At such a time of concern for people all over the world regarding health, disease and infections, it’s a reassuring announcement that Airius launches the PureAir Series, guaranteed to improve indoor environments.
The Airius PureAir air purification and odour control system reduces viruses, bacteria and gases by up to 99%, as well as mould and odours by over 90%, creating clean, healthy and odour-free indoor spaces.
In workspaces, the Airius PureAir system has been proven to reduce staff absenteeism and increase staff productivity. Simple to install, the units are small, versatile and unobtrusive and the system can also reduce heating and cooling costs by an average of 35%. The system reduces CO2 emissions by an average of 35% and recycles the heat produced from machinery, lighting and heat gain.
Managing director of Airius, Stephen Bridges, said: “Indoor air quality can be defined by a range of criteria. It can be affected by gases, including Carbon Monoxide, Radon, and Volatile Organic Compounds, Particulates, microbial contaminants like Mould, Bacteria, or any mass or energy stressor that can induce adverse health conditions.
“The Airius PureAir is the perfect low-cost solution for hospitals, care homes, doctors and dentist surgeries, children’s nurseries and food preparation facilities in maintaining a clean, healthy and odour-free environment.
“While air is continuously purified by the PureAir’s integrated PHI Cell, manufactured by RGF Environmental, one of the worlds leading specialists in air, water and food purification, the space is also being thermally equalised through destratification, which improves comfort by the elimination of hot and cold spots. This system also reduces energy consumption by balancing floor and ceiling temperatures.”
Air purification is critical in maintaining healthy and welcoming building environments. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and indoor air pollution has a major influence on the health, comfort and wellbeing of building occupants such as customers, staff and patients and with recent health epidemics such as MRSA and SARS, is widely recognised by the Government and leading industry organisations including BRE, FETA and HSE. So it will be of great benefit to these organisations and buildings that Airius launches PureAir the Series.
Research conducted by utility giant DTE Energy found that thermal stratification is the single biggest waste of energy in buildings today, as well as by the Carbon Trust, which recommends destratification as one of its top three carbon-saving measures.
At Airius we are constantly developing and improving our products and establishing the effectiveness of the integrated PHI Cell from RGF Environmental in our PureAir Series of fan units on COVID19 is something high on our agenda. As defined by the World Health Organization, Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
The recent COVID-19 illness is an infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus was unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
COVID-19 is a member of the enveloped RNA coronavirus (subgenus sarbecovirus, Orthocoronavirinae) subfamily. While Airius does not have testing specifically on COVID-19, we have validated test results showing 99+% reductions on similar viruses. These viruses, like COVID-19, are also ‘enveloped’ or protein jacketed virus types. If we can reduce these virus types, an assumption could be made that we would also be effective at reducing the current coronavirus at hand. Important to note that we make no medical claims.
Many hospitals have approved and installed the Airius PureAir PHI-Cell technology throughout their facilities.
We currently do not have Airius PureAir Coronavirus testing specifically on the Wuhan Coronavirus (COVID-19). We are evaluating testing options with partners in both the U.S. and China. As there are a limited number of facilities capable of testing for this virus, their focus is on prioritising testing as it relates directly to the recent outbreaks.
While reviewing this bulletin Dr. Marsden (KSU) commented, “This virus apparently is similar to other viruses that we previously tested. There is every reason to believe that the Airius PureAir technology would be effective in reduction of COVID-19.” In combination with Airius PureAir technologies it is recommended to always follow antimicrobial protocols and procedures per regulatory guidelines.
Disclaimer: The PHI Cell technology from RGF Environmental integrated in Airius PureAir series units has not been tested on coronavirus (COVID-19) and is not a medical device therefore no medical claims are made. Testing conducted by independent accredited labs and universities.
With 2019 proving to be an Influenza nightmare, Care Home Coronavirus protection is high on the safety agenda.
But some Aged Care facilities are proving that taking action early is the key to success. Tandara Lodge Community Care, in Tasmania, has not had a “notifiable outbreak” in 5 years, a significant achievement in the Aged Care Industry. Their secret? Five years ago they installed a new Fan range from Airius, called the PureAir Series with an integrated PHI Cell, throughout their whole facility. The intent of the fans was to save heating energy and clean the air.
Five years later the PureAir Series has proven its ability to reduce airborne diseases and smells. Kansas State University conducted independent testing of the PHI cell, manufactured by RGF Environmental, one of the worlds leading air, water and food purification specialists and found it successfully removed 99%+ of moulds, bacteria, viruses, VOCs and odours (see exact list in the MORE section), proving itself to be a very effective potential Care Home Coronavirus protection system. The PureAir Series again proved its worth when a sewage issue inside the facility cause immense distress to the elderly, struggling to breathe with the horrific smell. They found the residents huddled under the fans with the PHI cell in them as it had neutralised the air underneath so they could breathe untainted air.
Tandara has not only saved itself thousands of dollars with outbreak containment and clean up costs, but also additionally saved energy costs as the Air Pears are not only bacteria killers, they are also some of the most energy efficient and effective destratification fans on the market. Significant heating costs reductions can be achieved with the use of Airius fans in winter climates. With an ROI of approximately one year, installing the Airius Air Pear with PHI was a cost effective and sound investment into the health, safety and comfort of the elderly in their care.
More About Airius and the PHI
Fight mould, bacteria, viruses, VOCs and odours with the optional factory installed Photohydroionisation (PHI) cell that emits advanced oxidation plasma (0.01 – 0.02 ppm). The fan circulates Hydro-Peroxides, super oxide ions and hydroxide ions throughout the space, neutralising more than 99 percent of micro-organisms. PHI’s proven technology can reduce sick building syndrome, significantly reduce gases/VOC’s/odours and maintain healthy environments.
Kansas State Univ. Testing has proven
The PHI cell from RGF Environmental successfully removed 99%+ of the following germs from the air:
With the recent outbreak of COVID-19 continuing to devastate the world, everyones minds are turning to Coronavirus Protection and people are asking ‘how do we protect ourselves’?
The answer is simple and advised by health organisations all over the world, be sensible, wash your hands and stay away from “bacteria, germs and viruses”. That is the most effective method of Coronavirus Protection.
However, we don’t have control over all the environments we inhabit. To tackle this Airius supply the PureAir Series air purification and odour control system, incorporating a unique PHI Cell manufactured by one of the worlds leading specialists in air, water and food purification – RGF Environmental.
Simply put, Coronavirus on surfaces or in the air, may be minimised or even negated wherever the PHI Cell is in operation.
Let’s get technical below:
PhotoHydroionisation (PHI) cells can be installed into a wide range of Airius fans, including the Standard Series, Suspended Series and Designer Series or in air conditioning ducts, split and package units etc, providing the perfect solution for fighting viruses, mould, bacteria, VOCs and odours.
Emitting advanced oxidation plasma (0.01 – 0.02ppm) from the PHI Cell, the fan circulates Hydro-Peroxides, superoxide ions and hydroxide ions throughout the space, neutralising up to 99 per cent of micro-organisms. The breakthrough in the PHI advanced oxidation technologies is a group of oxidants known as Hydroperoxides that have been a common part of our environment for over 3.5 billion years.
The PHI Cell’s proven technology can reduce Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), significantly reduce gases/VOC’s/odours and maintain healthy environments. The cell successfully removes 99% of germs from the air and surfaces, including Bird Flu, Norovirus, E. Coli, Listeria, Strep, and other airborne germs and bacteria.
Tandara Lodge Community Care has not had a “notifiable outbreak” in 5 years after installing the Airius PureAir Series with integrated PHI Cell. And they have not only benefited from the effects of fresh, clean air, keeping those in the facility safe and healthy, preventing any outbreaks from occurring, but they have also benefited from the energy reduction and monetary savings from the worlds most popular destratification and airflow circulation fan.
Disclaimer: All the tests above were performed on the RGF Environmental Reme Halo PHI Advanced Oxidation system with Advanced Oxidation Plasma of less than .02 ppm. They were conducted by independent accredited labs and university studies. They were funded and conducted by major RGF Environmental clients to assure third party credibility. PHI products are not medical devices and no medical claims are made.
If you have any questions or queries about the PureAir Series and its integrated PHI Cell, or about Coronavirus Protection please Contact Us anytime by phone, on +44 (0)1202 554200 or by email at info@airius.co.uk.
Although we still have much to learn about how COVID-19 is spread and the effect is has on humans, we can be sure in the knowledge that viruses such as corona are transmitted when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or even speaks – spreading droplets containing the bacteria.
These droplets land on surfaces, and if picked up by another human and transported into their mouth, nose or eyes, can then cause the infection to spread. Because these contaminated droplets can float in the atmosphere before continuing the chain of infection into the next person, part of the fight against our current pandemic can be addressed by implementing correct air purification methods.
Research has been undertaken that shows viruses such as coronavirus may be spread through air ventilation systems. Similarly, studies have shown that environments that operate high levels of outdoor ventilation have reduced risk of transmitting viruses like influenza, tuberculosis and SARS – which share many similarities with the coronavirus.
For buildings such as educational facilities or commercial spaces, the choice of air conditioning systems contributes hugely to the health and wellbeing of the inhabitants. The aim is to have clean air circulate regularly to disperse, or trap and neutralise virus particles in the atmosphere. The higher the concentration of people in the facility, the more chance there is for a bigger outbreak of a virus.
In the case of coronavirus, which is causing huge death and disruption worldwide, a focus on air purification is crucial because we know the virus is highly contagious.
With this in mind, it is clear that attacking the virus from all angles – including the use air purification – is what is needed for us all to return to some sort of normality.
We all have the right to breath clean air in buildings. Whether this is our own home, our place of work, or in shops or entertainment facilities. The British, European and international technical standards of clean indoor air quality have changed and evolved over time.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, standards were concerned with outdoor air traffic pollution from gas emissions, as well as indoor air quality which was focused on aspects like air humidity, correct ventilation, air circulation, filtration and air exchange rate.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) annually publish exposure limits of airborne particles and gases which are hazardous to humans. Gases such as NO2 are dangerous to inhale, and because these can be measured, environments can be tested to see if they are safe to occupy.
Correct ventilation of buildings is a standard requirement in the UK. Legally, outside air must be drawn into a building in order to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide inside – a waste product produced when we breath. The air that is drawn in needs to be cleansed of various particles and nitrogen dioxide, as well as being filtered to remove other harmful pollutants or pathogens.
An air pollutant can be classed as either a gas or a particle, and viruses can be considered a particle in this sense as they disperse in a similar fashion within our air supply. All of these contaminants need to be dealt with in order to provide occupants of a building with clean, fresh air.
