LED conversion – how much will I save?

Posted on 26th January 201526th September 2022 by Andrew Evangelidis

Last updated on 26th September 2022

Lighting constitutes an incredible 20% of worldwide energy consumption, so it likely also accounts for a large part of your business’s electricity costs – and with energy costs rising, most homes and businesses are looking for ways to make savings. While spending money investing in an LED conversion (switching your existing light bulbs to LED bulbs) may seem like you’re spending money unnecessarily, but you’ll end up making huge savings and doing better for the planet at the same time. Let’s take a look at the other advantages of converting to LED lighting.

Advantages of LED conversion

LED lighting products have been intensely developed over the past few decades, with lighting designers exploiting the flexibility they offer, and they’ve steadily decreased in price too. The lower cost and enhanced look of LED lighting solutions isn’t the only advantage that converting offers.

Energy-efficiency – LED technology is extremely energy efficient, using up to 90% less energy than incandescent lighting (including halogen styles that have now been banned) and 60% less than old fluorescent lighting.
Lifespan – LED light bulbs last up to 50 times longer than a traditional light bulb, so you spend far less time and money in maintenance and can reduce your stock of spare light bulbs.
Temperature – Because LED lighting projects little or no IR heat in its beam, converting to LED reduces fire risk and potentially, air conditioning costs too. LED spotlights can be useful for lighting heat-sensitive items such as works of art, or food.
Durability – LED lighting is resistant to shock and vibration and performs reliably at cold temperatures (typically down to -20°C), making it a logical choice for outdoor lighting.
Environment- In addition to lower energy consumption, LED lighting has a lower environmental impact too – most LEDs can be recycled at the correct facilities, but more importantly, no mercury is used, so if the bulb or unit is disposed of with regular waste, it won’t contaminate landfill sites.
Battery – Due to the smaller amount of power required, LEDs are suitable for emergency lighting and solar styles.
Adaptability – Many LED lights, particularly smart models, provide greater flexibility than traditional types, with the ability to change the colour temperature (perfect for office spaces where cool white is better in the morning and warm white in the afternoon or evening) as well as the brightness of the light.

How much can I save by converting to LED?

Great question – and the answer is one you’ll like! The combination of longer lifespan and lower energy consumption guarantees a return on investment, whether you’re talking one bulb or a thousand.

Switching to LED bulbs saves money in the home – the Energy Saving Trust estimates around £13 per year per 100 watt incandescent bulb replaced – which adds up to a significant saving throughout the home. In a business, where lighting is kept on for longer hours and bulb changes have typically been much more frequent, an LED conversion can save thousands of pounds per year.

Making the change to LEDs has the potential to save your business thousands of pounds, and even a 20% reduction in your energy costs could provide the same benefit as a 5% increase in sales.

LED conversion case study

To give you an idea of how much you can save, here’s an example scenario calculating the benefits of an LED conversion. In this example, the bulbs are installed in a stairwell, and are switched on permanently, 24 hours a day.

Pre-conversion costs

Based on 20p per Kw/H for non domestic use as published by the Government Statistical Data June 2022

Post conversion running costs

Based on 20p per Kw/H for non domestic use as published by the Government Statistical Data June 2022

As you can see, annual running costs are reduced by £19,053 per year. Even with the increased cost of the bulbs, there are still overall savings in excess of £11,000 to be made – think of what else you could spend those thousands on!

Having made a strong case for conversion based on running costs, the only objection left is that of the initial outlay to buy the replacements. But the cost of LED bulbs and lights has reduced and is now comparable with traditional incandescent bulbs.

Lighting controls such as smart lighting with Wi-Fi connectivity, dimmers, motion sensors and timers can substantially reduce energy costs and when you’re tackling an LED conversion, this is a great time to install these. These controls also increase bulb lifespan, further reducing maintenance costs.

LED conversion conclusion

The upfront cost of tackling an LED conversion shouldn’t be one that deters businesses from making the switch, since LED lighting offers a large number of benefits. A substantial reduction in energy bills is the main reason to change to LEDs, but the reduction in maintenance costs can also be significant, depending on the size and nature of the building – and allows your maintenance team to work more efficiently too.

Reducing the carbon footprint of your business by switching to LED is a worthwhile endeavour, and as part of wider efforts to support the environment, is an initiative that customers will appreciate – and since halogen lights have now been banned in the UK, replacing existing bulbs with LEDs just makes sense.

An LED conversion can be achieved with very little disruption to your business. Lyco Direct have helped some of the UK’s biggest companies convert to LED. For larger projects, we offer flexible finance schemes that allow you to offset payment with energy savings.

If you’d like free expert advice on converting your business’s lighting to LED, please give us a call on 0345 646 1133 or send us an email and we’ll be happy to help.

