Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is LED lighting?

LED is the acronym for light-emitting diode. LED lights are solid-state semiconductor devices that emit photons or light when electrical current is applied to a section of the LED chip, namely, the diode.

2. Why is LED the preferred choice in most lighting applications?

LED technology has given rise to a quantum leap in the energy efficiency of lighting which yields average electricity consumption savings of 66% (and often more) when compared to the previous legacy technologies, such as metal halide, mercury vapour, sodium vapour and incandescent light bulbs. Additionally, unlike the older lighting technologies which have filaments, gases and moving parts, an LED is a solid-state device. This makes it more robust and less prone to fatigue, allowing it to have a longer lifespan. LED lighting technology is well on its way to becoming the dominant global lighting technology and is being widely adopted for both indoor and outdoor lighting applications. Remarkable lifespan, durability and reliability have made quality LED lighting solutions a noteworthy long-term investment that yield an excellent, provable return on investment.

3. Is there a cost benefit to installing LED lighting?

Yes. Despite the initial cost of LED usually being higher than traditional light sources, the operational and maintenance costs of LED are substantially lower than the other legacy technologies. The lifetime cost of ownership is, therefore, much lower. LEDs consume substantially less electricity and save substantial consumption costs. LED technology radiates less heat than a comparable conventional lighting type, effectively producing savings on air-conditioning costs.

4. How can retrofitting your existing lighting improve comfort and productivity?

Incorrect lighting negatively impacts human health and productivity. Poor lighting – either in the form of too little light or too much light - can lead to eye strain, fatigue, headaches, stress and accidents in any environment. This issue can also lead to reduced productivity, poor work quality and workmanship. There are numerous, accredited peer-reviewed research studies and case studies that clearly illustrate the benefits of selecting the appropriate Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) and Colour Rendering Index (CRI) lighting in all situations. Various studies clearly show that correct lighting in the workplace yields an average 10% increase in productivity and an average 30% reduction in errors. Research studies and case studies are available on request.

5. What is Green Finance and how does it impact our lighting solutions?

Green Finance, in this context, refers to the financing of any investment which meets certain environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria, aimed at encouraging the development of a more sustainable economy. Whilst these projects can obviously be self-funded by you, certain budgetary constraints or capex limitations can prevent this. Therefore, IBE offers its customers a variety of funding options for their energy efficiency projects which successfully move the associated costs “off balance sheet” for your business, and also allow your business to take advantage of Green Finance, often at reduced or preferential rates.

6. Are there any tax benefits if my business installs IBE’s energy saving products?

Yes.

IBE provides expert advice on several different tax benefits, rebates and subsidies that are offered by government and other organisations as incentives to implement energy efficiency measures. These incentives are available to entities that meet the requisite qualifying criteria, further improving the already excellent Returns on Investment provided by LED lighting solutions.

7. Do IBE’s electrical products meet the required certifications?

Yes.

South African law stipulates that any electrical product that is sold is required to have certification from either the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), the South African National Standards Body (SANS) or the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) in order to be compliant with legal, regulatory and insurance requirements. A major reason for these requirements includes full compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

SABS is internationally recognized as a certification body. An electrical product with the SABS certification mark on it, indicates that the product is fully compliant with a specific set of standards that ensure quality, sustainability and safety.

NRCS is another regulatory body that mandates full compliance with its standards. Use of the NRCS mark indicates that a product meets or exceeds the specifications that ensure quality, sustainability and safety. SANS is a division of the SABS. Its various technical committees and sub-committees continually produce standards for various electrical products.

8. Do IBE’s electrical products come with guarantees and/or warranties?

Yes. Our quality electrical products carry guarantees and/or warranties that give our customers peace of mind. We offer an IBE warranty and/or guarantee, coupled with a back-to back warranty and/or guarantee from suppliers on most products. Effectively, we give you double insurance at no extra cost. Please request full details when communicating with us.

9. How long does IBE’s audit process take and is there a cost?

It is always best to work with a company that will conduct a proper lighting audit and assessment and that analyses every aspect of your lighting requirements. Light energy saving solutions are a great investment but the processes prior to implementation are vital to maximising the desired outcomes of light quality, electricity savings, improved health, safety and productivity. IBE’s audit process duration is usually dependent upon the size of the site and can vary from several hours to several days. Typically, there is no cost for our audit services if the lighting project proposal is accepted and implemented. If the project proposal is not accepted and implemented, we reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee which is dependent on the extent and scope of the audit. The fee is mutually agreed prior to proceeding with an audit.

