With budgets under increasing pressure, and the growing need to meet stringent sustainability targets, hospitals and other healthcare facilities are urgently looking at ways to reduce their energy costs alongside their environmental impact. One area that can have a significant impact on both areas is lighting. By re-imagining the way we light spaces in hospitals and transitioning to modern LED lighting, we can reduce the amount of electricity consumed and allow more of the budget to be directed towards patient care.
Before diving into the specifics, let’s acknowledge the European trend: the gradual phase-out of fluorescent lighting. As we move toward a more sustainable future, LED technology takes centre stage. Hospitals, as critical energy consumers, can play a pivotal role in this transition.
Read more about the fluorescent phase-out, here.
The amount of electricity required for lighting a hospital can be considerable. There are multiple different functional spaces that have individual requirements. The flexibility of LED lighting allows for consideration of each different space with colour and intensity appropriate to needs.
The improved efficiency of LED lighting when compared to fluorescent lighting is considerable. On average, for the same amount of light, LEDs and control systems use approximately 80% less electricity. The reason for this is the way light is generated.
Lower energy costs are not the only benefit of LED lighting in hospitals. LED lights are solid state electronic components which have a much longer lifespan than a fluorescent lighting system.
Lower quality LED systems and fluorescent lighting systems may have a lifespan of up to 25,000 hours before they start to experience degradation, while high quality LED systems can achieve much longer lifespans of more than 50,000 hours providing a significant benefit in terms of ongoing maintenance costs.
With older lighting systems, there are multiple components that are prone to failure over time. Tubes can degrade as they age, producing less light and more heat as they wear down, while the starters that create the initial burst of energy to start the light working need to be replaced regularly.
Reduced maintenance means lower costs over time as well as less disruption in key areas when lights are replaced.
Combining LED lighting with smarter lighting controls brings advantages in terms of efficiency and the use of space. One key use case for lighting controls is in areas with variable occupancy. Smart lighting controls automatically turn down the lights when an area is not being used and then increase illumination when a person is detected. Unlike fluorescent tubes which take time to start up and flicker, the transition in lighting is smooth. Smart controls can also adjust illumination levels based on other factors including ambient lighting that create optimal lighting levels to suit the space over the course of the day.
Turning off lighting when a space is not being used helps to reduce overall energy consumption without negatively impacting on safety.
With the goal of reducing environmental impact, it is important to consider not just the long-term benefits of lower energy use, but also the way in which lighting systems are installed and their components. By re-using parts of an existing lighting system and upgrading it to the latest technology rather than simply disposing of functional elements, it is possible to both improve the long-term energy efficiency of a hospital while also preventing an increase in short term waste.
Visit our fluorescent lamps phase-out page to begin your transition to LED lighting systems, or speak to an expert for help with your project.
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