Predicting A Bright Future For LED Technology

Meeting up with Stephen in the environs of the Beechlawn Hotel, where his company recently project-managed a successful LED relamping project, it’s clear that the business benefits of this technology cannot be ignored. His firm, Light Footprint Ltd, specialises in the supply of high performance commercial and industrial LED lighting products, working closely with clients’ energy, maintenance and finance departments in order to develop a viable business case, underlined by individual lighting energy audits. “We’ll draw products on a project-by-project basis to ensure we’re always supplying upgraded stock,” he explained. “I have manufacturers coming to me and asking, ‘will you represent our products?’ However, we have criteria that we have to meet, and it’s not to do with brand names, it’s about components. I won’t touch a product unless a manufacturer will give me a three-year UK warranty on it.” Light Footprint Ltd can also help companies secure financing, with the Carbon Trust providing two flexible loan options, while Power NI and Energia offer grant support for businesses swapping their less efficient systems for new LED lamps. “We take the business case and put it in for Carbon Trust loan approval, which is very good, as not only can the client potentially – subject to terms and conditions – get a loan, but they get independent energy assessors to double-check suppliers’ work. The Carbon Trust will not lend money for projects that they deem to be unviable or incorrect, so it gives funding and peace of mind.” “The Carbon Trust like LED because no other technology can get to the levels of savings that we can get. It’s a very linear, mathematical model, as long as the usage stays constant. If you have a light burning X amount of hours and you measure the saving from here to here, it’s down. Other sorts of technology, like speed drives, ration the amount of power to machines, it’s so harder to gauge the actual savings.” Light Footprint Ltd oversaw the installation of over 450 LED lamps and fittings in a conversion project for the Strangford Arms Hotel, Newtownards. The project delivered over 80% cost savings in the areas relamped with LED, removing 63,000kg of CO2, with a payback of 1.67 years. The Carbon Trust subsequently decided to use the project as an example of Industry Best Practice, and the Strangford Arms was opened up to hospitality managers in order to show them how the products physically work. “The Carbon Trust are very keen to take technology off the page and put it into a real form, where you can see what’s going on. LED has been mis-sold – early technology of any sort tends to be mis-sold. Early prototypes get brought to the market, and people become ‘once bitten, twice shy’. I think that’s one of the reasons why the Carbon Trust are starting to do Best Practice visits – to say, even if you have been burnt, it is stable now.” Another important part of instilling confidence is complete disclosure. “What we say is going to happen, happens, but we’re as also honest about the drawbacks and what we can’t do. You will not get 100% aesthetic compatibility, but my job as a supplier is to get as close to what you have, passing the level of acceptability. I’m very clear with clients from the start, you cannot have 100% of what you have, or else you’ll have 100% of your current running costs.” He added: “Businesses are in a catch-22 situation, they may think they can’t afford to do it, but you can’t afford not to make the savings – so what we’re saying is that LED lighting and other energy efficiency drives and projects are now essential procurement. “The message to get across to clients is that it’s not about the cheapest way to get where you want to be, it’s about efficiency. Our average project payback is probably in the region of two years, so clients get their money back in two years. With a three year warranty, and an interest free loan – within the warranty period, it’s going to pay for itself.”