Nordland Lighting with 50+ years of experience in delivering cutting-edge, technical lighting solutions to the petrochemical, marine, industrial, commercial, and agricultural sectors, Nordland has established a reputation for providing reliable and sustainable lighting. Our core values are rooted in delivering high-quality and energy-efficient lighting solutions.
Internationally, there has been a trend toward consumerism that has shifted procurement priorities, favouring price over quality. In the realm of lighting, the influx of inexpensive imports from the East, coupled with deceptive marketing practices and a fundamental lack of understanding of lighting, has led many CFOs and procurement officers astray. Recognizing the ramifications of making purchasing decisions solely based on price should be a cause for concern.
It is noteworthy that when we purchase a vehicle, we recognize the importance of quality, performance, and longevity, understanding the principle that ‘you get what you pay for.’ However, when buying a luminaire, these fundamental principles seem to be lost in translation.
The introduction of LED technology has introduced complex challenges, underscoring the importance of facility managers having a comprehensive understanding of this technology. System efficiencies no longer remain consistent for luminaires with similar wattages, and simply replacing a failed lamp when the luminaire itself has failed is no longer feasible. Additionally, marketing materials may not always provide accurate or comparable information.
Costly Error 1 – Effective Lighting
The fundamental reason for needing lighting in the workplace is to ensure proper illumination for productivity and safety. To achieve this, it is crucial to use the correct optics to direct light effectively for the desired application. Most of us are familiar with the difference between narrow and wide beam lighting, as demonstrated by flashlights, which illustrates the concept of effective lighting. Luminaires typically come with a standard 120-degree beam angle because LED chips inherently have this angle. However, without precise optics, this can lead to excessive light spillage and wasted illumination where it is not needed. From a financial perspective, optimizing light distribution effectively can reduce the number of luminaires required to meet specific lighting goals, resulting in savings in capital expenditure and energy consumption.
It is worth noting that in a working environment where a factory operates 24/7, the cost of operating a 200W highbay light at Eskom rates may exceed R2500 per fitting per year.
Costly Error 2 – Luminaire Performance and System Efficacy
System efficacy measures how efficiently a luminaire converts energy into light. In older gas discharge technologies, the lumen-per-watt conversion was relatively consistent among reputable suppliers, making purchasing decisions straightforward. However, this consistency does not hold true for LED luminaires. LED luminaires can range from approximately 80 lm/W to well over 160 lm/W for luminaires with the same wattage. This implies that by opting for a 160 lm/W luminaire instead of an 80 lm/W luminaire, you can achieve the same level of illumination with half the number of fixtures.
In terms of monetary savings, choosing the higher-efficiency luminaire would typically recoup the entire capital expenditure (capex) difference compared to a cheaper luminaire in a short period. Additionally, the annual energy savings would far outweigh the initial capex cost difference.
Costly Error Number 3 – Lifetime of Luminaires
The lifespan of an LED luminaire is directly linked to its quality. LED luminaire lifespans vary for several reasons, which also explain why some fittings are cheaper than others.
Lower-quality chips are often used because they are more affordable. The quality of LED chips significantly differs based on their price. The challenge with low-quality chips is that their life expectancy is shorter, they produce lower lumen output, and they degrade more rapidly.
The LED driver consists of electronic components. To reduce costs, cheaper components may be used in the driver, which are much less reliable and robust. The driver’s reliability is only as good as its least durable component, leading to early failures when shortcuts are taken in component quality.
Inadequate heat sinking is the primary factor affecting the lifespan of LEDs. Excessive heat can cause early failures and a decline in light output. Heat management is not overly complex; it involves calculating the necessary surface area to dissipate heat effectively. The challenge with low system efficacy LEDs is that they generate less light per watt, and wattage is directly linked to heat. Cheaper luminaires often cut corners in heat management, sacrificing performance and longevity.
In summary, a cheap luminaire may require replacement two or three times during the lifespan of a quality luminaire, making the effective capital expenditure (capex) cost much higher than that of a quality luminaire. Furthermore, poor-quality luminaires are more prone to failures, resulting in additional installation costs with each group replacement.
Costly Error Number 4 – Relying on Marketing Material
Marketing material for luminaires is often questionable, to say the least. Typically, misleading statements include:
“LED Life expectancy 100,000 hours plus.” The claimed lifetime of the LED is based on ideal conditions and does not represent the performance of the LED within a luminaire where heat management may be inadequate, LED chips may be overdriven, and supporting components may be prone to failure. It is a common practice for sellers of low-quality products to offer only short guarantees. A short guarantee should raise a red flag for potential buyers.
“The luminaire provides an 80% energy saving.” This statement is misleading and lacks a proper basis. The energy savings claimed are not measurable and are based on a comparison with outdated incandescent lighting, which is unlikely to be the type of lighting you are replacing. What the advertising fails to mention is that a quality product can save up to 50% more energy than the advertised product, resulting in a lifetime cost benefit that could be as much as R10,000 higher than a cheap version 200Watt luminaire.
The takeaway here is that making costly capital expenditure (capex) decisions, solely based on marketing claims, is likely to impact the bottom line. As a reputable local manufacturer of high-end sustainable luminaires, our team can assist you in finding appropriate and cost-effective solutions.