Feeling inspired? Browse our full range of LED bulbs and LED lighting.

Looking for more information on lighting? Visit our Lighting Advice page.

Andrew Evangelidis Head of Buying

Andrew is an experienced buying professional who takes an entrepreneurial approach to identify new lighting solutions and ensure Lyco have first-to-market ranges for our customers. Having previously worked for well known brands such as Wickes, Carphone Warehouse and Toys R Us, Andrew has now turned his hand to sourcing commercial lighting and ensure our customers receive top brand quality products at marketing leading prices. He manages a team of commercial and decorative buyers who travel the world finding new products that our customers don’t even know they need yet.

Waiting Room Lights For Medical Or Dental

Posted on 7th January 201521st September 2021 by Andrew Evangelidis

Last updated on 21st September 2021

We’ve all spent anxious moments of our lives in the waiting rooms of doctors and dentists. For patients and their friends or family, it’s helpful to relax as much as possible before consultation or treatment. A well-kept, well-lit waiting room plays a vital role in putting visitors at ease and instilling them with confidence in their surroundings. Waiting room lights say a lot about any medical practice and can help make patients’ experiences more bearable, if not enjoyable.

Lighting That Is Worth Waiting For…

Ceiling lights

Waiting rooms should never be murky, oppressive places. A good level of general lighting can be achieved using recessed ceiling lights. Though it’s possible to use surface-mounted fittings and pendants, recessed luminaires are unobtrusive, need little maintenance, and deliver an even spread of diffused light.

The LED Light Panel is energy efficient and long lasting. LED panels are a good money-saving replacement for old fluorescent fittings, too.

LED Downlights combine superb energy efficiency with longevity. Many downlights are fire-rated which means they can be used in fire-rated ceilings and are a hygienic lighting solution, offering nowhere for dust or dead bugs to gather. Recessed LED lighting is increasingly used in medical environments for its low running costs and cleanliness.

An adjustable downlight is useful for spotlighting pictures or other pleasant distractions. A dimmable light can be controlled in accordance with any window light entering the room.

Wall lights

Although wall lights add to the ambient light of a room, they are especially useful for creating mood. Uplighters decorate bare stretches of wall with warm patterns of light, resulting in a cosy feel that helps calm frayed nerves. Wall lights can also be used to frame various aspects of a room; placing them either side of pictures, doorways, or windows, achieves this.

Table lamps

Table lamps are a common feature of many waiting rooms, helping to promote relaxation while also adding to ambient light. A classically styled luminaire like the Dar Oporto Table Lamp will suit traditional or modern settings. You may wish to place magazines under a table lamp, though this is safer in a corner where the lamp is less likely to fall. Use LED bulbs in easily accessible fittings to prevent children from burning their fingers on the glass.

A table lamp with a pale fabric shade allows significant light out into a room, whereas a dark or black shade subdues outward light and emphasises the warm glow of the bulb. This is true of the black Zaragoza 3-Light Table Lamp, which still emits a strong up-and-down flow of light with a glass diffuser to cut out glare. Dark-shaded luminaires are good mood makers.

Floor lamps

A well-chosen floor lamp improves a room aesthetically, but it can also be a handy source of task lighting. In a waiting room, one or two floor lamps provide places to read, especially for older patients who may need a stronger light to discern text comfortably. A classic standard lamp is good for reading, since the light directly beneath it is stronger than the light sent through its shade.

An arced floor lamp such is ideal for reading, with a shade that sends light downwards and can be positioned over a seat. Reading usually requires a minimum light intensity of 300 lux, though this might increase to 500 lux for more mature eyes. Floor lamps provide this level of light for anyone that needs it.

To avoid visual fatigue, there should not be too much contrast between ambient light levels and reading lights (or ambient light levels and a TV screen).

Home from home

Waiting rooms are a little like living rooms with extra chairs. They don’t typically include luxurious sofas or showy decorative lights, but the aim is to inspire confidence and make patients feel as comfortable as possible. Carefully chosen waiting room lights will help achieve exactly that.

For more useful information and guidance see our Lighting Advice section.

Andrew Evangelidis Head of Buying

Emergency Lighting: Making An Escape

Posted on 15th December 201415th September 2022 by Andrew Evangelidis

Last updated on 15th September 2022

Emergency lighting delivers light during a loss of mains power, using either independent fittings with their own batteries or emergency lighting circuits and a generator. Independent emergency lights are popular because they are quick and cheap to install. They benefit from not being linked by the same central power supply or wiring, eliminating the risk of multiple lights being disabled by a single failure.

Emergency lighting categories

There are two main categories of emergency lighting: escape lighting and standby lighting. Of these, escape lighting should be the primary focus of any lighting specifier or installer. It has the potential to save lives in the event of a fire. Standby lighting allows normal work to continue after a power failure, but does not form part of a building’s fire protection.

