A successful update: ERCO foyer now completely in LED lighting

Efficient LED technology cuts energy consumption by 75%

Lüdenscheid, May 2011 - Proven concept, around 75% less energy: Using its own innovative LED lighting tools, ERCO - the Light Factory, has now updated the entrance foyer of its Technical Centre at the Lüdenscheid headquarters to feature the latest, state of the art systems. Energetically optimised, the lighting update is expected to pay off in as little as five years through increased efficiency. The transparent foyer has served as the visiting card of the company since 1989. Harmonised with the building’s architecture and with a significant component of vertical illuminance, its previous lighting concept still met the requirements of perception-oriented lighting design. The new implementation of this proven concept demonstrates the enormous potential of LED technology, which has now revolutionised lighting technology. It communicates to both staff and visitors the latest standard required to experience, appreciate and explain ERCO’s lighting philosophy.

Prestigious rooms with glass façades

Through uniform wallwashing of the walls, some over 12m high, the pleasant impression of brightness achieved through vertical illuminance alone is such that conventional ambient lighting of the floor area is largely unnecessary. Floor-to-ceiling glass façades allow intensive utilisation of daylight - the brightness contrasts and reflexes softened by wallwashing. Lighting accents are produced by ERCO’s Logotec LED spotlights with "narrow spot" characteristic; installed on track, these are found in such places as the communication area of the foyer lighting up the chrysanthemum decorations on the tables. Intelligent, modern lighting control systems - here the Light System DALI from ERCO - are applied both for scenographic purposes and to save energy. Flexibly used to call up light scenes, the systems can also include motion sensors and daylight-dependent control functions. Efficient visual comfort is paramount in every aspect.

Efficient lighting technology

The original lighting system installed in 1989 worked primarily with low-voltage halogen lamps and PAR lamps. Back then, these were the lamps of choice for lighting accents in rooms measuring over 12m in height and ensuring uniform wall illumination. In 2011, these tasks are now handled by far more efficient high-power LEDs with Spherolit lenses in narrow spot version for accent lighting and wallwash for highly uniform wallwashing. The warm white light of today’s LEDs is comparable to halogen lamps in terms of quality. Changing to LED technology, the connected load of the updated system in ERCO’s foyer has reduced the original power consumption by 75%, down to 6.48w/m². Equally as convincing is a comparison of the life of both variations: the average life of halogen lamps ranges between 3,000 and 5,000 hours, depending on their type; LEDs have a life span of 50,000 hours. The investment costs must be seen against significant savings in energy and maintenance.