Lighting beyond illumination – Benefits of Human Centric Lighting
- Improved Health and Sleep
- Productivity and Enhanced Performance
- Visual Acuity
Want to know more, download the Pierlite Human Centric Lighting Brochure.
For more information contact info@integratedoutcomes.com.au
Upgrading lighting is one of the most effective methods that businesses have to help them minimise their energy bills and improve their environment for employees and visitors.
Taking the plunge to actually change lighting systems however can be an intimidating prospect for business owners, and there are a few things to understand before you begin taking steps towards a brighter and better business.
1. CHOOSING YOUR PROVIDER
Select a lighting provider with experience and a great reputation, not just the one with the cheapest quote.
With something as important as lighting – you get what you pay for. Lighting upgrades are long-term investments, and the enduring benefits will far outweigh the short-term costs. Lighting controls are also hugely important, as when effectively deployed they have the ability to completely rejuvenate your environment. Does your lighting provider have the ability to offer dimming and or lighting controls that will automate your facility and enhance the aesthetics of your business? Check before you choose!
2. GETTING ALL THE INFORMATION
Now that you’ve chosen the right lighting provider – request a consultation and proposal and thoroughly evaluate what they put forward. Be sure to outline the areas/tasks within the scope of the lighting upgrade, any specific expectations and detail future refurbishments that may occur.
The proposal should include:
- Summary of existing lighting types, power consumption, quantities and locations.
- Detailed breakdown of electricity cost, calculated hours of operation and accurate maintenance costs.
- Recommendations for your new lighting solution, installation costs and government rebates.
- Expectation of your return on financial investment, projected energy and maintenance savings.
- Rated lifespan of the new lighting and detailed warranties.
3. MAKE SURE YOU’RE COVERED
Illumination levels must be compliant with Australian standards for the tasks performed in upgraded areas. To keep yourself covered (and avoid receiving complaints about light levels or excessive glare) choose a provider who is aware and vigilant about compliance standards. Ignoring these standards often results in lower staff attendance, reduced productivity and overall an undesirable environment for those in your business. In addition, double check the warranties that will be provided to the new equipment and installation. Any business that values their reputation will ensure that if anything doesn’t go to plan you’ll be able to get the issue fixed with no further cost to you.
4. BUSINESS AS USUAL
The best lighting providers will be able to manage the supply and installation with minimal disruption to your day to day business operations ie: staged deliveries or flexible installation options that include outside of business hours. Find out how your chosen lighting provider will manage this process and keep your business running as close to normal as possible.
5. AVOID THE EASY WAY OUT
Stay away from options that seem to be shortcuts or cost cutting measures. Remember that this is a long-term investment and you want things that will last. For example – some providers might suggest that you only replace the globes and not the fixtures for the lights, which in the long run will cost you more than just replacing everything with high quality parts in the first place. Try to insist on the ‘do it once and do it right’ approach from your provider.
Following these simple steps should help to ensure you get a lighting upgrade that will deliver long lasting results and efficiencies for your business.
Lighting upgrades are an effective way of demonstrating your social and corporate responsibility by raising awareness to reduce your carbon footprint, wasted cost of electricity, encouraging staff to turn unused equipment off.
If you want to improve the lighting quality in your business – we’re here to help!
For information contact info@integratedoutcomes.com.au
Teachers and educators have a significant part to play in taking care of our planet – both in reducing waste and energy consumption, and educating children about how to live sustainably. Increasing children’s understanding about their responsibility to care for the environment can be simple enough, however actually improving environmental outcomes and energy consumption of each facility can seem like a huge challenge to childcare centre operators.
Integrated Outcomes specialise in environmentally friendly lighting solutions that tackle two of the greatest issues of our time – sustainability and climate change. We are part of Australia’s largest lighting company the GLG (a foundation member of Fluorocycle), and we are committed to providing sustainable lighting solutions as well as removing and recycling hazardous material.
Increasing electricity costs have put pressure on childcare centres to manage operational spend.
A tailored lighting upgrade is a great way to reduce childcares’ energy consumption, and lead towards a smaller carbon footprint for these facilities. The financial benefits that result from these reductions can also help to enhance educational outcomes, when the savings gained are redistributed into in-house programs and projects. Turning equipment off when areas are unoccupied, incorporating energy conservation measures like occupancy controls and daylight harvesting all work towards a more energy efficient and sustainable business.