Escape lighting is divided into three sub-categories, as follows:

Escape route lighting plays the vital role of enabling quick evacuation of a building. Included in this category are green exit signs with pictograms or pictograms and text (the two styles should not be mixed). Also emergency ceiling or wall lights that provide a minimum 1-lux light level along the centre line of escape routes (e.g. the centre of a corridor floor).
Open area lighting must include emergency fittings if the floor area is larger than 60m². This is to prevent panic in places where people are likely to congregate and is sometimes called ‘anti-panic’ emergency lighting. Smaller areas are also counted as open area lighting, such as toilets (above 8m² and all disabled toilets), escalators, and lifts.
High-risk task area lighting ensures that task areas remain illuminated that would cause imminent danger to life if abruptly darkened. Examples include hospital operating theatres or wards and control rooms in dangerous plants or production facilities. A minimum 10% of normal lighting levels must be provided by emergency lighting in these areas, or a 15-lux minimum if this value is higher (the former is more likely).

Lux is an SI unit that measures the intensity of incident light on a surface. It is directly affected by the distance between the surface (e.g. floor or desk) and the light source.

Points of emphasis

Critical areas or features of an escape route are called ‘points of emphasis’, with each point requiring emergency lighting. They include the following:

Emergency exit doors
Exit and safety signs
All flights of stairs
Changes in floor level
Changes of direction
Intersections of corridors/escape routes
Fire alarm call points
First aid posts
Firefighting equipment
Outside and near (within 2m) each final exit

Maintained v non-maintained emergency lights

A maintained emergency light is used as part of an overall lighting scheme and stays switched on in the event of a power cut. A non-maintained light is kept switched off, but activates automatically during a power cut. Both types of fitting include a battery, which allows up to 3 hours of back-up lighting.

Maintained exit signs are a necessity in public buildings and entertainment venues, where occupants are less likely to be familiar with escape routes. Non-maintained exit signs are common in private workplaces.

LED leads the way

LED emergency lights are being increasingly used in place of fluorescent equivalents, which were the main emergency light source for years. LED technology has been improved to such a degree that it excels in most applications. It is often 30 to 50% more energy efficient than fluorescent lighting and has a long lifespan of up to 50,000 hours. A fluorescent lamp might only last 6,000 hours before it abruptly fails.

Other LED benefits include instant full power light with no warm-up time (useful in emergency lighting), resistance to vibration and shock, and reliable cold temperature performance down to about -20°C.

Maintained emergency lights benefit most from LED longevity because they are used for several hours a day. With ceiling lights, you’ll usually be able to buy standard fittings from the same range, so you can blend your emergency luminaires seamlessly into an overall lighting scheme.

A non-maintained light fitting sometimes benefits from a discreet design, since it does not function as part of an everyday lighting scheme. The Daylight LED Emergency Light capitalises on the compact size of LEDs. This tiny fitting easily surpasses typical escape route requirements and because LED lighting is naturally directional, it is able to focus light of sufficient intensity along escape routes with minimal loss of light or use of battery power.

The Kosnic 3w LED Twinspot Emergency Fitting is a non-maintained wall fitting that is ideal for lighting walkways in high-bay warehouses and industrial areas. Its IP65 rating also allows use along outdoor escape routes leading to safety points. Again, the directional nature of LEDs means very little light is spilled in spotlighting applications.

British Standards

Installation of an emergency lighting system requires compliance with the following British Standards:

BS 5266-1:2011 (Code of practice for the emergency escape lighting of premises)
BS EN 1838:2013 (Emergency lighting)
BS EN 50172:2004 – also numbered as BS 5266-8:2004 (Emergency escape lighting systems)
BS 7671:2008 incorporating amendment number 1:2011 (IET Wiring Regulations 17th Edition)

Recessed Downlights – Planning The Perfect Layout

Posted on 24th November 201429th July 2021 by Andrew Evangelidis

Last updated on 29th July 2021

Recessed downlights are a versatile light source for homes, hospitals, hospitality settings, offices, schools, or retail environments. They can fulfill any of the three main lighting roles: general lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting.

This article advises on how many fittings you’d need for any given space, and discusses some of the issues associated with recessed downlights.

So Where Do You Start?

Preliminary Questions

Before shopping for downlights, it’s useful to note a few details:

What is the size of the space?
What is the height of the ceiling?
Is it an open plan area?
What is the room’s purpose?

This information enables you to calculate how many lights you need and what type.

How Many Downlights Do I Need?