Particles need to be filtered out using air filtration technology, namely fabric or fibres, and gases should be eliminated by using methods such as cooling and distilling. Viruses can be eliminated using UVGI technology within air conditioning units.
Currently, there are no clear new laws on the purification of air in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, however research into this area is likely to be on-going.
It is possible we may begin to see changes in air purification laws due to the outbreak of COVID-19. It is clear we need to use every available option to fight this invisible killer and the buildings we inhabit need to have the technology to protect us from their devastating impact.
Air purification laws may change in order for designers to implement increased circulation, ventilation, outdoor air flow and control humidity levels – amongst other strategies. Making procedures such as air filtration and UVGI systems mandatory could be critical to futureproof our communities.
As it currently stands, in the UK we have laws surrounding temperature, the introduction of fresh air to buildings, and controlling the level of some pollutants. A potential addition to this list could be the introduction of a minimum indoor humidity level – as the virus lives longer in less humid climates.
Setting a minimum indoor humidity level is likely to help in the battle against COVID-19 and therefore reduce stress on our healthcare system and economy.
We may also see laws change which stipulate that all public and commercial buildings must regularly monitor and submit air quality readings in order to maximise safe working practises for the occupants inside.
The UK Government has focused its advice on social distancing, handwashing, working from home and avoiding public transport. These are all important ways to slow the spread of coronavirus transmission, however quality of air in public and commercial buildings is also crucial.
Key workers in hospitals and schools are negatively impacted by poor air quality, even if they are practising Government guidelines as mentioned above, their health may still be compromised. It is critical we assist in the protection of our key workers in public environments and air purification is a necessary point to address.
Due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic, it is impossible to say exactly which laws will change or if new laws will come into play regarding the air quality in buildings. What is safe to say, is that controlling air flow and increasing air purification is a reliable and necessary step towards bringing infection rates down and safe guarding public health.
Scientists all over the world are working tirelessly to develop the coronavirus vaccine. Until we find a cure, we must act now to prevent further spread and minimise casualties. Using air purification technology is just one of the ways we can do this.
If you would like to find out more about the variety of air purification technologies that can be used in your buildings, please contact us and we will be happy to help you. We have a range of air purification strategies that can be developed from scratch or work in addition to your existing systems that can all assist in the management of COVID-19.
You can get in touch with us by calling on 01202 554 200 or via email at info@airius.co.uk
The recent Coronavirus outbreak has again demonstrated the effectiveness of the use of air purification oxidation technology in medical facilities around the world. Air purification and oxidisation is a major contributor in speeding up patient recovery times and in preventing the spread of viruses, bacteria, and other harmful indoor contaminants.
Although the technology was originally developed for health facilities, a combination of demand from the public and from employees for better indoor environments, research-driven technological advances, and more efficient manufacturing processes has contributed to the adoption of air purifiers by the commercial, education, and public sectors (including the military).
In this article, Airius describes:
On 1st December 2019, doctors detected the symptoms of a brand new and potentially lethal virus in a person in the Chinese province of Wuhan who had not been at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. This was significant because the forty people who had been recorded as experiencing the same symptoms had links to the seafood market. The discovery of a person with the same illness who did not share the common link was the first indication that it was a communicable virus.
The virus then spread quickly in the Wuhan province and then to other countries around the world because of the interconnected global economy and travel networks.
On the 11th March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak of the new virus, called either the Coronavirus or COVID-19, as a pandemic after the number of cases outside China increased by 1,200% over the period of the previous fortnight.
The Chinese government’s reaction to the outbreak of COVID-19 was rapid. Within days, 14 temporary hospitals had been built by the authorities to cope with the number of in-patients created by the virus. The first hospital opened on February the 5th and treated 1,848 patients before its closure on March 10th – just 34 days later.
More so than perhaps any other country, China has the experience to deal with COVID-19 because of the previous outbreaks in the country of SARS and swine flu.
The authorities appreciated the importance of clean and sanitised air in the treatment of the new outbreak – High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) air purifiers were installed in many local health facilities to aid patients’ respiration during treatment.
Doctors have long recognised the value of clean air in both patients’ recovery time and for its effectiveness in preventing further infection in their patients. The quality of indoor air has been directly linked to health epidemics including outbreaks of SARS, MRSA, and Legionnaires’ disease.
Many bacteria and viruses live in the air and on surfaces within health facilities. For every medical facility, there is a constant need for them to decontaminate their indoor spaces to protect against noxious contaminants like infectious diseases, residue of chemicals used in treatment, the risks posed by hazardous materials, and micro-organisms which either threaten the health of patients or staff or could be damaging to the environment at large.
In addition to general decontamination procedures like sterilisation, antisepsis application, disinfection, ultrasonic cleaning, water purification, and regular cleaning, air purification reduces the risk of airborne infection and the growth of mould (now recognised as being responsible for many respiratory illnesses and a suspected cause of many cases of sudden infant death syndrome).
Oxidisation technology also features in many air purification system installations in both health facilities and other organisations. Controlled oxidisation through the use of compounds like chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, and ozone effectively and quickly destroys threats to human health and comfort like, volatile organic compounds (VOC) as well as producing better health outcomes. Advances in a more recent oxidisation technology called photohydroionisation is yielding very promising results and it is being deployed in many products reaching the market like the Airius PureAir.
The Airius PureAir air purification and odour control system integrates the latest non-HEPA PHI oxidisation technology from one of the worlds leading specialists in air, water and food purification – RGF Environmental, to protect staff, visitors, patients, guests, and other stakeholders from indoor air pollution. There are four models available for organisations to choose from – speak with an Airius representative to help you in selecting the best model for your premises and user base.
There are multiple health sector applications for the Airius system including doctors’ surgeries, dentists’ surgeries, hospitals, first aid facilities, care and nursing homes, and general medical facilities. Its 4-log reduction technology reduces virus presence and surface bacteria to a factor of 99%+.
In independent test results carried out by a range of laboratories, research studies and RGF Environmental clients, PHI Cell technology reduced the presence of MRSA, Norwalk Virus, Streptococcus, Bird Flu, Swine Flu, Candida Albicans, and SARS by 99%+ within just 24hrs. The same was recorded over 48 hours for listeria, mould, streptococcus pneumoniae, staphylococcus aureus, and bacillus globigii.
PureAir’s use is not just restricted to medical facilities. Other businesses, the military, and the education sector invest in the system to reduce absenteeism, the presence of odours, gases, vapours, and VOCs.
Feedback from medical facilities, businesses, retailers, schools, and the public sector on the Airius PureAir have been very favourable. In addition to a 20% reduction in staff absenteeism, a cleaner working environment, and better stakeholder health, users appreciate:
Please get in touch with us by calling 01202 554 200 or simply send an email to info@airius.co.uk and we’ll send you an electronic brochure on our non-HEPA PureAir air purification and oxidisation system.
Based in Dorset, Airius provides destratification fans, LED lighting systems, and electrical engineering services. We work with public sector organisations and businesses to improve physical environment for the staff and the public and to reduce energy expenditure. Our client roster includes British Airways, Harrods, Mercedes, Siemens, Morrisons and Waitrose.
This project for Pilatus Aviation involved replacing their existing 450w Sodium lamps and replacing with much more efficient 200w LED fittings.
After performing an energy audit we supplied the client with our results and huge cost savings available as well as Dialux plans to show the massive increase of LUX levels that we would be able to achieve. This was particularly important due to the nature of specialist works involved when the technicians were servicing the aircraft engines.
The end result was a massive success for the client, we increased the perimeter light over the work stations from 90 lux to a whopping 350 lux and the centre of the hanger went from 120 to 680!
As well as this refit we also implemented upgrades to their fire escape plan and added LED emergency fittings to the escape routes. All works were completed over 2 days and during a holiday period as requested by the client when there was the least movements by the aircraft.
Thinking about emergencies before they happen is difficult. Every building needs plans in place but knowing the plan is fit for purpose before the emergency happens is critical.
Emergency lighting is the backup system created for when an emergency cuts the main power supply for example, during a fire or a power cut. In this situation, a backup power system comes online to power emergency lights, exit signs, and other necessary functions to help people out of a building. The lights minimise danger to the buildings occupants who could struggle to see danger or find the exit.
In this article, we will answer the following questions:
There are many components to a functional emergency lighting system. These include:
Each building has its own essential requirements based on the uses and layout of the building. For example, some buildings need a plan to allow the safeguarding of disabled people which is separate from the current door system. In this example, providing lighting to denote where the egress plan will take place.
Emergency lighting systems are defined under the British Standards Institutions BS 5266-1:2016. The full standard is available to purchase through the BSI website but the main points are as follows:
The best emergency systems meet all the requirements based on the age of the building you inhabit or the building you plan to create. These legal requirements are designed to reduce the risk of catastrophe.
Acceptable risks exist – you can only put so many systems in place but an emergency lighting system helps highlight all the other systems in an emergency.
Emergency lighting helps all other emergency systems in the BS 5266-1:2016 work. Developing a system that keeps people safe is important but unless your occupants can use those systems in a catastrophe it is unusable.
Considering the individual needs of the occupants are vital. Disabled people have various access concerns that are necessary. As stairs aren’t climbable by those in wheelchairs or using other mobility equipment, outlining lift chairs or other systems becomes a priority for building designs that will host people with those needs.
Emergency lighting should have a coherent colour scheme too. People who are partially blind or otherwise have had damage to their sight should an accident occur can follow brightly coloured lights better than they can read. The standard green exit sign is a universally understood symbol that is taught to everyone and should be maintained.
Emergency lights can be running either only in an emergency or as an ongoing system that will remain active in an emergency. There are benefits to both.
If emergency signs aren’t lit when other lights are still on, it can show quickly that the emergency system has not been put into place. However, building redundancy into the system can help if that first lighting system ever fails and it shows emergency exits even in a non-emergency.
This can be especially useful for developing solutions that cater to neurodivergent people, for example those who suffer from autism or anxiety and would like to prepare for an emergency before it takes place.
For most businesses, a fire exit plan will be provided as part of training, but when catering to visitors it is important to factor in their needs as part of considering what choice will be made.
Standby lighting is often installed to reduce panic in an emergency. These lights are normal lights that have been built onto the backup power supply also, so light visibility remains high in an emergency. This is great as many lights can be turned off and hallways can remain visibly lit.
Managing an emergency lighting system is best left to trained professionals. In this case, it’s important to find a company that can maintain pre-existing systems whilst also being able to expand the system as the BS 5266-1:2016 expands.
Airius handles all of the documentation that your company needs to maintain its electrical components. This includes Electrical Install Condition Reports (EICR) and Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) if some of your backup power supply or lighting systems are portable.