- If you have not considered energy efficiency technology such as a lighting and controls upgrade – you could be missing out! Below are a few things to consider when deciding if you want to make your centre’s lighting more efficient.
- The lighting of your facility will typically chew up about 20-40 per cent of your total energy consumption. By switching to more energy efficient lighting and controls you will be able to drastically reduce this. While there is a cost to upgrading, these upgrades usually pay for themselves in less than five years.
- The Australian government’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation now gives banks the ability to provide finance for energy systems at lower rates than ever; and with no upfront cash required. Typically, the savings you make on your energy bills cover the financial repayments and still allow for a saving on your monthly bill. So, your operating costs go down straight away without the need for a huge upfront payment. The NSW and VIC governments also provide financial rebate incentives that are designed to assist businesses to transition to a cleaner and more sustainable future.
- The quality of energy efficient solutions can vary dramatically between suppliers, and there is such a big range of products and companies that it’s difficult to know which solution is right for you. Don’t go with the cheapest option, as it’s often a case of you get what you pay for when it comes to lighting. Consult a trusted supplier with many years of experience.
- As well as saving money and reducing energy consumption, introducing an energy efficient solution can provide a real-life educational opportunity for the children at your centre. Think about how you can engage them and the community around you to cultivate a real interest in the renewable energy systems that you have chosen.
To learn more about what you can do to take control of your energy costs, or if you think your business could use a lighting upgrade, contact Integrated Outcomes for a free consultation at info@integratedoutcomes.com.au
For more information head to www.integratedoutcomes.com.au
In Australia, it’s estimated that 90 per cent of lamps that contain mercury end up in landfill each year.
Lamps are the largest single category of consumer products that contain mercury, and their disposal in landfills contributes to Australia’s total annual emissions of mercury. The accumulation of mercury in rubbish dumps across Australia also creates concerns for the wider environment, as the chemical converts to the toxic methylmercury and can eventually spread through the atmosphere, water and soil where it remains in circulation for many years.
So what is Australia doing to put an end to this deadly cycle?
The Australian Government’s accredited Fluorocycle scheme aims to increase the national recycling rate of lamps that contain mercury and therefore reduce the amount of mercury entering the environment. No small task!
To achieve this, FluoroCycle provides a national voluntary scheme in which businesses, government agencies and other organisations can join as Signatories. The scheme gives public recognition to Signatories for their commitment to recycling to help drive awareness about the program. Integrated’s parent company and leader in the lighting industry GLG is a foundation signatory member of the Fluorocycle scheme.
At Integrated we are also committed to the innovation of energy efficient and sustainable lighting solutions; proudly providing our clients with an economical and sustainable choice in minimising our global carbon footprint.
Our lighting upgrades use luminaires without lamps that contain hazardous waste and valuable resources. As a result, our luminares have a much longer life cycle, require no costly maintenance routines and can easily recycled. Far superior in every way to their unsustainable traditional counterparts.
For information contact info@integratedoutcomes.com.au
Energy has become a major and unpredictable operating expense, and many Australian businesses are being crippled by the exponential increase in electricity and gas prices.
This inflation will continue to be a burden to industry, and unless you are able to generate your own power, reducing your energy consumption is the best place to start when trying to combat these hefty price increases.
Reducing consumption through employee education and changing your business’ behaviours can be effective, however there are three simple things companies can do to increase their odds of success.
1. Upgrade to a high quality energy efficient LED lighting system.
2. Implement smart lighting controls.
3. Ensure that this technology is connected via native Ethernet and DALI.
Let’s shed some light on the facts – high quality LED’s can now operate on up to 80% less energy and will run for up to 25 times longer compared to metal halide light sources. By adding smart lighting controls, you can reduce your business’ lighting based energy consumption by up to 90% with a single upgrade, working with an industry leader like Integrated. We install systems that deliver true value, and will stand the test of time due to high-quality components, and engineering/manufacturing expertise.
How to identify ‘sneaky dealers.’
With payback periods in the range of 6 months to 2 years, lighting represents the fastest repayment of any equipment upgrade that can be performed. At Integrated, we provide clients with lighting upgrades that slash their energy consumption and ongoing expenditure. We are consistently seeing our lighting upgrade projects being paid for by the resulting electricity and maintenance savings in less than 1 year. This is an investment that will deliver immediate and ongoing commercial value.
