LED in industrial spaces
Why the transition to LED is a necessary step in large industrial spaces
One prerogative of LED light technology, universally recognized by both the technical world and ordinary users, is the great energy savings it offers compared to other past technologies.
On closer inspection over the years, communication, and advertising themselves have firmly pressed this point, which, let it be said in passing, is far from secondary.
LED lamps can be found and purchased in any electrical supply warehouse and in any supermarket, and by now they have entered our homes making real savings on our electricity bill.
Let's now think about how much this aspect can mean in terms of savings for a large industrial space, a large or small shed, and for all those large spaces that need to ensure powerful and uniform light for workers and employees to carry out their work.
Not just savings: why you should switch to LED.
Before we talk more carefully about savings, which we will see shortly is not just energy savings, we need to broaden the scope and better examine why in these kinds of applications (industrial sheds) LED is now the most logical solution and in fact without real competition.
We can basically identify at least 4 points for which LED technology is to be considered better:
- energy efficiency
- visual comfort
- safety, absence of chemical and potentially hazardous materials (neon and gases in general)
- greater flexibility due to onboard control electronics.
Energy efficiency is certainly the most logical consequence and one that makes most people prefer LED.
When we talk about energy efficiency, we are immediately led to think of the savings in terms of electricity consumed in the unit of time, which, as we saw in the previous article regarding LED in the theater world can be estimated at about ten times less.
There is another less obvious efficient matter, however, which concerns the longer lifespan of LED lamps compared to incandescent, halogen, or neon ones.
If in a home or small business where there are relatively few bulbs this advantage can be considered "negligible" (on closer inspection it still offers savings over the years) in a large industrial hall where hundreds of light sources are installed it can represent a huge advantage.
More infrequent maintenance interventions (replacement of broken bulbs) also coincide with less hindrance of maintenance workers, another related saving.
How long can this lifespan be estimated to be in terms of years?
Each manufacturer says its own, but we can estimate, with good approximation that, considering a good quality integrated Led the lifetime can vary from 50,000 up to 100,000 without requiring any maintenance. Even considering intensive use of the lamps through a simple calculation we can derive a respectable figure of more than 10 years, i.e. much higher than other technologies.
Visual comfort is another advantage offered by LED. Proper lighting increases the feeling of well-being, stressing the eyes less, reduces the risk of accidents and injuries (safety) and increases productivity.
The safety of LED is certainly greater than the use of metal halide lamps, which is an electric lamp that produces light through an electric arc and through a gaseous mixture of mercury or other vaporized gases, substances that are certainly not healthy for human beings.
And what about the flexibility of use? Thanks to the electronic drivers essential to make an LED work properly, it is possible to intervene in a multitude of ways on the type of light and quantity, offering the possibility of timely and easy remote control as well. (AIRCOM 126 is the right product for such a purpose!)
And what about LED for outdoor use?
If for indoor LED lighting there are plenty of products available in large-scale distribution outdoor LED lighting requires more specific products that meet a whole range of requirements.
IP65: a "mantra" worth knowing better
We are sure that many of you, professionals and insiders, will have often heard of this acronym, which is nothing more than a standard that identifies precisely International Protection (IP).
The reference standard is CEI EN 60529/1997 (formerly CEI 70-1), which classifies the degrees of protection of enclosures for electrical equipment. The following numbers, as can be seen from the attached table, indicate how effective this protection is toward weathering.
Specifically, Grade 65 "provides total protection against the penetration of solids, penetration of liquids by drops, vapors, splashes and jets of water in any direction."
Lighting branding? A matter of image
The lighting of an outdoor building, such as a warehouse or the headquarters of a company, is not only limited to "making the building visible," but rather it must identify and characterize the brand with light, through colors and play of light, and make it more appealing and recognizable.
All the more reason for this purpose we need products belonging to the world of professional lighting that are able to withstand the bad weather (IP 65) and at the same time powerful and flexible enough to allow real architectural installations.
That is why the Moodwasher by Centolight series is perfect for installations that need diffuse lighting (backdrops of stage sets, architectural structures, etc.) with a medium projection angle (36°). The Moodwasher 4810WP has a light source composed of 48 10W RGBW LEDs and guarantees luminescence in full-color condition @ 2m that reaches 29300 Lux and optimal color rendering (CRI above 80) in all uses.
Moodwasher is a classic example of a simple and functional luminaire, with die-cast aluminum luminaire chassis, convection and fanless cooling, front thermal break glass, rubber gaskets, and stainless-steel screws that ensure total waterproofing and durability over the years.
Also belonging to the series, we recommend another useful tool, Moodliner 1812WP, a thinly designed bar with individual control of 18 high-brightness LEDs. The beam angle in this case is 20°, allowing this bar to be the right tool for creating color effects for indoor and/or outdoor structures and buildings.
If you would like to know more or you require advice on setting up an LED lighting system with effective, robust and excellent value for money products all you have to do is contact us. Our team will be at your complete disposal directing you on the best products and technologies for your needs.