A simple method for estimating the number of downlights required is as follows:

Step 1: Multiply the room’s width by its depth to ascertain the square footage.
Step 2: Multiply the square footage by 1.5 to give the total wattage needed in the room. For example, a 15 x 10 foot room is 150 square feet in size; multiplying this figure by 1.5 gives you a total of 225 watts.
Step 3: Divide the total wattage previously calculated (225 in our example) by your chosen bulb wattage to work out how many fittings you need. A 6 x 40W installation would be sufficient in our theoretical 150 square foot room.

Task lighting areas need more light. To account for this, you can multiply the footage by 2.5 rather than the 1.5 figure used above.

Divide an open plan space into areas to make your calculations. If using LED downlights, use their equivalent wattage in these sums.

This is intended as a guideline only. An experienced installer will offer tailored advice.

Ceiling Height

The coverage area of a downlight depends on the beam angle of the light source and the height of the ceiling. A flood beam spotlight naturally lights a greater surface area than a narrow beam, but with less intensity (assuming the two emit an identical amount of light in lumens).

Spacing

Recessed downlights are generally positioned 1.5 to 2 ft. away from walls with a space of 3 to 4 feet between each light. Dividing the ceiling height by two is a way of gauging how much space to leave between each downlight. Thus, if your ceiling is 8 foot high, place your lights 4 feet apart.

Lux Measurements

Strict guidelines exist regarding how intense light should be in different areas of a workplace. Light intensity as it hits a surface is measured in units of lux (abbreviated to lx). Lux meters or online lumens-to-lux calculators can be used to measure or estimate this adequacy of light.

Lux measurements are governed by EN 12464-1 regulations. For example, an office workstation needs a minimum light intensity of 500 lx, foyers or entrance halls need 200 lx, corridors need up to 200 lx, stairs or lifts need 100 lx, and so on. Similarly, in the home, a task lighting area such as a kitchen worktop benefits from at least 300 lx, whereas a living room needs only 150 to 200 lx.

Beam Angles and Fire Ratings

A narrow spot beam gives an intense light for task applications and is useful for highlighting small display items. Choose a recessed downlight with a flood beam for general lighting. Those with an adjustable head can be aimed at pale-coloured walls or cupboards to spread light.

Any fire-rated ceiling, which is usually one beneath an occupied floor, needs a fire-rated downlight to be installed. This prevents an early ceiling collapse in the event of a fire, allowing crucial evacuation time for anyone above.

IP Ratings

When installing downlights in a bathroom you’ll generally need a product with a minimum IP44 rating. Please read our guide to IP ratings for further advice.

Dimming

Choose dimmable downlights to create mood and save energy. Contrasting areas of light and dark invariably add atmosphere to a room. You might use dimmable downlights for general lighting, turning them down for intimate effect while giving greater emphasis to floor lamps, table lamps, picture lights or wall lights.

For more useful information, check out our Lighting Advice section.

View our full range of Downlights >

Andrew Evangelidis Head of Buying

Lamp Shades And Light Distribution

Posted on 12th November 201427th January 2023 by Andrew Evangelidis

Last updated on 27th January 2023

A lamp shade plays the crucial role in controlling light. It diffuses and directs. It’s easy to choose a light fitting based purely on looks and style, but if you study the shade and envisage the effect it will have, you’ll be able to plan your lighting scheme more effectively. This article explores some of the possibilities.

A Few Things To Consider

Colour And Form

The colour of a shade and its interior lining (if any) directly affects the hue and strength of light. For instance, the black drum shade of the Zaragoza 3 Light Table Lamp allows a glow of warm outward light while emitting stronger up-and-down light through its glass diffusers. This is a good choice of mood lighting. Paler and thinner materials (e.g. paper) naturally allow more light to pass.

We can conveniently see the effect of darker versus lighter shades in the attractive Soprana Cone Cluster Pendant. Note the extra warm hue of the black shade once the light is switched on.

A sloping ‘coolie’ shade is common in table and floor lamps and forces much of its light downwards. The Tyso Floor Lamp is an example. This shape is useful for lighting tasks such as reading or writing, while also contributing ambient light to the room.

Dome-shaped solid fittings such as the Cone Pendant act like reflector bulbs. The metallic interior of the shade gathers up light and projects it downwards. Sometimes a golden interior is used, which warms the colour of the light before propelling it out. This style of shade is often used in multiples and suspended low over a table or desk (more about that in a while).

An uplighter like the beautiful Art Nouveau Tiffany Style Dragonfly Floor Lamp usually has a bowl or saucer-shaped shade and allows a limited downward flow of light. It bounces most of its light directly off upper walls and ceilings, dispersing it over a wider area.

Lighting Patterns

Some lamp shades filter an enchanting pattern of light onto nearby surfaces. Graypants’ series of cardboard Scraplights, for instance, cast lighting patterns onto walls through the corrugated surface of their shades.

