Lighting regulations and more

Replacing fluorescent lights with LED lights

Written by 299 Lighting | Oct 16, 2024 2:01:43 PM

Fluorescent lighting has been banned in the UK in 2023 over several stages. The last stage was the ban of all Halogen pins from 1st September 2023. Some business owners have been stocking up with fluorescent lamps to keep their operation running, but are now struggling to get hold of fluorescent lamps. If this has been your case, check out what to do next.

 

What are your options now?

Depending on the type of light fitting and the type of ceiling, you have 3 options:

1. Retrofit

Keeping the original light fittings and upgrading the internal system to LED. This is called retrofit and is often the most practical solution for specially made lighting that is in keeping with the interior design and ceilings. This option might be suitable for historical buildings or business that need to upgrade their lighting in a very cost effective way. For this scenario, we recommend using our ReLUMEN8 service.

After an initial consultation, we will collect a sample fitting for a review and establish if this is a viable option.

 

 

2. Replacing the old fluorescent lighting with new LED lighting

 

The best way to source led lights to replace fluorescent tubes is to talk to lighting specialists instead of trying to replace the old lighting through internet search. The most common mistake we see is replacing an item for item without taking into consideration the factors like lux levels for office or emergency lighting requirements for office. The time when you replace the old lighting is the right time to ensure the new lighting is compliant with the current lighting guidelines and the emergency lighting is meeting the current regulations.

We would want to see technical drawings of the space, so we can run lighting calculations and help you choose the correct light fixtures and establish the new spacing. We will look at:

  • mounting options

  • optics

  • outputs

  • dimming options 

  • emergency lighting

 


3. Custom Lighting

Custom lighting is a completely new light fixture designed and manufactured for your project to fit your ceiling type. Properties with restricted access, or unusual ceilings often require custom lighting. This process starts with an initial consultation, where we explore all the options and your needs. Often, custom lighting would be requested for ceilings that can't be touched. Most of the time it would be a replacement of an existing luminaire, that is no longer functional, or efficient. In some cases, it is more beneficial to design a completely new light fixture to fit a certain ceiling types, like the SAS ceilings or Gordon grid.

 

 

Case Study: We created a custom light fitting for Glen House in London to compliment the shape of the coffered ceilings. 

The slim square shaped light fittings with soft edges have been designed by the architect to match the shape of the coffered ceilings found throughout the building. Following the architect's brief, we designed the side-lit light fitting using a double satin diffuser, emitting soft comfortable light.

The units are connected to another by simple conduit pipes. The custom lighting was delivered in pairs as male and female. Keeping a clean and minimalist look, the suspended light fittings are using remote drivers.

 

Not sure which option is best for your project?

With the solid experience in delivering lighting for commercial projects, we can take you through all your options to suit your timeline and budget. 

 

 

 

 

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