LED LIGHTING
FEATURE
BACK-LIT TO THE FUTURE
With the launch of its 152 lm/W panel, UK manufacturer Integral LED provides some
insight into the development path of LED panels, and looks ahead to the future.
T
he unsung hero of the
LED lighting world is the
ceiling grid light or panel.
Since its appearance fi ve
years ago, it has been
driving growth in offi ce
lighting refurbishments.
A new age of offi ce energy
effi cient lighting is sweeping the country,
much of it fuelled by interest-free loans
and corporate tax breaks.
Today the LED panel is the workhorse of
offi ce lighting. Yet, the early versions of the
LED alternative to fl uorescent louvre units
offered only a slim advantage in terms of
energy savings. The old fl uorescent ceiling
grid units were swapped from 64 lm/W to
a marginally advantageous 78 lm/W in the
instance of the fi rst edge-lit LED units.
Over time, each wave of LED technology
has delivered improved effi ciency, climbing
steeply as a ratio of power to light.
Seemingly we have now arrived at a point
where the once unthinkable has occurred.
Should we answer the call to replace our
fi rst generation LED panels with the next
150
“LED
Panels are
delivering
real and
sizeable cost
savings.”
Edge-lit
Panel
lm/W
natural outcome of projecting light through
less material. Edge-lit persists as a popular
option, typically driven by a lower unit price.
However as the short to medium term
energy saving benefi ts of back-lit models
become more marked, it is like likely that
this format will dominate the category.
Corporate customers are no doubt
compelled to refurbish their current lighting
schemes from fl uorescent to LED due to the
large savings available. Initiatives like the
interest-free loans promoted by the Carbon
Trust and accelerated tax relief offered
through the Enhanced Capital Allowance
scheme are fuelling demand for savings
directly to the bottom line.
A switch to LED panel lighting has
become a ‘no-brainer’ for all offi ces.
However, as manufacturers like Integral
LED predict the possibility of achieving 200
lm/W by 2020, it now becomes increasingly
viable for the early adopters of LED Panels
to schedule another upgrade to a new
generation of effi cient lighting.
generation? With the announcement of its
new 152 lm/W panel, Integral LED believes
we should.
“LED panels are delivering real and
sizeable cost savings directly to the bottom
line of our corporate customers,” says Alex
Duggan, senior product manager at integral
LED. “In fact, a switch to LED grid ceiling
lights competes favourably with any of the
energy conservation measures currently
available to businesses. The increase in
effi ciency has doubled over time, making a
replacement of LED on LED a viable option.”
As the infographic below demonstrates,
the two-panel technologies – back-lit and
edge-lit – have taken separate paths in
terms of development. The story began
with edge-lit, an arrangement where
the inner edge of the panel is lined with
an array of LED chips and the light is
‘bounced’ downward into the room space.
This format of panel was the most popular
during the introductory stage of panel
lighting compared to the back-lit design.
However, back-lit panels have emerged
as the clear winner in terms of effi ciency; a
Integral LED, www.integral-led.com
152
Back-lit
Panel
140
lm/W
100
78
84
93
£172
50
117
lm/W
100
lm/W
lm/W
£195
£146
£142
Retail price
lm/W
120
lm/W
£143
Retail price
lm/W
lm/W
Retail price
£108
Retail price
£125
Retail price
Market
leading
efficacy
£116
Retail price
Retail price
Retail price
Energy
savings for
office with
150 panels *:
£3,808
2014
Energy
savings:
£5,188
2015
Energy
savings:
Energy
savings:
£5,648
£5,832
2016
2017
Fluorescent Louvre Unit
Up to 40% of light
lost in fitting
Increases in
luminous effi cacy are
driving huge energy
cost savings
Back-lit LED Panel
More efficient design
optimises LED light output
*Office Cost Energy Savings based 150 panels, running 12hrs per day, 365 days per year, 14p kWh (£9,381.96 per year using 102W Fluorescent Louvre Unit)
November2017 | 45