Suspension Height

Most ceiling lights are height-adjustable at the point of installation. This is useful for taller people, as it avoids them constantly clunking their head on the shade. If the shade is hung over a table, adjustable height offers further possibilities. As the shade is moved closer to a surface, it creates a more intense pool of light in an ever-narrower beam. The benefit of this is great in a dining room or restaurant, where the focused light creates a feeling of personal space and intimacy. A fitting that is perfect for low suspension is the stunning Edit Globe Glass Pendant, which looks amazing as a single luminaire or in multiples over an elongated table.

Rise And Fall Pendants

As mentioned, most ceiling lights require you to decide their suspension height at the time of installation. This is not the case with a ‘rise and fall’ pendant, which uses an early 20th century French design. The Rise-and-Fall Pendant, allows you to adjust its shade height after installation using a pulley. You can set it high up for general illumination or lower for more defined light and extra mood. These fittings are a superb choice for dining tables or kitchen islands.

Matching Shades With Bulbs

Some shades work well with specific types of bulb. The smoked glass Task Shade is complemented by the attractive form of a LED Decorative Filament Bulb, which can be seen easily through the shade.

Choosing Shades

To summarise, remember to consider the colour, material, and shape of a shade when shopping, and then enjoy the benefits of good lighting.

For more useful information see our Lighting Advice section.

Andrew Evangelidis Head of Buying

Ceiling fans for all year round energy savings

Posted on 6th October 201429th March 2022 by Andrew Evangelidis

Last updated on 29th March 2022

It doesn’t seem logical that a ceiling fan might save energy, since it uses electricity itself. You’d be forgiven for thinking it would only add to your bills. However, a ceiling fan is cheap to run and reduces the amount of air conditioning needed in the summer. If you’re already spending money on cooling a room, you can save up to 40% of those costs by installing a fan.

A bigger surprise for anyone that hasn’t considered a ceiling fan before is the scope for lowering heating costs in the winter. Many fans have a reverse, clockwise mode, which recirculates the warm air held at ceiling level and enhances heating efficiency. By allowing you to turn heating down, a fan may save 10% on the cost of warming a room.

The Key Facts

How a ceiling fan works

A ceiling fan cools the occupants of a room, but doesn’t cool the room itself. By circulating air, a fan helps the human body to lose heat through evaporation of sweat (identical in principle to wind chill). For this reason, it is pointless to run a fan in an empty room.

Room sizes

Ceiling fan size is chosen according to room size. You’ll need a fan that is big enough to be effective in the proposed space, otherwise you are certain to be disappointed by the results. The table below will guide you towards the right product.

ROOM SIZE	FAN SIZE
Up to 60 square feet (5.6 m2)	30 to 39 inches
Up to 140 square feet (13 m2)	40 to 49 inches
Up to 350 square feet (32.5 m2)	50 to 60 inches

Fan blades and features

Ceiling fans usually have three to five fan blades and occasionally more. The number of blades is not a reliable indicator of performance, since other factors such as blade pitch and motor efficiency affect the fan’s ability to circulate air. Though they are rare, some ceiling fans have a single blade. Your buying decision should not be swayed by the number of blades.

A very common feature among ceiling fans is that they are reversible, with the top and underside of the blades finished differently. This is useful if you fancy changing the fan’s appearance or need to match a newly decorated room. Larger fans tend not to offer this and have a neutral white, grey, or silver finish to blend with commercial or industrial ceilings.

Fan lights

Because ceiling fans are often destined for the centre of a room, many of them also include a light. A fan light is an ideal replacement for an ordinary pendant, because it provides a source of ambient room lighting as well as a means of circulating air. Most fan lights accommodate a bulb, usually of a high enough wattage to allow a choice of technology. A halogen bulb offers exceptional light quality, but lacks energy efficiency and radiates heat, whereas an LED bulb coolly emits a high quality light while saving on running and maintenance costs. Your choice may vary depending on usage.

Ceiling height & accessories

For a fan to circulate air effectively, the distance between floor and blades should be between 7ft 6” and 9ft. Ceilings higher than 9ft will require use of a drop rod to lower the fan to a suitable height. These can usually be cut to size if necessary.

A drop rod is also needed if a fan is to be installed on a sloping surface. In that instance, sufficient space must be allowed for the blades to clear the angle of the ceiling.

In most cases, ceiling heights are likely to be within average range and adequately served by the product’s included fixings. The Fantasia Commercial Sweep 48 inch Ceiling Fan comes complete with 12” and 24” drop rods, which allows installation on a ceiling of up to 10 or 11 feet high, respectively.

Controls

Ceiling fans can usually be controlled in one of three ways: on/off pull cord, wall control, or remote control. Typically, you cannot have a remote control and a wall control installed at the same time, so those two options are mutually exclusive. Some fans come with a pull cord, but allow the possibility of upgrading. Other models are supplied with a remote or wall control as standard. Most offer a choice of three speed settings.