These documents help manage your legal reputation. If an occupant starts legal actions against you, our reports make sure that you have done your due diligence and are not on the line for any damages.
We are also insured up to £10m in public liability, meaning that our lighting systems will never cause you any problems should an issue ever occur.
If you want to learn more about emergency lighting, and if your current system is adequate for your building, please contact us at 01202 554 200 or email us at info@airius.co.uk.
In 2012, incandescent bulbs – the traditional form of lighting originally pioneered by either Joseph Swan (Geordie), Thomas Edison (American), or one of 22 others (allegedly) – were withdrawn from sale in the UK following the introduction of EU legislation. Although we are no longer members of the trading block, incandescent bulbs are unlikely to replace LED bulbs anytime soon on British shelves.
The withdrawal from sale of incandescent bulbs was not without controversy. At the time, they were significantly cheaper than their LED counterparts and their ability to render colour was second to none (creating that feeling of warm light in rooms illuminated by them).
However, their lifespan was very short and their energy efficiency was very poor (9 out of 10 units of electricity used by incandescent bulbs generated heat and not light).
In a world increasingly concerned with energy efficiency and carbon emissions reductions, it was time to replace them.
In this article on choosing the right LED lighting for your business, we’ll consider:
The technology behind LED lighting is essentially identical to the technology used to provide the light to traffic signals, flashlights, Christmas lights, and digital clocks. LED stands for “light emitting diode”.
Within a diode are two electrodes – a cathode and an anode. Electricity flows in through the anode and then it flows out through the cathode. Anodes and cathodes are made from conductive material which allows the passage of electricity through them.
An LED is a specific type of diode designed to give out light when electricity flows through it. In producing the light, an LED is far more energy efficient than incandescent bulb.
What stood in the way of its widespread adoption for many years (other than price) was that the casing used on a LED muted a lot of the potential light. Recent technological advances have made LED lighting much brighter – equivalent at least to a 60-watt incandescent light.
In addition, light was only transmitted within a narrow range meaning that the centre of a room would be reasonably well-lit but the rest of the room would seem quite dark in comparison. To overcome this problem, omni-directional LED lighting was created to much better spread light around a room or an office.
In comparison with a 60-watt incandescent bulb which may use over 500 kWh of power during the year, the average LED bulb will use around 12% of that figure.
And, although many manufacturers only offer a 3 year guarantee on their LED lighting, most are expected to provide 10-20 years of use as a minimum.
Part of the reason why it has taken so long for the British public and businesses to regard LED lighting highly is because there is a lot of bad LED lighting for sale, particularly on internet portals like eBay and Amazon Marketplace where counterfeit products are commonplace.
It’s easy to substitute many of the components needed to build a long-lasting, energy-efficient, and bright LED lighting panel or build. The LED is likely to fail faster and not be as bright if poor-quality materials are used in the construction. In some products, heat generated by the electricity may not be correctly distributed making failure of the driver more likely.
Poor-quality LEDs are more likely to fail in environments with too high or low a temperature. LED lighting also requires precise manufacturing conditions to produce the best products and thorough testing of batches prior to shipping to the customer.
If a sub-prime LED light doesn’t fail totally in its early days, you will likely notice that the amount of light produced by it will diminish quickly and stay at that level producing results that satisfy no-one.
The right LED lighting (coupled with an intelligent control system) will deliver significant benefits to both businesses and homes. The wrong LED lighting – sub-standard LED lighting – is likely to annoy and frustrate your colleagues and impact negatively on your company’s productivity and the level of employee satisfaction.
In comparison to LED lighting, standard fluorescent lighting is more likely to give staff members headaches through eyestrain and glare. The right lighting in an office results in better employee performance particularly when coupled with Lux level control and intelligent LED lighting.
The light given off by modern LED panels is much closer to natural light – natural light in an office has been proven in multiple studies to improve staff vitality, mood, and energy. In retail stores, natural light can increase sales by 40% – this increase is likely to be less in LED-lit stores but, in many cases, you should expect to see a rise in revenues by providing a more comfortable shopping environment.
LED lighting has also been shown to reduce the number of spelling errors made by your staff and to improve their reading speed.
Airius manufacture and install LED lighting and control systems for businesses across the UK. We deliver energy cost savings of up to 75% and maintenance cost savings of up to 90% for our client. Our designers and engineers provide solutions which deliver the right amount of light where needed but with an eye on cost control and predictability. Our focus on heat-dissipation technology stops lighting units and luminaires from overheating and from internal circuitry damage.
Please get in touch with us by calling 01202 554 200 or simply send an email to info@airius.co.uk and we’ll be in touch with further information.
Based in Dorset, Airius provides destratification fans, LED lighting systems, and electrical engineering services. We work with public sector organisations and businesses to improve their physical environments and to reduce energy expenditure. Our client roster includes British Airways, Harrods, Mercedes, Siemens, Morrisons and Waitrose.
For this project all of the LED strip light and transformers were supplied to the electrical contractors.
The lights were used as light sources where they were fitted into a recess then opaque screens on top, so the whole wall became a light source with the whole wall being illuminated
We also installed the Advanced BMS lighting control system.
From the setting of an atmosphere with a room in our home to increasing productivity levels of your staff, lighting plays a large role in all areas of our personal and professional lives. Studies have shown how the choice of the correct lighting set-up within a workplace maximises output capacity and maintains staff well-being whereas, when we’re at home, we like to feel comfortable and safe.
Manufacturing environments call for a carefully considered lighting plan; by installing the highest quality lighting fixtures, you’re ensuring that you provide your workers with the best possible environment in which to do their job. What part does CRI play in this?
In this article, we discuss:
Colour Rendering Index (CRI) uses a scale from 0 to 100 to indicate how a particular light source makes the colour of an object appear to the human eye. The higher the CRI (for example, 90% and above) the better the rendering ability of the light to show colours accurately and vibrantly.
CRI is measured in comparison to natural sunlight. It’s hard to beat the beauty of vivid sunshine but premium LED lighting offers a close approximation. Light sources with a CRI of 90% and above are optimal choices for those wishing to illuminate their workplace or home effectively and within budget.
You may not realise how important CRI is – but it’s important to remember that not all lighting is created equal.
Not being able to tell the difference between black and dark navy would indicate your current lighting solution isn’t as good as it should be. CRI is tested with specialist machinery which breaks down the light spectrum down into 8 different colours and scores them individually. The higher the score, the more accurate and vibrant the colour spectrum is displayed.
Using CRI should be a serious consideration for your business if you want to improve productivity and staff morale. It matters simply because the spaces you are lighting affect the people working within them.
Commercially, lighting can be utilised in a number of ways. In manufacturing specifically, lighting is important to ensure spot-on accuracy at every stage of the production line.
Successful retailers know the benefits of working with lighting in order to promote and showcase their products in the most appealing way.
Superior lighting with a high CRI ensures your products are illuminated in their best light with true colour likeness. It’s crucial to stay one step ahead of the competition more than ever in retail and corners cannot be cut here – research has clearly shown that customers are drawn to displays lit intelligently time and time again.
This doesn’t just apply to fashion retail. For example, groceries and food served in restaurants and cafes all benefit from CRI enrichment as it greatly adds to their appeal.
Low CRI lighting results in washed out, dull or inaccurate colour representation. This is certainly not something you want associated with your merchandise.
Compare that to the luminosity created by high CRI – colours, textures, and finishes are highlighted and your target audience can appreciate the depths of tone and finish of the product.
High CRI light sources are used to light manufacturing plants in order to help workers complete tasks accurately and quickly. A CRI of 90% of above is recommended so staff can clearly see necessary detail in the objects they are working with.
Factories, production lines, and shipyards can be dangerous places to work. You can ensure that no costly mistakes are made by providing the facility with a superior choice of lighting. From safeguarding your staff by lighting all nooks and crannies to making sure they have no difficulties reading machine equipment guidelines, box labels, or containers, high CRI lighting promotes safe working environments.
The correct level of CRI is important so that your staff can be confident in their creativity. As opposed to lower quality bulbs or minimised colour light output, CRI and its available variety of implementation allows for staff to make accurate choices when working. For example, a car production line or furniture making company need complete consistency for colour matching and CRI allows you to do this.
CRI is also important in your home. Not only will it better highlight your carefully chosen interior design style but perhaps you have a hobby that requires high quality lighting. Needlework, model-making, and painting all benefit from thought-out lighting solutions offering a high CRI percentage.
Alongside the benefits of clarity and consistency, high level CRI lighting solutions are engineered to last longer and save you money. On average, businesses can save up to 75% on their annual energy bills and 90% on maintenance costs compared to traditional lighting solutions.
Business owners realise the benefits of carefully considered lighting solutions and how important accurate colour representation is in relation to both staff and customers.
There has been a great deal of research into LEDs with high CRI scores and, now for your premises, there is a great variety of options available in the marketplace meaning your specific business lighting needs can be addressed efficiently.
From factory production lines to manufacturing plants, CRI is best used when the circumstances call for as close to natural sunlight as possible.
If you would like some further information about how CRI lighting can affect your manufacturing business or home environment, please get in touch. You can contact us on 01202 554 200 or send us an email at info@airius.co.uk.
The lights were used as light sources where they were fitted into a recess then opaque screens on top, so the whole wall became a light source with the whole wall being illuminated.
Some of the most significant threats to employee safety in the workplace – especially industrial and manufacturing workplaces – are as a result of a phenomenon called the stroboscopic effect.
The more traditional form of lighting used by British businesses – the fluorescent tube – has long been identified by employees as providing unsatisfactory internal lighting leading to a variety of different staff health and productivity issues. In addition, the way that fluorescent lights work (particularly their connection to alternating circuit electricity supplies) increases the severity of the stroboscopic effect as the lights near the end of their working lives.
In this article, Airius covers:
Our brains can only process movement or change at a particular speed. If there are competing levels of movement or change within our field of vision, our brains naturally smooth out the visual input we’re receiving.
For example, did you know that if you watch a 12-spoke car wheel turning at 24 revolutions per second on a standard British TV, it will appear to your eyes like the tyres are motionless? In other words, the car would be moving but the spokes on the tyre would appear like they were stationery.
This is a phenomenon known as the stroboscopic effect.
When you switch a fluorescent light on, electrical current passes through a gas-discharge lamp containing mercury vapour. The electrical current excites the mercury vapour within the tube resulting in the production of ultraviolet and short wave light.
In the UK, fluorescent tube lamps work from the 50Hz electrical supply provided by the National Grid. This means that the tubes are “switched on” 100 times a second. We can’t process 100 visual images within a second and this is why we don’t perceive the light as flickering.
