LEDs have replaced legacy technology as the standard in non-residential lighting, both inside and outside commercial structures.

With exterior LED lighting sales growth slowing slightly, industry analysts are looking at interior applications as the next great frontier.

“We’ve seen more and more interest in our interior fixtures,” Eleni Lelekis said. “Our exterior lighting demand is still strong, but as that market fills with high quality, long lasting LEDs, we believe we’ll continue to see non-residential customers coming to us for indoor LED retrofits.”

Six months ago, analysts at Research & Markets forecast the worldwide LED space would grow at a compound annual rate of 18.46% from 2017-2021. The latest reports indicate that while growth should remain robust, it will be closer to 12% through 2022. Industry stalwart Osram recently announced its 2018 revenues will grow, but only at about 50% of previous forecasts.

But Research & Markets reports indicate interior lighting sales shouldn’t moderate as quickly as exterior applications.

According to Arkon Power Technical Manager Graham Brown, the Florida-based company focuses its interior efforts in the more intricate lighting designs of warehouses, car service areas, and some high traffic retail spaces. Arkon recently completed an interior installation for Pet Supermarket in Belleair Bluffs, Fla. The lighting package included 81 4-foot linear low bay lights at 90 watts apiece, four wrap around strip fixtures, two flat panels, three standard wall packs, eight emergency flood lights, four down lights and four exit sign/flood light combos.

Other interior lighting projects Arkon has completed include high bays and LED tubes for Mid-County Collision in Largo, Fla., flat panels for Boos Development Group in Clearwater, Fla., manufacturing floor lighting for Vandolah Power Co. in Wauchula, Fla., recessed lighting for Economy Honda in Chattanooga, Tenn., and high bays for Nemak in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Another area where interior lighting is seeing record growth is in automotive applications and other small, precision spaces. Industry analysts see the LED market moving more and more toward high tech applications, end-to-end energy solutions and plugging into the “internet of things.”

Lelekis agreed. “Our existing customers know they have lighting that will last them for decades,” she said. “So they’re looking at the big picture and thinking long-term about how to light their spaces efficiently and practically. It’s remarkable to see.”

Email Info@ArkonPower.com to learn more about Arkon Power’s capabilities and projects.

New technology is making LEDs more efficient than ever.

As pricing stabilizes and consumers upgrade to LEDs in droves, manufacturers are now driving a technology boom, according to a recent Arkon Power market survey.

“Now that the high quality and long lasting design of LEDs is taken as a no-brainer upgrade for most people, we’re seeing the tech side of the industry accelerate exponentially,” said Graham Brown, Arkon’s technical manager.

On a recent installation for a Florida-based law firm, Arkon tightly controlled its lens angles to limit light pollution and precisely highlight portions of the building. That efficiency is something that’s becoming more and more pronounced throughout the LED industry.

According to a recent study by the U.K.-based University of Exeter, light pollution can have a profound effect on wildlife, but LEDs’ unique ability to be focused and directed make them suited to a solution.

“We are making fundamental changes to the way we light the night-time environment, with potentially profound consequences for a range of species,” said Dr. Thomas Davies of the university’s Environment and Sustainability Institute. “Our research shows that local authorities might be able to manage LED lighting in a way that reduces its environmental impacts.”

Meanwhile, market leaders like Osram are turning their attention to a new chip technology that could make LEDs good for more than just lighting. Deep-UV LEDs are still at an early stage, according to chip developer HexaTech, but if they can be produced reliably, they could eventually be used as disinfectants in applications like water and air sterilization.

Non-visible spectrum lights could amount to a market worth hundreds of millions of dollars, according to analysts. And with forecasts now indicating the global LED lighting market could reach $54.5 billion by 2022, LED companies can only expect more cash on hand for research and development in the coming years.

Analysts indicate two other major growth areas for LED lighting are in automotive applications and developing nations. Lower cost products are driving the growth in both sectors.

“The upshot of all of this for our customers is that we’re able to tailor the absolute best LED technology to each of our customers without having to devastate budgets,” said Eleni Lelekis, Arkon’s director of business development. “This is a win-win for folks just getting to know LEDs. The days of overpaying for a young technology are over; the days of reasonably priced, top-of-market lighting are here to stay.”

Email Info@ArkonPower.com to learn more about this or any of Arkon LED’s other projects.

Replacing your fluorescent bulbs with LED tubes or panels could pay for itself in as little as a year.

Light emitting diodes have for years been longer lasting and more efficient than fluorescent lights. Now, as manufacturers continue to improve their processes, the cost of LEDs has also become competitive, making the decision to switch a no-brainer.

One area where LEDs are particularly effective is as a retrofit for traditional tube and panel lighting fixtures. LED tubes and panels at their current cost save users enough on their electric bill to pay for themselves within as little as a year. And according to U.S. Department of Energy studies, the lights can last up to four times as long as most indoor fluorescent lights, which can fail within 2.5 years (see table) and lose color and intensity before the end of their usable life.

The Department of Energy indicates interior LED tubes last up to 50,000 hours while still maintaining 70% of their initial lumens. That’s equivalent to about 11.4 years if you turn on the lights 12 hours per day and about 17 years if use the lights eight hours a day.

In most applications, lighting engineers agree a one-to-one replacement of LED tubes to T8s is appropriate . Some applications, where the omnidirectional nature of fluorescents produces excessive lost light and light pollution, can be satisfied with a reduced number of LED bulbs, increasing the monthly energy savings dramatically.

Consider that in addition to these advantages, LED retrofits:

• Do not require an additional power source or ballast change.
• Do not affect the original UL listing for a T8 fixture.
• Increase warranty lengths.
• Are about 30% more efficient than fluorescents, producing more light while drawing less wattage.
• Produce less heat than fluorescent bulbs and can lower air conditioning bills.
• Maintain their intensity and color through the end of their life.
• Contain no environmentally harmful mercury and produce less landfill waste.

Fluorescent tubes, developed primarily for commercial and industrial buildings as a replacement for incandescent bulbs, were an improvement over their predecessors, using 65%-75% less energy and lasting about 10 times longer. LED lamps are the next progression for the forward-thinking company looking to stay ahead of the energy use curve.

Lighting manufacturers agree LED tubes almost universally yield at least a 30% energy savings, meaning even the lowest performing tubes pay for themselves within three years. They offer full driver compatibility with legacy fixtures, are dimmable and improve lighting color and quality. Now’s the time to flip the switch on your old fixtures.

Email Info@ArkonPower.com to learn more about this or any of Arkon LED’s products.