Speirs and Major Associates specified EncapSulite’s MT50 waterproof fluorescents for the Coventry Phoenix Initiative.

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In today’s day and age it is nigh on impossible to talkinterior design without considering environmental impact –are the materials from sustainable resources? What modeof transport is used to transfer the products and what is itscarbon footprint? Similarly, it is difficult to talk aboutfluorescent lighting without, in the same breath, mentioningenergy efficiency. The two seem to go hand in hand.

According to statistics given by Thorn Lighting, lighting inEurope accounts for some 14 per cent of the continent’s

total electricity consumption. ‘In domestic and industrialpremises, lighting does not represent a large proportion of the electrical energy consumption, but in commercialpremises, which include offices and public buildings that are almost entirely lit by fluorescents, it accounts for 43per cent,’ says Hugh King, PR manager at Thorn Lighting.‘We estimate that most lighting (65 per cent) in Europetoday is energy inefficient and feel that 50 per cent savingscan be made by use of currently available energy efficient

Gemma Emslie delves into the fluorescentmarket, and explores the energy efficientbenefits of using it.

Burst of energy

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fluorescent lighting technologies, all without loss of lighting conditions.’

Thorn Lighting, now part of the Zumtobel Group, has aclear mission to ‘improve the quality of life by providing thebest quality, energy efficient lighting for people and places’.The company competes in more than 100 markets aroundthe world and is fast developing a presence in the Far East.Fluorescent lighting constitutes a significant part of thecompany’s overall product portfolio, which according toKing, mirrors the fact that this type of lighting accounts for about 80 per cent of the world’s professional lighting.Over recent years the company’s objectives of developmentshave been to improve efficacy, lengthen lamp life, andimprove colour performance, optical control and controlgear. ‘Roughly, we provide twice as much light to a spacefor less than half the electric power used in the 1970s,’claims King.

In the last few decades the dimming and control systemsfor fluorescent lamps have advanced enormously. Yet,

according to Thorn Lighting, despite the promotion of costand quality benefits of high frequency control gear over thepast 26 years, the take up is still only about 40 per cent ofsales. ‘This is purely due to short term cost savings andignorance,’ says King.

While fluorescent lighting is primarily used in commercialapplications, the compact fluorescent lamp means thathouseholds are also able to reap the benefits of reliabilityand economical power consumption. ‘It’s a myth thatfluorescent lighting is unsuitable for the home,’ says ScottAllen, PR and marketing executive at Fagerhult. Although acompact fluorescent lamp may cost up to three times theinitial cost of a GLS lamp, it is guaranteed to have a muchlonger life – as much as 10,000 hours in total according toThorn. Speaking from a more commercial point of view,King adds: ‘Nobody in their right mind would use GLS thesedays, due to running costs, maintenance fees, let alonecomplying with the building regulations.’ In addition to a longlife span, advances in colour rendering for different shades

‘It’s a myth that fluorescentlighting is unsuitable for

the home.’

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