There are two major health and safety issues connected to the 100 times a fluorescent tube light activations every second.
If workplace machinery or equipment is rotating above or below 100 times a second in the UK workplace, a staff member’s perception of the actual rotation of the machinery or equipment will be affect if their workspace is illuminated by alternating current fluorescent tubes.
Because your staff member is not able to accurate see the motion of the machine they’re operating, they’re in more danger of being injured by its moving parts.
Fluorescent lamp lighting may cause health issues for people suffering from light sensitivity, vertigo, Lyme disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, epilepsy, and autism.
As AC-powered fluorescent lamps age, their performance starts to worsen meaning that, if any of the lamps in your workplace deteriorate to a certain extent, that they can bring on epileptic seizures in staff.
Staff members’ dislike of fluorescent lighting within your premises is probably not a matter of personal judgement.
Although no artificial lighting can truly replicate daylight (modern LED lighting solutions do come very close though), artificial lighting:
If your fluorescent lighting currently runs off a 230 volt single phase current, you should be able to connect a second light to the side of the existing light with both lights in parallel with the electricity supply.
For businesses with three-phase requirement, the lights you place next to each other should be powered on different phases. This is especially important for lamps used to illuminate moving or rotating machinery as failure to do this will likely impair how visible moving parts are to the employee and increase the risk of industrial accident.
You may also wish to investigate fluorescent light covers as a solution.
Although, in some circumstances, LED lighting can produce a flicker or stroboscopic effect, the fact that it relies on a direct current to operate instead of an alternating current makes the chances of it happening much less likely.
Fluorescent tube and illumination also uses dated and less sophisticated technology than LED lighting meaning that the light they provide to the rooms within your premises is crudely scattered leaving some areas too dark for staff to comfortably work in. In comparison, LED sends light evenly in every direction as well as offering the ability to dim if the light produced is too bright for certain colleagues.
To find out more you can get in touch with us by calling 01202 554 200 or simply send an email to info@airius.co.uk and we’ll be in touch with further information.
Beagle Technology needed a remodelling of their Christchurch site in Dorset, measuring approximately 6,000m².
Following a free survey and meeting with Beagle’s Facilities Director, Mark Campbell to evaluate the clients specific needs, Airius were tasked to facilitate the project. A detailed plan was designed for the remodelling of the site, including an additional 400A electrical supply at the rear of the factory to cater for investment in new machinery.
A 600mm Ladder cable system was installed stretching the full length of the Factory, suspended from the roof purlins. This connected the original supply intake to the new panel board, which required installation of185mm ‘4-C-SWA’ supply cable.
3 x 100A sub boards were also installed to provide power for smaller machinery, in addition to a new 100A CNC Mill, running directly from the original electrical incomer and along the Cable Ladder.
New Airius energy efficient high bay LED lighting system was installed over the CNC Machines, improving staff productivity and ensuring adherence with operationally accepted levels. New Emergency lighting was also installed to comply with health and safety risk assessments carried out by the client.
Airius Electrical Contractors have extensive experience working in all types of buildings and market sectors with teams of electricians who have the knowledge and qualifications to provide you with the highest quality of electrical installation available. We take great pride in always delivering you the best possible service, but importantly we do so at a realistic price.Our helpful, skilled and qualified electrical teams bring a wealth of over 30 years’ electrical contracting experience to any electrical project, large or small. Height is also not a problem as all our teams are experienced and qualified for high-level projects, either by rope access or using our in-house scissor lifts.
In order to cater for the varying needs of our customers we also aim to provide a service that fits in around you and your timetable, offering flexible installation times 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, we can provide comprehensive on-site surveys (by arrangement) as well as project Risk Assessment & Method Statements (RAMS).
To make sure your next electrical project is completed to your satisfaction, on time and within budget, contact Airius Electrical Contractors.
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Finding the right solution to light your manufacturing facility is a complicated task. There are many considerations to take into account including cost, safety, and energy efficiency. Each factory has its own concerns and individual features based on what it produces and the physical space itself.
It is important to know what your organisation needs to function at its optimal level so you can consider the right solution factoring in cost and safety concerns.
In this article we will cover the following topics to give you an overview on lighting and manufacturing:
Many factors affect employees’ ability to work. In some facilities, it will be factory employees who directly make the product and improvements in lighting is often the gateway towards the delivery of an improvement in overall production capacity.
For employees who handle maintenance work and quality control, better morale and productivity results in quicker fixes and more accurate reporting of manufacturing errors.
Lighting improves motivation by mimicking the temperature of natural light (usually around 5000 kelvins). The presence of natural light tells a worker’s body to avoid the production of melatonin which is the chemical which makes humans tired.
This can keep an employee feeling awake for longer than the natural span of the day – particularly important for winter months with shorter days. If natural light is available, lighting systems with warehouses and factories can be dimmed during the day to make use the natural light that is available and to save money.
Employee safety should be the number one concern of any factory manager. If an employee is injured on the job and a proper risk assessment was not completed beforehand, it opens the possibility for legal action to be taken.
To manage employee safety, a lighting upgrade should be considered. With improvements to lighting, faults, errors and hazards can be seen before they become a larger problem.
Lighting in walkways and in well trafficked areas minimises the risk of collisions which is especially important in distribution areas of the factory.
When working in food and medical supplies, foreign bodies or spills can be spotted before they enter the production pipeline. This also improves cleanliness of the factory when policies are in place to deal with these hazards quickly.
Other errors can be spotted quickly with modern LED lighting. LED lights are created with large arrays of smaller lights which results in low shadowing when placed on the ceiling of a factory.
Shadows impact inspection in multiple ways. First, they can obfuscate defects in machinery, especially on parts inaccessible from the outside of the machine. When a machine must be opened for repairs, good lighting makes it easier for a repair to be made on site instead of taken to a secondary location.
Second, better lighting improves visibility in a manufacturing facility. This means that other staff members can spot a human error before it makes it down the line should multiple quality control inspection points not be put in place.
There are many types of lighting fixtures suitable for a manufacturing environment. Each one offers different advantages and disadvantages based on the needs of the firm.
Each factory floor will have an array of lights to supply the necessary illumination. Light distribution from current systems may be inefficient based on an analysis of the dim areas of your current floor and those areas should be targeted for improvement in any forthcoming project.
Factory buildings have ceilings ranging between 8m and 16m tall on average. As such, a lighting system needs to be effective enough to illuminate the area without dimming due to distance.
For low ceiling or converted warehouse facilities, floor and wall lighting is a viable alternative. High ceilings may require a cherry picker to be on site if a light breaks.
Factory lighting has built in heat-sinks which can get clogged when ran in environments which generate dust or other debris. This can prevent unnecessary repair or lost working hours unclogging.
Knowing how many people use the factory and where they are throughout the day will allow you to see if a lighting system could use energy saving systems. For example, a factory which only runs distribution processes in the morning does not need to light that area of the factory in the afternoon.
Automatic systems can also be put in place such as movement detectors. They will allow a manufacturing facility to switch off their lights automatically when not in use.
If a manufacturing facility has natural light, smart systems can be introduced to allow light output to reduce during the day. This can be found by surveying the available light sources and the direction of windows to see if natural light would be adequate.
Choosing a specialist that can cater to your specific needs can improve employee satisfaction, save on operation costs, and boost productivity.
Airius offers a free site survey after discussing project plans and reviewing lighting choices, so you know that all options are considered when purchasing a lighting system.
If you would like to learn more about what we can offer, call us at 01202 554 200 or email us at info@airius.co.uk.
This prestigious Hampstead development project required the supply of all of the associated LED lighting for 18 flats and underground car park.
All of the lighting was supplied bespoke to order and was installed using independent dimming drivers and transformers that were all connected to a central iPad control panel in each apartment. The car park lighting was installed in 13 separate zones and controlled via motion sensor drivers.
Used in both residential and commercial environments, feature or architectural lighting can be used to:
Powered by compact, durable and energy efficient LEDs, architectural lighting allows home and business owners to create personalised lighting projections remotely through a series of easy-to-use controls. Users may alter colour, brightness levels, and direction depending on individual preferences and requirements.
Whether it’s resting, working, playing, sleeping or eating, our homes are typically where we spend the majority of our free time. We should aim to light our houses or apartments in a way that’s both practical and beneficial to our general well-being.
While some older homes may still use traditional filament light bulbs, advances in LED lighting technology mean that we can now fit lights to places that were previously inaccessible such as skirting boards and borders. Dynamical lighting also allows us the option to alter both the colour and temperature of our in-house lighting to reflect our current mood.
The higher the quality and design aesthetics of the lighting in offices and other workspaces, the better our and our colleagues’ productivity levels.
If workplace lights are either too bright or too dim, then workers are likely to become tired more quickly leading to a drop in concentration.
Effective architectural lighting to balance both natural and artificial light sources significantly affects the quality and consistency of our work as well as happiness levels within the workplace.
LED lighting is invaluable for enhancing the experience of visiting a museum, gallery or exhibition.
This is not just for illuminating a particular piece of art in a certain way but also in the conservation of valuable artworks. These artworks are often vulnerable to the excess levels of heat-based lighting produced by old fashioned filament bulbs and traditional strip lighting.
As architectural LED lighting can be controlled remotely or via sensors – you can switch these lights on and off as and when visitors are present and vary the lights’ settings to better reflect the mood or feeling of the works on show at a particular time.
Whether indoors or outdoors, architectural lighting can be used to illuminate important sacred buildings and monuments. This creates the calm and well-lit environment worshippers prefer and welcome to practise their faith.
Durable and compact LED feature lighting is increasingly being used to draw attention to divine symbols in churches, temples, synagogues, and mosques.
In the world of retail, the role of lighting is no longer to simply light up products, aisles and displays. Many small and large retailers are using now strategic architectural lighting to evoke a certain atmosphere or rouse a particular emotion subliminally encouraging a customer to make a purchase.
Retail is sometimes stressful and very tiring work. LED feature lighting in retail environments is also used to ensure your employees are getting enough of the right type of lighting leading to improved productivity levels and reducing absences.
Combining modern technology, premium components, and innovation in design, our practical and affordable LED lighting solutions for both homes and businesses. We supply our proprietary, market-leading lighting products are spearheaded by our best-selling Mozart range throughout the UK and beyond.
Delivering outstanding performance, innovative cooling systems and unrivalled energy efficiency, these products are designed specifically for high-output, long-distance projections whether installed in an indoor or outdoor setting.
Equipped with RGB LEDs enabling countless colour and temperature combinations, our Mozart LED lighting systems can be used to create anything from a warm, relaxing office space, a dynamically lit shopping centre, or to illuminate a large church, concert hall or exhibition space.
