for indoor use; to provide a degree of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment; to provide a degree of protection against falling dirt; against circulating dust, lint, fibres and flyings: and to provide a degree of protection to against dripping and light splashing of liquids	5 = Protected against dust; limited to ingress (no harmful deposit)	2 = Protected against direct sprays of water up to 15° from the vertical
13	IP54	Enclosures constructed for indoor use; to provide a degree of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment; to provide a degree of protection against falling dirt; against circulating dust, lint, fibres and flyings: and against the spraying, splashing and seepage of water, oil and non-corrosive coolants.	5 = Protected against dust; limited to ingress (no harmful deposit)	4 = Protected against water sprayed from all directions; limited to ingress permitted