Guarantees

Our top-branded ceiling fans all come with manufacturer’s guarantees, for added peace of mind. Faro offers a guarantee of 15 years on all of its fan motors.

Give it a whirl

Some electrical products are wrongly perceived as needless luxuries, when in fact they are economically sound purchases. Few people would claim that for a tumble dryer, but it is often said of a dishwasher, which uses hot water and detergent far more sparingly than the average human does. A ceiling fan is similar, consuming very little energy while relieving more power-hungry appliances of work.

Attractively priced and available in traditional or modern styles, ceiling fans offer money-saving comfort all the year round. Why not have a look at our full range of ceiling fans?

Please feel free to call our friendly sales team with any queries on 0843 317 7820.

For more useful information visit our Lighting Advice section.

Andrew Evangelidis Head of Buying

Reception lighting – first impressions count

Posted on 26th September 201429th March 2022 by Andrew Evangelidis

Last updated on 29th March 2022

Endon Phantom 7 Light Chandelier - Polished Chrome

For businesses big and small, first impressions count. Whether you’re looking to impress clients or the public, the reception area provides the first opportunity.

Some thought should be given to lighting when planning a reception. Harsh, bright lights make visitors feel uncomfortable and unwelcome, whereas poor or dim lighting projects lack of care or success. The right lighting will bring the best out of furniture and furnishings and create an agreeable ambience.

Reception lighting for small businesses and hotels

Smaller businesses or hotels may be limited in floor space, but even small reception areas can make a big impression with the right lighting. The main risk is the danger of overdoing it: large, ostentatious light fittings may hint at a healthy balance sheet, but they will overpower a small reception area and everything in it.

The ideal reception lighting for a small business reflects the strengths it has to offer (usually intimacy and personal attention), but will also be smart enough to make it look an efficient, conscientious business. Let’s look at examples from Lyco’s wide range of reception lighting options for small businesses.

Small hotel reception lighting

Pendant Lights

The beautiful pendant adds a touch of traditional elegance to any reception area, with many to choose from it’s important to work out what will suit decor and represent your brand values at the same time. Most pendants are height adjustable to suit any ceiling height.

Ceramic Wall Lights

Wall lighting is useful for filling bare areas of wall and creating a welcoming ambience. It also acts as a secondary source of illumination, with diffuse light bouncing off nearby surfaces. The ceramic wall light can be left bare or painted to suit surroundings.

Small office reception lighting

Gold & Copper Pendants

If you want a funky, modern reception idea that makes an impression, a gold or copper pendant give you exactly that. The stylish, contemporary range is eye catching and on trend. Choose a Decorative Filament Light Bulb to add the perfect finishing touch with head-turning looks.

Edit Wall Light

The uncomplicated simplicity of the Edit wall light makes it a versatile all-rounder that will suit most small office reception areas. It uses 40W small screw bulb, and the white plaster finish will complement most offices.

Reception lighting for large businesses and hotels

The larger your reception area, the greater the canvas is to create a lasting impression. You could use discreet wall fittings for added mood. Make the most of high ceilings by installing an eye-catching chandelier or decorative pendant.

As with small businesses, upgrading the existing lighting in a large business’s reception area can have a dramatic visual impact without you having to change anything else. It offers an affordable upgrade option. Let’s look at some ideas:

Large hotel reception lighting

Zaragoza 3 Light Pendant

This striking ceiling light creates a favourable first impression in any reception area with its classy black-ridged fabric shade and attractive polished chrome fixings. An opal glass diffuser ensures a smooth spread of downward light from this large pendant, which comes in a choice of colours and can be easily co-ordinated with other items in the same stylish range.

Phantom 7 Light Pendant

There’s nothing like a striking centrepiece light to make an immediate impact in any reception area. With its mix of polished chrome and white fabric, the height-adjustable Phantom 7 light fitting adds a touch of class wherever it’s installed. To complete a great first impression, there are also co-ordinated wall lights available.

Head office reception lighting

Lucide Talowe LED Pendant

The Edit Wyndham LED Pendant is a large aluminium statement light with white painted shade and adjustable height. With cool white integrated LEDs, it is both energy saving and contemporary. It also emits 2340 lumens of light, so it’s perfect for reception area atmosphere lighting.

Table Lamps

Add a Table Lamp to create a more homely feel to an area. With many finishes to choose from our extensive range, you are sure to find something to suit your decor.

Save money by switching to LED

Switching from inefficient lighting to retrofit LED light bulbs has a dramatic impact on any business’s lighting costs. Depending on the size of business, annual savings may extend into tens of thousands of pounds. An LED bulb uses 80 to 90% less energy than a filament bulb and it’s also exceptionally long lasting. Running and maintenance costs are drastically reduced.