Mozart technical specification:
Established in 2004, Airius work with thousands of businesses from SMEs to large, multinational companies make significant reductions to their energy bills and carbon footprint.
There are a number of significant advantages to using LED lighting over fluorescent and filament-based lights including
Whether you’re a homeowner, a business owner, a landlord, an architect, an interior designer or a property developer, please contact our lighting experts who will help you enhance your environment whilst lowering your costs and reducing waste.
Built using premium components, our expertly crafted architectural LED lighting solutions feature a number of benefits over traditional forms of lighting, including:
To find out how your home or business can benefit from LED-based feature and architectural lighting, please contact us today to request a free brochure.
You can get in touch with us by giving us a call on 01202 554 200 or via email at info@airius.co.uk.
Lighting and Vitamin D is a crucial factor to consider with all indoor environments. According to research as many as 1 in 3 people in the UK suffer from a vitamin D deficiency. This can lead to serious mental and physical health conditions including rickets, osteoporosis, osteomalacia, and clinical depression. And people with a vitamin D deficiency can affect your company’s productivity and efficiency.
In this article, we examine:
Vitamin D is created by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight. The UVB rays from the sun react with cholesterol in the skin cells, allowing for vitamin D synthesis to happen.
The role of vitamin D in our health and wellbeing is very important; low levels of vitamin D are often linked to serious health implications such as cancer, osteoporosis, depression and muscle weakness.
The main job of vitamin D is to assist in the building of strong bones and teeth – via the building blocks of calcium. However, it also plays a crucial role in the development of a healthy immune and neuromuscular system, alongside prolonging the life of healthy human cells.
A lack of vitamin D can result in cancers such as breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer. It also is likely to result in weight gain and low mood.
If you are worried about the levels of vitamin D in your body, your local GP is able to arrange a simple blood test in order to screen the amount you currently produce. It has been noted that people with darker skin are less able to produce a healthy amount, therefore requiring additional methods of formulation or acquisition.
The best way of maintaining the recommended levels of vitamin D is by spending a sensible amount of time in the sun, which causes the body to naturally produce D3, an essential vitamin that is proven to be beneficial to our everyday health and wellbeing.
Nutritionists and medical professionals recommend spending at least fifteen minutes in the sun each day. However, this isn’t always practical, especially in wintertime, or if you live in a location with a climate like the UK, where the sun making an appearance can feel like a cause for national celebration.
If you’re not able to get enough sunshine each day, however, a practical and proven alternative to natural sunlight is exposure to light-emitting diodes, or LEDs as they’re commonly referred to.
LEDs are able to reproduce the benefits associated with natural sunlight by replicating the wavelengths created by the sun, and can be used in both an indoor or outdoor environment.
Exposure to natural sunlight has also been linked to increased productivity in the workplace, making LEDs an ideal solution for office spaces, retail premises and warehouses where workers may not be able to experience much sunlight during working hours.
What’s more, LEDs stimulate the production of vitamin D at a lower intensity than natural sunlight, minimising the risks associated with UV exposure such as skin cancer and cataracts.
The best method of vitamin D is through natural sunlight at around midday. Studies have shown that only 13 minutes of midday sun exposure 3 times per week is enough to maintain sound levels in the average adult; the recommended daily dose is 600 IU (15mcg).
Midday is the best time to get vitamin D as you don’t need to spend much time outside to reap the benefits. However, it is important to remember that UV rays are at their strongest at this point so this may subsequently increase your risk of skin cancers.
If you use sunscreen, skin is less able to absorb vitamin D. Sunscreen reflects, scatters or absorbs sunlight meaning skin will not produce vitamin D. This can be problematic, as sunscreen of factor 30 or above has been proven to reduce vitamin D production by up to 98%. It has been suggested to apply sunscreen after 10 minutes of unprotected sun exposure to gain the benefits whilst defending your skin.
Those who are unable to spend enough time in the sun have the option of absorbing vitamin D through other means, for example through supplements or eating more vitamin D rich food. Also, if you live particularly far away from the equator, it may be challenging to be exposed to enough sun-light rich hours.
LED lighting has been proven to offer safer, more effective production of vitamin D. Avoiding sunburn, sunstroke and eliminating the need to seek out the sun at midday, correct installation of LED lighting in your home of place of business can provide you with all the benefits of vitamin D without the hazards. Research at Boston University School of Medicine found that skin samples exposed to UV LED lights for 0.52 minutes produced more than twice as much vitamin D as those exposed to 32.5 minutes of sunlight.
An LED – or light emitting diode – is a type of light produced when an electrical current passes through a special type of microchip. Because the heat from an LED is absorbed in a heat sink – a small metal device used to disperse excess heat – LEDs are up to 90% more efficient than traditional incandescent light bulbs.
As well as being more energy efficient than fluorescent and incandescent light fittings, LEDs offer superior light distribution and a longer lifespan than other forms of lighting leading to lower overall running costs.
It has been proven that the type of light humans are exposed to has an impact on their health and wellbeing. By choosing LED lighting, which is fairly new compared to other sources of electrical lighting, you can be safe in the knowledge that they have a lower human toxicity potential and do not emit UV rays.
LED lighting in your home or workplace is intrinsically linked to our health and wellbeing. This is primarily due to hormones – lead signalling molecules which have an overriding affect on our day-to-day life. Certain hormones are released after sunlight or LED exposure which increases feelings of wellbeing, positivity and productivity.
By using LED lighting solutions, you can decrease stress and anxiety. Humans need positive atmospheres to work in, and by providing them with lighting which stimulates and benefits them, you maximise their output.
To find out further information about how LED lighting can benefit your business or home, simply contact us on 01202 554 200 or send us an email at info@airius.co.uk. We’d appreciate the opportunity to speak with you about the advantages of updating your lighting system and the variety of ways in which we can help you do this.
The LED’s are married to a Lutron Homeworks system enabling full Lutron control via iPad/iPhone, allowing the client to turn lights on or off – even when they are not at the property or even in the country!
We are proud to be connected with this prestigious renovation and feel our input has helped transform this property. Not only making it look stunning, but also saving our client money!
The evolution of lighting is nearly 2 million years old. For most of human history, we relied on the natural light of the sun and stars to work. This was essential when we lived in agricultural communities but our cities and businesses now run 24/7. Without proper lighting, our modern way of living would be impossible.
Lights use over 58,000 terawatt hours of electricity a year across the UK. This is the light we use in every business, home, and street in Britain.
Let’s look at the history of lighting, from fire to LEDs, and see how lighting has developed.
Manufactured light was one of the first inventions of mankind. Our ancestors used primitive tools to create fire on demand instead of relying on lightning to set fire to brush and ancient woodland. This became widespread by 125,000 BC which allowed humans to occupy their first ever shelter – caves.
The evolution of lighting and shelter go hand in hand. It wasn’t until 4500 BC that humanity would be able to sustain a light source without managing it. This was when the basic oil lamp was invented which was then followed by the candle in 3500 BC.
Before electricity, lamps were the focus of development by inventors. The Argand lamp was invented in 1780 and it became a must have product in 18th century Paris. This was because the lamp was much more efficient and it generated ten times the light that a single candle could.
In 1792, the first gas lamp was invented by William Murdoch which revolutionised the use and evolution of lighting outside of the home.
Before the 19th century, factory work was perilous. Early cotton mills relied on water or steam engines and any stray machinery could harm a worker if they couldn’t properly repair it. It was Philips and Lee’s cotton mill in Salford that began to change this by employing gas lamps.
Similar developments pushed forward the mining industry. Humphrey Davy’s safety mining lamp allowed coal miners to avoid setting alight the flammable methane which existed naturally within the mine. Without the new lamp, mining operations were deadly and many workers died.
These early improvements saved countless lives in dangerous industries and minimised injury even more. For modern offices and businesses, the story was different. It wasn’t until the invention of electricity that the world of work changed forever.
The largest improvement in the evolution of lighting came from the invention of alternating current. The Great Barrington demonstration project showed this. Suddenly, 23 businesses could be powered from one transformer which led the way to cheaper lighting for entire city streets.
After electricity was made available to homes and businesses on a city level, traditional methods of illumination slowly lost their market share. They weren’t a viable option anymore after 1880 when Thomas Edison patented a bulb that could last for 1500 hours.
Slowly over the 20th century, the lightbulb developed to become more efficient. With the creation of fluorescent bulbs, a single lightbulb could last for over 10 years of regular use.
Although more efficient bulbs were invented, it wasn’t until the development of LEDs that lighting could be produced easily and effectively for all uses. LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, are in almost every device now. At their smallest size, they can be smaller than a single grain of salt.
For modern use, workplaces rely on LEDs to light an entire building. They last for up to 25 years, making them more cost effective than traditional incandescent bulbs.
The first yellow LED was invented in 1927 and other colours were invented over time. Blue LED lights weren’t invented until 1994 and an LED replacement for incandescent bulbs didn’t exist until 2011. Now that we have LED filaments, the original bulb was withdrawn from sale in the UK and it has stopped being used in modern UK homes.
One of the most important features of LED lights is its versatility. Although one LED may only be a few lumens, they can meet any need for indoor and outdoor use when many are combined together as one light source. Depending on the casing, an LED light can be fully submerged underwater.
Producing enough light from gas lamps for a small factory previously required 1,000 individual sources but that same amount of light can be produced by just one or two LED lights. Some directional lamps, such as our Mozart Architectural LED light, produce 40,000 lumens which illuminate buildings and bridges at long distance.
For most workplaces, the most important factor to consider is a natural feeling source of light. Employees love to be able to see daylight but unfortunately some building designs and layouts make that near impossible. Choosing an LED panel, such as our office lights, provides a flicker and glare free lighting solution that minimises mid-day drowsiness in difficult corporate settings.
To choose the right solution, consult both your employees and health and safety regulations. Modern offices can’t use antiquated solutions for the good of their workers and of their budget. Different industries benefit from different installations, such as hanging bay lights for high ceiling industrial factories.
Finding a solution that is future-proof and employee friendly is important. That’s why our team of UK-based lighting experts today are ready to take your call at 01202 554 200. You can also email us any of your questions at info@airius.co.uk or visit the contact us page of our website.
Supply and installation of colour changing LED strip on the sales counter of Colour Company’s Southampton showroom.
The Circadian Cycle – or rhythm – is our body’s built-in clock which syncs our everyday behaviour with our biological processes. Roughly a 24-hour process, it helps to make us feel alert and lively during working hours and sleepy at night-time.
