Lothian Electric Electricians and Garage Doors Installers

			51 West Bowling Green Street Edinburgh EH6 5NX 0131 553 5222

Lighting

We can offer a wide spectrum of lighting services. These include:

	Floodlighting - Internal
	Floodlighting – External
	Floodlighting – Sports
	Display Lighting
	Lighting For The Work Place
	Lighting For The Home
	Garden Lighting
	Gobo Image Projection
	Night Club / Discotheque Lighting
	Emergency Lighting

Floodlighting - Internal

Predominantly required in tall buildings, such as churches and sports halls. Internal floodlighting can be used for providing general illumination where conventional light sources do not have sufficient punch to project light onto the working plane.

Utilising discreet internal floodlights remains the most impressive, and cost effective way of lighting shop windows, and large display areas. The large light output / low power consumption, coupled with long lamp life, makes this product ideal for these concepts.

Decorative effects can also be created using different colours, and focal angles, perhaps used to illuminate a church ceiling, or overhead canopy.

Floodlighting – External

External Floodlighting is an art, and when correctly designed, can transform the facade of architecturally pleasing structures. For maximum effect, it is important to contrast colours with any other surrounding illuminated buildings, and particularly street lighting, otherwise, the subject will blend with its’ surroundings, rather than stand out. It is also important to highlight the decorative architecture, for added appeal. Careful selection and placement of light fittings is required to ensure that the fittings themselves do not become a feature of the structure.

It is always a compromise between providing the perfectly lit structure, and being able to maintain the lamps and fittings. This must always be considered at the design stage.

Environmental issues are also a concern. All external floodlighting installations produce some element of light spillage from the target, which in addition to wasting energy, contributes to illuminating the night sky, making the work of astronomers increasingly difficult. It is important minimise light spillage, through the choice of beam angles, reflectors and shutters.

There is no shortage of badly floodlit buildings. Gobo projectors can enhance corporate/product image by projecting a predetermined picture onto the façade or pavement. Rotating or moving left to right can further enhance this.

Floodlighting – Sports

Sports floodlighting requires considerable thought at the design stages. There are type cast methods for illuminating various courts, pitches rinks, etc., however, these are not always suitable due to local conditions or budget restraints. The art of sports floodlighting requires a relatively even illuminance, without any glare (the horizontal component of light). Whilst it is easy to produce an even illuminance, it is difficult to avoid glare. Particular attention to mounting heights, beam direction and location is required to minimise glare. Ease of maintenance should also be considered.

Display Lighting

Display lighting can make or break any retail business. It is fundamentally important to attract the eye of the customer to the product, or it will remain unsold.

Attracting the eye is achieved through increased illumination, colour changes, moving images and animating the object. This is easier to achieve if the ambient light level is lower, as the eye is naturally drawn to brighter, moving objects.

During design, it is important to consider low energy / long life lamps, as display lighting is usually on for the majority of the day / evening.

Some applications require a light source without heat. This can be achieved with fibre optic systems, where the heat source is remote from the light emitters.

Fibre optic lighting systems are useful for a variety of applications, including high security museum displays, fresh food counters, underwater illumination and areas where it would normally be difficult to change lamps. They have the added advantage of being able to provide multiple light emitters, from just one source. Rotating colour wheels can be introduced for added interest.

Side emitting fibre optic is now available which can provide a linear light effect over 30 metres. This can be useful for highlighting stair nosings, banisters, low level escape route lighting, and decorative effects. It is also suitable for use under water.

Lighting For The Work Place

Each work place deserves tailored lighting to suit it’s own application.

Offices in general require a low glare even light distribution of between 300 and 500 lux, dependant on the intricacy of the task. This can be achieved in a number of ways, uplighting, downlighting, or a combination of both. Where VDUs are in abundance, a lower level of around 300 lux should be sought, and the glare should be further limited to conform with Category 2 or in extreme circumstances, Category 1. The down side to Category 2 lighting is that it tends to leave the wall and ceiling space looking dark. Some feature lighting should be considered to provide interest.

Manufacturing areas should be evenly distributed between 300 and 500 lux, dependant on the task. Care should be taken to avoid stroboscopic effects where the machinery, and the lighting frequencies are running at the same harmonic. This can create the effect of moving machinery appearing stationary, which could be dangerous.

The building fabric and structure of each project will lend themselves to a particular lighting concept. Consideration to running and maintenance costs should be built into the design.

Lighting For The Home

There are very few people who can relax with overhead lighting, yet the house builders mysteriously keep putting them in. In certain circumstances a pendant ceiling fitting may be required to set the room off, but this is merely a decoration.

Creating light and shade within soft living areas adds interest, setting off the features of the room.

Side lighting, standard and table lamps are all useful in creating a soft relaxing environment. Subtle downlights can also be effective. Occasional picture lights or recessed floor uplights have their place and can create focal interest.

Dimmer switches allow changes to the intimacy, varying the mood of the room.

Kitchens require good lighting over the worktop. This can be done effectively with under unit lighting and recessed downlights. It is critical to ensure that the light sources are positioned to prevent a person casting their own shadow onto the worktop, otherwise they will always be working in the shade.

Garden Lighting

Illuminating the salient vertical features of a garden gives a lot of visual interest. Picking out a tree towards the boundary gives depth. Running some side emitting fibre optic through a water feature brings it to life. Garden lighting does not have to be bright because of the surrounding darkness, the darker it is the more effective any lighting becomes.

In rural areas, where there are no street lights, garden lighting can provide some security to areas which would otherwise be pitch black. It can be connected to a security lighting system, activating at the presence of intruders.

Gobo Image Projection

A relatively new concept to the lighting industry, Gobo’s are a useful marketing tool, projecting an image onto a building or pavement, much like an old slide projector, providing new and innovative advertising space. Accessories include image rotation, panning left to right, clock overlay, and a host of pre-prepared effects ranging from animated fire to flowing water.

These can be mounted internally, or externally, and vary in intensity relating to the distance between the projector and the image surface.

Night Club/Discotheque Lighting

Driven by market pressures, manufacturers have become considerably more innovative in the design of disco lighting equipment.

Projectors with oscillating and rotating mirrors can produce stunning effects. Light projected through prisms, with alternating colour filters animate the dance floor or wall space. Lasers, ultra violet, fibre optics and strobes can all supplement the overall effect.

Sound to light systems coordinate the light pulses, and movements to the beat of the music.

Adding a smoke machine maximises the visual impact, by reflecting these projected light features through the particles of synthetic smoke, bringing each light beam to life.

Link all this to a touch sensitive lighting control panel, and an almost infinite variety of visual effects can be created at the touch of a button.

Dance floor lighting needs to be properly designed, to create the right mood, and be versatile enough to cater for all types of music.

Emergency Lighting

We design and install emergency lighting installations in accordance with B.S. 5266., and test in accordance with the statutory requirements. We have many existing maintenance contracts, looking after a variety of installations.

It is important to understand the requirements of an emergency lighting installation at the outset.

Consideration must be given to the use of the building, and the occupants.

Aesthetics are always important, and usually difficult with emergency lighting, however with a little effort, an acceptable solution is always achievable.

Maintenance should be cost effective, and easy to undertake.