As inefficient lighting technologies are gradually phased out LED light bulbs are becoming increasingly common. They are now available at a wide range of price points, including many at under £10. By choosing LED for a reception and any other area of your business, a return on investment is guaranteed.

For more advice, inspiration and news take a look at our Lighting Advice section.

Andrew Evangelidis Head of Buying

Outdoor lights for staff safety

Posted on 15th September 201427th January 2023 by Andrew Evangelidis

Last updated on 27th January 2023

Lighting affects our working lives in several ways. It has a major effect on our health and mental welfare and may protect life and limb in dangerous manual jobs. At either end of a working day employees enter or leave a workplace. It’s essential they’re able to do this without risk of accident or physical threat. Outdoor lights for staff safety deserve close attention. This article points you towards specific products to help keep employees safe.

Outdoor car parks

European Standard 12464-2 gives useful advice on car park lighting. It recommends surface illuminance of at least 5 lux for car parks with low traffic and 20 lux for busy parking zones. The size of the car park will influence your lighting choice. A light mounted high up covers more ground and avoids glare, but it needs to emit more light to maintain intensity. The distance covered by a floodlight is roughly twice its mounting height.

The Dextra 400W Metal Halide Floodlight suits a high mounting position. This fitting produces far more light than a 400W halogen equivalent. Good-quality colour rendering makes car recognition easier and aids crime detection. Our choice of metal halide floodlights caters for many applications.

For large areas of lighting, there is the Dextra 400W SON Floodlight. This floodlight is energy efficient and throws out even more light than the 400W metal halide lamp, but its colour rendering is poorer. Nonetheless, it allows some colour recognition and is suitable for many outdoor purposes.

Covered car parks

Covered car parks have different lighting needs to open parking spaces. They are trickier to navigate, and their hemmed-in nature causes a sense of unease if poorly lit. The psychological effect of lighting is important; staff should feel safe as well as being as safe as possible. Suggested lux levels are 75 lux for driving lanes, entrances, exits and parking bays; a minimum 100 lux for pedestrian areas; and 150 lux for ramps, corners, and junctions.

A good choice for covered car parks is the Eterna IP65 T8 Weatherproof Fluorescent Batten. This inexpensive light source is dust-tight and resistant to jets of water. LED substitutes for fluorescent tubes last longer and are 30-40% more energy efficient. The Robus Vulcan LED Batten is an example. These lights are ideal for tunnels or sheltered paths, too.

Paths

Paths need good lighting for the safety and security of staff. An illuminance level of between 5 and 20 lux is recommended. The Eterna Outdoor Wall Light includes a photocell to trigger light at dusk and is suitable for a path alongside a building. The eye-lid design helps to reduce glare and protect visibility.

Any obstacle or change of direction along a path demands good lighting. Adequate corner lighting helps prevent accidents. The Eterna Well Corner Light comes with a special mount to allow this. It is wise to keep building extremities amply lit for reasons of personal security, especially when publicly accessible.

For brick buildings, a discreet way of lighting adjoining paths is with brick lights such as the JCC Fresco Low Energy Brick Light. This ensures enough lighting at ground level while also cutting out glare.

Post lights such as the modern Edit Detroit LED Post allow safe passage along isolated paths. Floodlights are useful for lighting large outside spaces and provide a safe environment for all employees and visitors.

Bike sheds

Fluorescent tubes are fine in bike sheds, but the Eterna 11W IP65 LED Bulkhead also satisfies. This compact fitting has a built-in photocell to trigger light automatically at dusk.

Security Camera

Security cameras deters criminals by capturing, relaying and saving video footage. You can remotely access cameras through a computer, tablet or smartphone. Lyco sells a wide range of security camera to keep your business and employees safe.

Lux measurement

Lux is a unit of illumination equal to one lumen of light spread evenly over a 1m² surface. It measures light intensity at the surface plane. As the distance of a lamp increases, so does the surface area that it lights, while light intensity (lux) decreases.

There are various light calculators available on the Internet, but a lux meter offers a cheap and reliable means of ensuring sufficient light for any application inside or outside a workplace.

Further info

For advice on related topics, please look at our security lighting feature. Our outdoor light buying guide may also be helpful.

For more useful information and advice please take a look at our Lighting Advice section.

Andrew Evangelidis Head of Buying

Security lighting – protect your premises

Posted on 1st September 201419th October 2023 by Andrew Evangelidis

Last updated on 19th October 2023

Whether you’re safeguarding a home or a business premises, security lighting is one of the more effective measures you’ll take against unwanted visitors. Before investing in security, try briefly adopting a criminal mindset so you can identify vulnerable parts of your building. Look for easy areas of concealment near doors and windows and trim any trees or shrubs that offer a natural hiding place or obscure vision.