Light plays a significant role not only in how we see the world around us but in how our body functions, affecting our daily sleep-wake cycle and impacting on our general health and wellbeing. Getting an unbalanced amount of light throughout the course of the day can affect our energy levels, mental health, and weight levels. It has even been linked to long-term illnesses such as dementia and diabetes.
The circadian cycle in humans is controlled by a section of the hypothalamus in your brain. It is, however, simultaneously affected by outside factors such as light – as previously mentioned – and temperature.
Your personal circadian rhythm is at optimum levels when you have regular sleep habits; it’s best to go to bed and get up at the same time every day whilst maintaining good sleep hygiene and a calm and comfortable bedroom environment.
In this article, we will discuss:
Have you noticed how tired and irritable you can be when you aren’t in a good sleep routine? If you’ve ever experienced jetlag, you will know how under the weather you feel until you’re back into normal waking hours.
It’s normal for your circadian rhythm to be disrupted from time to time however prolonged turmoil can have serious negative implications on your general health.
Good quality sleep keeps your immune system in top condition. Without sufficient quantities of rest, usually up to 8 hours a night, your body will make fewer cytokines – which are a type of protein that assists in combating inflammation and infection.
A disrupted circadian rhythm is sure to affect your waking and working life. An interrupted sleep pattern is likely to result in:
At a foundational level, lighting affects the human circadian cycle in relation to night and day. We have ‘built-in clocks’ which are affected by light and dark respectively. Therefore, by ensuring we are keeping a regular routine of being both in the light and the dark at the relevant times we are keeping this in check.
There are two key effects of light on the circadian cycle. The first is the acute suppression of melatonin (the hormone that regulates the sleep/wake cycle) and the second is ability that light has to shift the circadian cycle. It has been proven that the amount of light exposure during the day has a direct influence on the duration and quality of sleep. Extending light exposure during the day by one hour has been shown to increase sleep time by 30 minutes.
Our circadian cycle works in conjunction with the 24-hour day our solar system has created. In the modern day, invention of artificial lighting has considerably altered our environment and subsequently our natural reaction to light. With the introduction of light available during the evenings and at night, there is significant scope for misalignment of the rhythm.
On one hand, this can allow for sleep-wake disorders as previously discussed, however artificial lighting can also be used as an effective therapy to treat disorders noninvasively with little reported side effects.
Although in-depth research into the physiological effects of light on the brain and body is still at a relatively early stage, effective lighting design can have a positive impact on a user’s comfort levels and sense of well-being, whether at home or in the workplace.
Human-centric lighting, or circadian lighting, uses modern LED lighting solutions to improve and enhance daily life. There are a variety of innovative techniques stemming from cutting-edge research into human behaviour; all of which can be tailor-made to suit your home or business for maximum positive impact.
Considering we spend so much of our daily lives indoors, lighting is a key part of optimising the places where we live and work. By helping to create a pleasant and productive working environment, or a warm and relaxing home, we can boost well-being and productivity.
Expertly designed lighting systems are particularly important for buildings that operate on a 24/7 schedule, such as warehouses, distribution centres, petrol stations, larger supermarkets, care homes and hospitals.
One of the main problems with the use of traditional incandescent or strip lighting during the daytime is that they don’t provide enough energy to actively support human physiology. Furthermore, at night-time they produce too much energy, causing us to feel over-stimulated when we should be winding down to go to sleep.
While most people living a normal 9-5 existence will have a similar circadian rhythm in sync with the natural daylight cycle, each person’s circadian cycle is unique and it can start and stop at different times based on our individual physiological makeup and typical daily routine.
It’s impossible to know the full details of someone’s circadian clock without understanding the physiological traits of that specific person and actively measuring things such as their melatonin levels which are general at their highest during the circadian night, and physical activity which, according to research, is more beneficial to our health when carried out during the circadian daytime.
As such, rather than being fully autonomous, there is increasing emphasis on user-controlled lighting systems, whereby workers and residents can choose the type of lighting that suits them at any particular time of day or night.
Using smart devices – including mobile phone apps, tablets and wearable health sensors – you’re able to program your preferences to remember your preferences which will then naturally alter lighting levels throughout the course of the day.
At Airius, we’ve spent years researching and developing our innovative products to provide intelligent and effective lighting solutions that are in tune with the complex demands of the human body as well as the practicalities of daily life.
Some of the many additional benefits of our market-leading LED lighting technology include:
Whether it’s:
…Airius is at the forefront of the LED lighting revolution.
As humans living in the modern age, it’s difficult to maintain a natural sleep pattern with so many potential disturbances. The circadian cycle is an integral element of our health and wellbeing, so it’s only natural we should want to protect and strengthen it.
Lighting places a central role in our day-to-day living, so it’s important we utilise it well. LED lighting, when used correctly, optimises our experience of the 24-hour day to night cycle.
The health benefits have been proven, and with the advances in modern technology and lighting available to us today, it makes sense to employ them.
If you would like some further information about how LEDs can affect the body’s circadian cycle and the many health benefits that come from LED-based workplace lighting, please get in touch. You can contact us on 01202 554 200 or send us an email at info@airius.co.uk.
We were asked to design and install a lighting solution for the different structures at the prestigious Kingspace Outdoor living centre in Longham, Dorset.
They have many external structures and each one was to be lit from different angles and using different colours and techniques we were able to turn the site into a stunning Christmas landscape for their exclusive Festive launch weekend.
We designed a bi-colour up/downlight for the 2 large trees on their site using green LEDs to shine up powerfully into the foliage then a warm white to shine below onto the specially built white stone rockery at the base of each tree.
The ‘Gingerbread House’ became the focal point and also the base for Santa to set up his grotto for the Children to visit him with White LED ribbon shining out from underneath the eaves. Truly a magnificent creation.
Above the large swimming pool and above the white nets of the entrance gazebo we installed Ultra Violet LED strip to make the sparkling water ‘come alive’, as well as giving the white nets a vivid hue of brilliant white.
Daylight dimming has a huge range of applications. 80% of office staff state that having good lighting when they’re at work is important and that two fifths of British workers have to deal with lighting that they describe as “uncomfortable”. The presence of comfortable light levels are also essential for 5-10% of employees who live with seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
The quality of exposure to daylight within the workplace also affect employees’ quality of life, their activity levels, and their sleep patterns, according to Psychology Today.
Common particularly to modern commercial buildings is the inclusion of reflective surfaces, skylights, and large windows to create much more natural internal light within the workplace – this is an architectural approach called “daylighting”.
When exposed to the right amount of natural light, there are up to 84% fewer reports of blurred vision, eyestrain, and headaches among staff. Staff absence levels fall by 6.5% and, in retail outlets, sales have been shown to rise by around 40%.
With the level of natural light varying throughout the day and at different times of year, daylight dimming can ensure that a predictable and comfortable level of light can be delivered to staff at all times maintaining staff productivity and happiness levels.
In this article, we discuss daylight dimming and:
Bright but comfortable light within a workspace delivers:
In addition to bringing benefits to your colleagues, there are strong commercial benefits in working from a premises which takes advantage of daylighting:
Daylighting must be tailored to each premises because:
Daylight dimming is a feature of daylight harvesting – a facilities management tool designed for commercial premises constructed using the principles of sustainable architecture.
Daylight harvesting is a control system using photosensors to either measure:
There are three types of daylight harvesting systems you can choose from for your premises:
Daylight dimming systems (sometimes referred to as closed loop systems) are more expensive than daylight switching systems (sometimes referred to as open-loop systems or on-off systems). The savings provided by daylight dimming systems are nearly always larger than daylight switching systems even though the power required for a daylight dimming system is a little greater.
The measurements recorded instruct a daylight dimming system to provide a specific level of additional artificial lighting in a premises. This is so that the amount of light colleagues are working in remains the same no matter the amount of natural light available from outside.
Daylight dimmers are generally used more in environments which require a specific amount of light at all times – for example, studios, museums, classrooms, and small offices.
Daylight dimming systems are now much quicker and less expensive to fit than before because of simplified and integrated design sometimes within the light fitting itself (leading to less or no ceiling clutter) and easier commissioning (without the need for ladders and tools).
Daylight dimming can reduce lighting energy costs by up to 60% – this is important given that 23% of a typical company’s energy bill is on lighting and for schools and hospitals 42%.
However, the actual amount of money saved on electricity bills is also dependent on the skills of the engineers and the company you choose to install digital dimming.
As part of Gama Aviation’s continued growth in the Aviation Industry, the company had branched out to an additional new site at Bournemouth Airport.
A Lighting System was required for the new Hangar and Office Facilities, as well as installation of new Power supply.
The project also included decommissioning and recommissioning of power inverters, Milling Machinery and various smaller electrical items.
The Site was also under strict security control.
A new lighting system was designed and installed providing an impressive 800 Lux, supplemented by a daylight harvesting system, significantly improving conditions in the facility.
Installation was carried out at heights of up to 22m using Airius in-house access equipment. 2 new Distribution boards were also installed, along with cable containment systems to supply new machinery installed on site.
As part of the project an EICR was conducted and additional work carried out at the request of the client, as recommended in the report.
A complete remodel of Gama Aviation’s 7,000²m Office and Hangar facility was completed with additional lighting and power, in line with the client’s and builders’ specifications, including 0-10v dimming and occupancy sensors in the office areas.
Airius Electrical Contractors have extensive experience working in all types of buildings and market sectors with teams of electricians who have the knowledge and qualifications to provide you with the highest quality of electrical installation available. We take great pride in always delivering you the best possible service, but importantly we do so at a realistic price.
Our helpful, skilled and qualified electrical teams bring a wealth of over 30 years’ electrical contracting experience to any electrical project, large or small. Height is also not a problem as all our teams are experienced and qualified for high-level projects, either by rope access or using our in-house scissor lifts.
The importance of retail lighting can’t be overstated. The right type of lighting has the potential to enhance retail outlets of any shape or size. It also helps drive sales, boosting profits by showcasing products in a manner which inspires a customer to make a purchase. Therefore it is important to consider the CRI In Retail Businesses.
The majority of shoppers enter a store ready to make a purchase, so creating a retail environment that is inviting as well as quite literally presenting items in the best possible light, could be the difference between a new sale or a potential customer taking their business elsewhere.
Providing a pleasurable shopping experience using effective LED lighting can see customers return to your store time and time again, but there are a number of other benefits to be enjoyed too. This includes reducing running costs by up to 70% in comparison with older forms of lighting, significantly reducing energy consumption, lowering harmful CO 2 emissions and providing a 90% saving in maintenance costs.
The Colour Rendering Index (CRI) is a tool used to measure how colours look when illuminated by a luminaire – or light unit – in comparison to natural sunlight. CRI is measured on a scale from 0 to 100% indicating how accurate a light is to the human eye. Put simply, lighting with a higher CRI will show colours more accurately.