10. Can IBE assess if my business has been overcharged for its electricity?

Yes.

IBE offers a full spectrum of professional lighting audits, assessments and analyses. Depending on the circumstances, we can even assist you to obtain a credit from your electricity provider for overcharged amounts.

To learn more about our offering, please send your enquiry to hello@infiniteblue.co.za

11. What is the estimated Return on Investment (ROI) on IBE’s lighting projects?

The ROI is project-dependent and varies between 33% and more than 100% in some instances. Retrofit LED installations often yield payback periods of two years or less.

12. Does IBE offer lighting design as part of its solution and is there a cost?

Yes. There is no lighting design cost if the proposal and project are accepted and implemented. If the project proposal is not accepted and implemented, we reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee which is dependent on the extent and scope of the lighting design. The fee is mutually agreed prior to proceeding with the lighting design.

13. How do motion/occupancy sensors reduce lighting electricity consumption?

Motion/occupancy sensors are motion detecting devices used to detect the presence and/or movement of persons in a pre-defined area. They can be used in conjunction with lights to automatically control the switching on or switching off of lights. The effective use of such sensors can drastically reduce electricity lighting consumption and save costs.

14. How do lux sensors help reduce lighting electricity consumption?

Lux sensors measure the amount of light or lux levels in a space. They can be used in conjunction with lights to automatically brighten or dim lights to a pre-specified lux or light level to meet compliancy requirements. The effective use of such sensors can drastically reduce electricity lighting consumption and save costs.

15. How does daylight harvesting reduce lighting electricity consumption?

Daylight harvesting systems use natural light to offset the amount of electric lighting needed to properly illuminate a space. This is accomplished by using lighting control systems that are able to dim or switch electric lighting in response to changing daylight availability and/or by architectural design that makes the best use of natural light.

16. What is the difference between candela and lux?

Candela are the units of measurement for the intensity of light being emitted from a lamp. Comparatively, lux are the units of measurement for the intensity of light on a surface, often measured by a lux meter or a light meter.

17. Which properties of light are used when assessing lighting applications?

Correlated colour temperature (CCT): CCT is a measure of how human beings perceive the light being emitted from a lamp or luminaire. It is measured in degrees Kelvin (K) and generally varies between 2200K (warmer) and 10000K (brighter).

Colour rendering index (CRI): CRI is a measure of the degree to which the light from a lighting type renders the colours of an object in comparison to the colour rendering that the human eye perceives when viewing the same object in natural sunlight. CRI is measured on a scale of 0 – 100, where 100 is the exact colour rendering in sunlight. The lower the number, the less the true colour rendering relative to sunlight. CRI is critical for various reasons. A good example is that the colours rendered by “artificial” lighting in a retail clothing outlet might differ substantially from the true colour of a clothing item when viewed in daylight. This could result in the customer returning the item which could negatively impact sales revenue.

18. What are CBCP, beam angle, field angle and spill?

Most LED lighting types emit and focus light in a specifically directional manner. The light distribution is divided into 4 aspects:

Centre Beam Candle Power (CBCP): This is the light intensity at the centre of the directional beam and is designated in units of Candela.

Beam Angle: Light intensity drops as you move outwards from the centre of the beam. The Beam Angle refers to the angle from the centre axis of the beam at which the light intensity level has dropped to 50% or half of the CBCP measurement e.g. a 120˚ beam angle means that the light intensity level – at 60˚ to either the left or the right of the centre of the beam – is 50% of that measured at the centre.

Field Angle: The light intensity continues to drop as you move further outwards until you reach a point where the lux level has dropped to 10% of the CBCP. The space between the 10% points of angle on either side of the centre beam are referred to as the Field Angle: The quantity of light that falls within the field angle is referred to as “useful" lumens.

Spill: Lumens or light falling outside the field angle are called “spill” and can be regarded as wasted light which often means wasted energy and electricity. Lighting luminaire/fixture/lamp designers use diffusers, lenses, reflectors, baffles and other design features to minimize or eliminate spill.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

SAVE ENERGYSAVE THE ENVIRONMENTSAVE MONEY

Contact

SAVE ENERGY
SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT
SAVE MONEY