As well as good security lighting, consider installing alarms, full security systems, CCTV, perimeter fencing and warning signs. Ensure your locks are sturdy. Sliding glass doors are a common unlawful entry point into homes. To counteract this, they can be fitted with dowel rods, security sensors, and shatter alarms. Screws and washers are sometimes inserted to prevent such doors being hoisted from their frame.

Lyco stocks various products to help thwart intruders and vandals, but we’ll primarily discuss security lighting.

Sensors

There are two types of sensor typically used in outdoor security lights: PIR sensor and photocell (commonly called a dusk-to-dawn sensor).

The PIR sensor is essentially a motion sensor that detects changes in IR radiation. Any movement within a given range triggers light for a short, often adjustable duration.

A photocell measures ambient light levels and triggers light on and off at dusk and dawn, respectively. This creates the impression that a property may be occupied, acting as a useful deterrent.

Light technologies

All lighting technologies have particular advantages and disadvantages, which may affect your buying decision when choosing security lights. Here are some of the relevant factors:

Low-energy fluorescent lights are rarely used with PIR sensors because of their warm-up time, but this is less of an issue with dusk-to-dawn light sensors, where immediate bright light isn’t necessary. The ASD Horizon Bulkhead offers automatically tripped overnight lighting using an economical 2D fluorescent lamp.
LED lighting offers numerous advantages outdoors, including reliable low-temperature performance, immediate full-power light (useful with PIR sensors), resistance to shock or vibration, and a naturally directional output that reduces light pollution. The Selene Solar Spotlights, for instance, can light an area at a distance of 20 metres with minimal light wasted outside of the spotlight beam.
Sodium lamps are often used in security lighting. They offer incredible energy efficiency, though colour rendering is relatively poor. A SON lamp allows some identification of colour, while a SOX lamp produces a monochromatic light that forfeits colour but heightens human perception of contrast. The Dextra 400W SON Floodlight with Photocell lights very large outdoor areas with a performance that may easily exceed 120 lumens per watt. It is ideal for industrial areas, building perimeters and car parks.

Home security lights

Security lights for the home needn’t be expensive, either to buy or run. The Edit Coastal Sennen Wall Lantern is available with or without a PIR sensor. A PIR light is useful for legitimate entry into a home as well as deterring intruders, and it saves the expense of running a permanently switched fitting.

The Nemi Globe Wall Light uses a photocell to automatically light the outside of any home overnight and switch itself off in the morning. This fitting is IP44 rated, which is a good all-round specification for rain proofing and resistance to dust.

Lighting doesn’t get any cheaper to run than when it’s solar-powered, with LED development opening up a whole new market in this area. LEDs are a low-voltage light source, so they feed very efficiently off a solar-charged battery and need remarkably little power. The Evo15 Solar PIR Utility Light is a security light that is free to run and can be discreetly installed outside the home.

Business security lights

Though there aren’t any strict definitions, business security lights will often be plainer in design and stronger in output — different to residential lights in ways you’d expect. The ESP Nighthawk LED Security Floodlight with built-in PIR sensor is a robust example.

This 12W luminaire has a 10-metre, 160° range and projects a powerful 1100 lumens of light. Its Nichia LEDs have a mighty 91 lumens-per-watt output, which makes the manual override facility all the more attractive; this is an economical floodlight for general use, too. Nighthawk floodlights can be configured in a slave system, where multiple fittings are triggered by one PIR sensor or photocell.

Also from ESP is the Guard-Cam Security Floodlight, which not only lights up intruders with a powerful halogen lamp, but also records them with video or still images. An audio mode allows playback of a pre-recorded warning to say “you are being recorded by a security camera” and also has a barking dog option. You can even record your own politely phrased messages.

Security Camera

The presence of cameras is enough to dissuade most opportunist intruders from committing crime and gives any property owner peace of mind. Lyco sells a wide range of security cameras, including ESP Guardcam LED Security Floodlight with Camera. Infrared cameras are often used, which project invisible IR light to effectively see in the dark as well as functioning normally during the day.

Our CCTV security systems can be remotely monitored from PCs, tablets, or smartphones, with special apps available for iPhones or Android phones. Email alerts can also be set up, so you’ll immediately know if the security system has been set off.

Entry systems and locks

To supplement any security lighting or CCTV measures, Lyco offers a range of door entry systems, door locks, and bolts and padlocks. These help protect your property during normal hours of business as well as overnight.

A false sense of security

Most of us are guilty of occasionally leaving windows open, not bothering to switch on alarms, or concealing keys in obvious places. Contrary to the popular saying, criminals rarely return to the scene of the crime. Avoid making their job easy the first time round.

Take a look at our full security lighting range.

Looking for more news, inspiration and advice? Try our Lighting Advice section

Andrew Evangelidis Head of Buying

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