Light sources with a CRI of 80 to 90 are considered good at colour rendering. Light sources with a CRI of 90 or higher are excellent at colour rendering and are used in the majority of medium to large retail environments to accentuate the true colours of products. Low CRI lighting, meanwhile – often found in poor quality LED or fluorescent light fittings – will make colours appear dull and lifeless.
Groceries, vehicles, clothing and electronic goods are just a few examples of products that benefit from being illuminated by high-quality lighting. These days, LED lighting systems are the most cost-effective and efficient way of making objects appear more appealing, leading to increased sales and reduced energy bills.
Retail lighting is all about transforming a space into an engaging experience. By using the right lighting setup, businesses can help evoke emotions in shoppers and influence their purchasing habits and buying impulses.
Therefore, accentuating a shop’s products and creating an appealing environment for customers to browse in should be the aim of any retail business. When we’re shopping, we naturally gravitate towards displays that show off products in an attractive and visually striking manner.
Successful retailers know how to showcase their product offering so their items are front and centre, leading to increased sales and a longer browse time. As well as factors such as the cost and variety of products on offer, the colour rendering index of your lighting plays a large part in influencing these purchasing decisions.
A recent study carried out by University College London aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of lighting in retail environments, by creating a shoe display in three identical alcoves using three different forms of lighting; 80 CRI LED, 95 CRI LED, and 100 CRI halogen lamps.
A group of lighting designers and potential customers were asked to rate the effectiveness and impact and of the different lighting types on the products they were illuminating. Respondents subsequently dismissed the display using the 80 CRI lamps as poor, while the 95 CRI LED and halogen lamps were deemed to make the products look a more vibrant and attractive.
As such, creating a memorable and engaging shopping experience that cannot be matched when browsing online is crucial for beating the competition, increasing footfall and boosting sales.
However large or small the business, it should be any retailer’s aim to maximise the attractiveness of their products by bringing out their true colours. A high-quality LED lighting system offers the ideal solution for achieving this.
Our state-of-the-art LED lighting solutions are engineered to last longer, saving retail businesses up to 75% on their energy bills and up to 90% on maintenance costs compared to traditional lighting systems. For retailers, LED lights can help showcase your products and drive footfall by providing a clean, bright and comfortable shopping experience.
Using leading state-of-the-art technology, the latest generation of LED Lighting from Airius takes retail illumination to another level. Boasting superior colour rendering options with deep saturation, crisp white tones and directional consistency, our market-leading lighting solutions are guaranteed to make an instant impact.
There are a number of additional benefits to choosing Airius for your retail LED lighting, including:
At Airius, we understand that retail businesses are centered around the customer – ensuring that they have a pleasant and memorable shopping experience is vital.
As one of the UK’s leading lighting suppliers, we have a proven track record in supplying market- leading LED systems to retailers, both large and small. If you choose to work with us you’ll be in good company as we’ve provided energy-saving solutions to a range of well-known businesses throughout the UK and wider world, including the likes of Tesco, ASDA, Boots, Waitrose, M&S, Walmart, John Lewis and McDonald’s.
Get in touch with our knowledgeable and friendly team today. Contact us by calling 01202 554 200 and we’ll be happy to provide you with further information on our range of LED lighting products for retail businesses.
This is one of our most prestigious jobs and we were lucky enough to be asked to design a waterproof lighting solution for the two Stern staircases and Bow of this incredible ship.
We supplied a truly bespoke package where every length was individually cut and sealed then supplied with waterproof joints, 110v transformers, power amplifiers, individual dimming controllers, remote control handsets and all wiring diagrams so that it could all be installed on site on the ship while she was in Port in Marseille.
We specialise in this sort of bespoke work where only the ultimate solution can be used and accepted. We can supply any colour, size, power, all cut and sealed to any length with all cables and joints as a One Stop solution anywhere in the world.
The use of LED lighting in horticulture and commercial growing sectors has rapidly increased in recent years. Areas such as plant-growth research and production of crops (in controlled environments) in particular, have been highly receptive to the advantages posed by this innovative form of lighting technology.
The two main factors leading growers to choose LEDs over more traditional forms of lighting, are their reduced energy demands and low running costs. In addition to this their reduced heat output, superior light distribution, and lower carbon footprint are encouraging businesses to make the switch. Thanks to more efficient methods of manufacturing, LEDs look set to continue to dominate in the horticultural industry.
Light emitting diodes – or LEDs as they’re often abbreviated to – have been around for over 50 years and are used to generate light in a wide variety of everyday devices from digital watches and alarm clocks, through to traffic lights and televisions. With more and more businesses using LEDs for their lighting systems, LED technology looks set to become the solution of choice throughout the world and across all industry sectors.
According to research, the UK and Europe is currently the largest sales region for horticultural LED lighting with a total market share of 35%, while North America has the second highest share of this rapidly growing market. As a result the worldwide horticultural and commercial growing lighting market is estimated to reach $6.21 billion by 2023.
By using LED lighting it offers many advantages over more traditional forms of lighting such as incandescent, fluorescent and high-pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs.
LEDs do not heat up the air around them like older light sources do, meaning they can be placed a lot nearer to plants and crops, creating significant space and energy efficiency savings. For instance LEDs use much less electricity and last up to 80% longer than traditional bulbs. Secondly they can also be switched on and off instantly, unlike HPS lamps that require a warming up and cooling off period of up to 30 minutes.
Using traditional lighting setups in horticulture and commercial growing also involves a lot of guesswork and variables which a grower has little control over. This is because older systems are often made of a number of traditional fluorescent and HPS bulbs. These are set at different wattages, and they’re not adaptable to the requirements of different plant types.
One of the biggest advantages of using LEDs over more traditional forms of lighting, though, is that they offer growers far more control over the type of light their plants are exposed to.
Typically, plant growth is stimulated by light in the red and blue parts of the spectrum, and by using LEDs, growers are able to actively generate more of this type of light – resulting in more efficient, and cost-effective plant growth.
The specific strengths and wavelengths of light emitted by an LED can also be managed by a grower. By having this sort of control over their crop, growers can influence the taste, shape and size of their plants to the exact requirements of their buyers.
As they’re more compact than older forms of lighting, LEDs can also be used to create multi- layered forms of cultivation. Helping reduce a grower’s carbon footprint and water requirements and significantly reducing the time it takes to harvest a crop. What’s more, botanical diseases can also be more quickly identified and better managed when using LED lights.
Airius’ LED technology allows for quicker, cleaner and more efficient growing, resulting in significant cost and waste reductions for your horticulture business.
Traditionally, plants harness light and convert it into energy via the chlorophyll in their leaves. Until recently, there have been two ways of doing this in a commercial environment. Either by using the sun in an outdoor environment or greenhouse, or via high energy HPS lamps.
However, with unpredictable weather, fluctuations in water levels, pests and wild animals to contend with, farming and outdoor commercial growing can be a frustrating and time-consuming business. LED lighting can help solve this problem by allowing businesses to grow indoors in a controlled environment.
At Airius, we have supplied our market-leading LED lighting products to a large number of horticultural and commercial growing businesses throughout the world. Some of the many benefits of choosing an Airius system, include:
If you’re in the horticultural and commercial growing industry and are interested in an LED lighting system for your business, get in touch with us today. Contact us at 01202 554 200 or send us an email at info@airius.co.uk. Our friendly and knowledgeable team will be happy to discuss your requirements.
We replaced old and inefficient 350w lamps with the new 100w LED 120degrees High Bay flood lights in Cool White to show off the cars. The showroom has dramatically changed with the new image and lighting that was installed making it look much brighter and showcasing the expensive motor cars. As well as saving the client a large amount of money on his utility bill it also saves on maintenance costs and scaffolding every time he needed to replace the old outdated lamps.
We also replaced old and inefficient external floodlights with 100w Waterproof LED floodlights to add extra security at night and also illuminate the vehicles making them stand out to customers who wanted to view during the evening hours.
Cambridge Car Company is another example of how LED lighting can significantly save money for the client, while providing leading edge lighting design and fitments for the future.
Due to ever-stringent UK energy efficiency regulation, businesses are becoming more environmentally conscious than ever before. With issues such as global warming increasingly top of the news and political agenda, ‘going green’ has never been more relevant.
With so much contradictory information flying about, reducing your carbon footprint may seem like a daunting task. However you can help reduce your carbon footprint – and cut costs in the process – by making simple changes to the way your business consumes energy.
One of the simplest ways of reducing energy whilst helping protect the environment, is by switching to an LED lighting system.
Whilst environmental campaigners and news anchors may be focused on the clean energy ‘hot topics’ of wind and solar power, the humble LED light bulb is quietly doing its bit for the environment – with almost 50% of UK businesses now using the technology.
According to research carried out by climate analysis website Carbon Brief, energy efficient lighting products such as LEDs have a significant impact in cutting CO 2 emissions, and by consuming far less energy than traditional Incandescent Bulbs, Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and Halogen Lights, LED lighting has had a more beneficial impact on the environment than renewable energy.
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have been used in electronic equipment for decades, but it’s only relatively recently that LED light bulbs have been commonplace throughout homes and workplaces. By emitting the same amount of light as traditional Incandescent Bulbs but consuming far less power, they are fast becoming the leading form of lighting throughout the UK and wider world.
Did you know that LED light bulbs consume up to 90% less energy than traditional Incandescent Bulbs? They also last up to 20 times longer, providing significant cost savings – both in terms of your energy bill and the cost of replacement bulbs. What’s more, unlike energy-saving Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs), LED Bulbs can be recycled which is good news for the environment.
As a business owner, the distribution of your lighting is key in terms of showing off your facility and products effectively to create a pleasant, well-lit environment for both staff and customers.Unfortunately, traditional light bulbs have a bad habit of wasting energy by emitting light in unprecise directions, often illuminating areas where light isn’t needed, and often not providing enough light in the areas that do.
LED lighting, meanwhile, is much more precise and as a result, less lights are needed to provide the same level of brightness emitted by traditional Incandescent and Fluorescent light fittings. As well as saving you money, fewer lights also saves energy providing environmental benefits.
As LED bulbs are made using more modern processes than older types of lighting – helping to lower manufacturing, distribution and storage costs – moving to an LED lighting system can reduce the effects of greenhouse gasses associated with light bulbs by over 50% each year.
Coupled with the fact that traditional CFL and Halogen Light Bulbs contain toxic materials that can contaminate the environment if not disposed of correctly, it’s not surprising than switching to an LED lighting system can help significantly reduce your carbon footprint.
As 95% of the energy used in an LED is transferred into light, LED lighting systems are up to 80% more efficient than older forms of lighting, including CFLs, Incandescent and Fluorescent lighting which all waste significant amounts of heat.
Modern LED lights also require far less power than traditional lighting. For example, an 84W Fluorescent light produces the same amount of light as a 36W LED. Less energy means less need for power, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
LEDs are much more resilient than traditional forms of lighting, since they do not have fragile filaments or tubes that can be easily damaged. They are made using sturdy and durable components. Unlike most Incandescent lights, LEDs can withstand tough weather conditions, bumps, shocks, abrasion and vibration, making them the ideal lighting solution for a wide variety of industries. For instance businesses operating outdoors such as construction and the automotive industry.
As they are tougher than more traditional forms of lighting, LEDs can also be used in environments featuring extreme temperatures such as freezer rooms and refrigerated vehicles.
Due to the toxic and harmful substances found within traditional Incandescent, Halogen and CFL Light Bulbs, disposing of them with normal business waste can cause serious harm to the environment. LED lights, however, do not contain any damaging materials. As a result of this they can be disposed of normally whilst giving your business some environmental kudos. Once more, as LED lights require a smaller amount of electricity than traditional bulbs, they’re much more energy efficient.
At Arius, we have provided systems for a range of leading brands in a wide variety of industries. From leading supermarkets including Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s to high-street banks and international car manufacturers.
As we’ve discussed, there are numerous environmental and cost-saving benefits of switching to an Airius LED lighting system, including:
At Arius, we supply a wide range of market-leading LED lighting systems that are used by a variety of large and small businesses in a number of industries throughout the UK and beyond.
Get in touch with our knowledgeable and friendly team today. Why not contact us By calling 01202 554 200 and we’ll be happy to provide you with further information on our range of market-leading LED lighting products.
The benefits for boats etc. is that they run a 12v leisure battery / power supply so this is great for installing most forms of Led lights as they only require 12 v power supply to run them, again with the advantage that it is much cheaper than traditional lighting as well as being brighter and low heat emission.
We can offer a bespoke design service for this as well as cruise ships and any other marine based industry. Lighting can be designed exclusively for the client.
Improving levels of productivity in the workplace is a challenge which employers have grappled with for years. Striking the balance between increased sales and employee satisfaction can be a tricky business.
In the past, UK labour productivity has grown by approximately 2% per year, but since the credit crunch in 2008 it has stagnated and productivity fallen rapidly. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) recently acknowledged the so-called ‘productivity puzzle’, releasing research showing that output per hour in the UK is over 15% below average, when compared to the rest of the G7 group of advanced economies.
Although the causes may not be crystal clear, there are a number of factors that can have an impact on productivity in the workplace. One which doesn’t get the attention it deserves, however, is lighting.
Of course, it’s common knowledge that dim or poorly lit spaces can cause issues when reading or focusing on a particular object, but lighting has a far bigger impact beyond that, and a business’ lighting set up can have a significant impact on productivity in the workplace.
It’s proven that dim or harsh, undiffused lighting can have a detrimental effect on workplace productivity. Headaches and eye strain are common symptoms of poor quality or dim lighting, meaning people have to work a lot harder to be able to see effectively. Because of this, dim or low lighting can cause drowsiness and a lack of focus leading to a reduction in employee concentration and productivity.
Harsh, bright lighting, meanwhile, is just as harmful. Strip and florescent lighting can cause significant eye strain and is known as a trigger for migraine headaches. Harsh lighting also makes it especially difficult for the eyes to focus, leading to a downturn in workplace performance.
One of the best alternatives to dim and harsh lighting is natural light. According to research, windows are one of the main factors when determining an employees’ level of satisfaction within a workplace. This is due to the way natural lighting affects us, both by affecting how well we are able to see, and the impact it has on our behavior and mood. By increasing window capacity to allow more natural light into an office or retail premises, employers can benefit from a happier workforce, fewer illnesses, less absenteeism and improved productivity.
Architects and designers are always trying to find new ways to allow more natural light to penetrate buildings, but it’s often difficult and expensive to ensure every area of a workplace is lit effectively. The good news is, however, with advances in LED lighting technology, businesses can now replicate natural light and enjoy the benefits that comes with it.
Colour temperature – a term used to describe the look and feel of artificial lighting – is another factor in how we are affected by light. The temperature of artificial lighting is measured in Kelvins (K), and most lighting systems usually land between 2,000K and 6,500K.
Colour temperatures – or hues – are often referred to as either ‘warm’ or ‘cold’. Cold hues are generally brighter than warm hues and are proven to lead to higher productivity levels in the workplace. Cold lighting can also help counteract the effects of seasonal affective disorder (also known as SAD), a condition which is thought to affect up to 15% of workers in the winter months when there is less natural light leading to a lower mood and a reduction in alertness and energy levels.
Although the thought of fitting a new lighting system into your office, store, factory or warehouse may seem like a daunting prospect, the many benefits that modern LED lighting can bring to your workplace are hard to discount.
As well as saving energy, which leads to lower energy bills and a better carbon footprint, your investment will be more than repaid from the returns made in employee productivity.
As light is the main component of vision – and vision is responsible for nearly 90% of our perception of our surroundings – it’s easy to see why the right kind of lighting is important, not just in terms of properly illuminating a building, but also in making the workplace a comfortable and productive environment for workers.
Our market-leading LED lighting systems are designed to deliver high performance, be more efficient and last longer, saving businesses up to 75% on their energy bills and up to 90% on maintenance costs, when compared to traditional lighting systems. For employers, LED lights also help improve staff well-being in the workplace, leading to higher productivity levels.
There are a number of additional benefits to choosing an Airius LED lighting system for your business, including:
At Airius we’ve worked with many leading UK and international businesses including the likes of Next, Lloyds, Harrods, BT, Vodafone, Qantas, John Lewis and Siemens. We currently provide a wide range of industry-leading LED lighting systems that are proven to both save energy, improve efficiency and increase productivity levels.
If you would like to benefit from our innovative workplace lighting solutions, get in touch with our knowledgeable and friendly team today. Contact us by calling 01202 554 200 or send us an email at info@airius.co.uk and we’ll be happy to provide you with further information.
Lighting in Retail can have a big impact on your Business. Whether you’re running a small convenience store, independent bar or a large chain of 24-hour gyms, bright, clean lighting is required in order to deliver customer satisfaction and boost sales.
When searching for a product instore, customers expect to be able to browse in a comfortable and well-lit environment. Retail stores that feature poor quality lighting fail to illuminate your goods effectively and don’t engage the customer, running the risk that customers might leave the premises to make their purchases elsewhere.
Showcasing your products in an engaging manner is key for any successful retail business. For example, in supermarkets – and we’ve worked with many – aisles should be well illuminated to ensure customers can easily identify and located different product sections, whilst shelving units should be strategically lit to highlight promotional offers and tempt shoppers with an impulse purchase.
In 2018, the lighting market in the UK was estimated to be worth approximately £2.5 billion – an increase of nearly 50% since 2013, with a significant portion of this being attributed to retail businesses. A key driver for this is the rapidly growing LED lighting market which continues to gain a significant share in the non-domestic sector.
There are a number of benefits of using LED lights over out dated, traditional and inefficient forms of lighting, including:
LED lights typically last between 15,000-20,000 hours, compared to a mere 1,000 hours for traditional filament light bulbs. Airius LED lights, meanwhile, have an unrivalled lifespan of up to 100,000 hours.
As they consume up to 90% less energy than traditional LED light bulbs, over the course of one bulb’s lifetime, the average user could save a significant amount of money on their energy bills. Unlike older types of lighting, LED light bulbs can also be safely recycled.
LED lights are classed as environmentally friendly and a ‘green technology’ as they require relatively small amounts of electrical energy compared with more traditional types of lighting. In addition, LED lights don’t use harmful chemicals such as mercury which is present in older types of lighting.
As LED lighting is made up of a solid-state bulb, unlike less stable filament light bulbs, they are more adept at dealing with fluctuations in temperature as well as vibrations, knocks and bumps, making them more suitable for a wider range of uses.
LED bulbs don’t emit infrared heat, giving them a significant advantage over traditional filament bulbs. As well as reducing heat leakage by up to 90%, LED lights are less of a fire risk than older forms of lighting such as incandescent bulbs which can produce excessive amounts of heat.
Our state-of-the-art LED lighting solutions are engineered to last longer, saving retail businesses up to 75% on their energy bills and up to 90% on maintenance costs compared to traditional lighting systems. For retailers, LED lights can help showcase your products and drive footfall by providing a clean, bright and comfortable shopping experience. There are a number of additional benefits to choosing Airius technology for your retail LED lighting, including:
Retail lighting is all about creating a comfortable browsing and shopping experience for customers. In-store lighting is important not only for showcasing your products in an attractive manner for potential buyers and for illuminating instore displays, but also for producing an enjoyable ambience that makes customers want to return to your store time and time again.
As well as benefitting the environment and your bottom line, well executed LED lighting can be used to capture customers’ imagination and drive sales. Lighting is proven to be one of the strongest ways of providing comfort and building excitement in the retail environment. Having worked on eye-catching and energy efficient lighting solutions for a range of leading retail businesses worldwide, we’ve highlighted some of our most popular LED lighting products for various industries below.
Featuring industry-leading components – including our own proprietary cooling systems – our Mozart range of Architectural LED lighting combines unrivaled performance with unmatched energy efficiency. Primarily used outdoors for bright, high-impact illumination for shops, bars and restaurants, the Mozart line of LED lighting is a real eye-catcher.
Aimed at retail locations such as petrol stations and forecourts as well as indoor parking, storage and industrial facilities, our Copernicus range of LED Canopy lighting leads the pack in terms of affordability, performance and adaptability. Using our proprietary, market-leading designs and world-class components to deliver significant cost savings, the Copernicus range is one of our most popular LED lighting systems.
Our Archimedes range of high-bay LED lighting uses innovative heat pipe technology which can replace traditional metal halide lights of up to 1000W. Easy to install and maintain, our Airius LED lights are typically used by supermarkets, gyms and retail warehouses to dramatically reduce energy consumption and provide a bright and vibrant retail environment.
At Airius, we supply market-leading LED products to retailers, both large and small. If you choose to work with us, you’ll be in good company as we’ve provided energy-saving LED light solutions to a range of well-known businesses throughout the UK and wider world, including the likes of Tesco, ASDA, Boots, Waitrose, M&S, Walmart, John Lewis and McDonald’s.
Get in touch with our knowledgeable and friendly team today. Contact us by calling 01202 554 200 or send us an email at info@airius.co.uk and we’ll be happy to provide you with further information on our range of LED lighting products for retail businesses.