Integrated’s full turnkey capabilities allows us to facilitate delivery of a complete lighting solution – from design, supply, installation and rebate management. In addition, the energy consultants in our partner network specialise in finding other opportunities within your business where we can save you even more money!
Read how we saved Coles $1 million with a recent upgrade
GLG and Integrated have a wealth of insight to offer businesses who are committed to a high-quality lighting upgrade. At more than double the size of our nearest competitor, and proudly presenting Australia’s most comprehensive family of lighting brands, including Pierlite and Sylvania, we are at the forefront of industry R&D and global innovation.
How will you know how much can be saved and what amazing lighting outcomes can be delivered without having us evaluate your situation?
So – if you are ready to optimise your business with an intelligent and sustainable lighting solution, call Integrated at info@integratedoutcomes.com.au. For more information head to www.integratedoutcomes.com.au
There are a huge number of things to consider when creating and implementing a lighting solution for any space, however warehouse lighting comes with its own set of challenges.
Efficient new lighting technology has changed the way high bay lighting is implemented in industrial spaces in recent years. If you aren’t sure whether to upgrade your warehouse lighting, read our top reasons to make the change below:
Warehouse high bays not functioning at their optimum? LED Lighting is a better solution.
Quite simply – warehouses are more efficiently lit with LEDs.
New lighting technologies illuminates warehouse spaces efficiently and creates a more even distribution of light than its traditional counterparts. A dimly lit workspace is a hazard in any environment, but this is especially true in a warehouse. If any of your high bays are currently not functioning, this can result in poor productivity (due to not being able to see) and even injury in your staff!
Warehouse lighting is currently on 24/7? New lighting technology is controllable
If you thought LED lights could save you money, this does not compare to the savings you will achieve with controlled LED lighting! If your warehouse lighting is currently always on, implementing LED controls can reduce your energy consumption by up to 70% in some cases.
Warehouse lighting constantly needs to be replaced? LED Lighting lasts longer and costs less!
LED lights last an average of 50,000 hours, compared to a maximum of 2000 hours with regular bulbs. The longevity of the products mean much lower maintenance costs. LEDs have also been proven to reduce companies’ lighting based energy consumption by more than 70% – which leads to huge financial savings!
Read our top 5 reasons to upgrade to LED Lighting
So – are you ready to optimise and overhaul your lighting? To discuss your next project, call Integrated at info@integratedoutcomes.com.au
For more information head to www.integratedoutcomes.com.au
Integrated specialises in implementing lighting upgrades in industries where we all live, shop, heal, play and work.
The office upgrades we carry out often improve efficiency and reduce operating costs, but more importantly also improve the overall wellbeing of staff working in that space.
So what specific benefits can staff expect following a lighting upgrade?
In one of Integrated’s most recent projects at Utilacor, the upgrade project had a significantly positive effect on the colour temperature and uniformity of the lighting in the office space.
Max Kamali Energy Engineer and Project Manager of Utilacor commented that “A staff member who had previously suffered with headaches had noticed that these headaches ceased to exist after the lighting upgrade.”
It was very pleasing but not surprising for Integrated to hear this feedback; ageing fluorescent lights flicker, and while this irritation is not always perceived by the eye, it is observed by the brain and often causes headaches. The high quality light sources we install during an upgrade provide smooth, uniform light without irritation, much easier for the brain to process therefore enhancing wellbeing.
Being able to improve the health and productivity of staff as well as saving the company in both a financial and environmental capacity are two very rewarding Integrated outcomes.
Read exactly how LED lighting can benefit your workplace
If you think your business could use a lighting upgrade, contact Integrated for a free consultation on at info@integratedoutcomes.com.au
For more information head to www.integratedoutcomes.com.au
We’ve all heard about the power of good lighting when it comes to looking your best – but did you know being in the presence of ‘the right light’ can have a real effect on how you feel?
While lighting by itself is unlikely to have a strong effect on one’s health, it is undeniably one of several factors that combine to create a healthy environment for you to live, work, learn, shop and heal. Light impacts human health and performance by enabling the performance of visual tasks, controlling your body’s circadian system, affecting mood and perception, and by triggering critical chemical reactions in the body.
Here are some of the other positive effects that lighting can have on your health:
It can make you feel happier
It’s no coincidence many people cite ‘the winter blues’ in the darker months of the year. The drop-off in daylight during autumn and winter directly affects mood, and conversely both positive and negative emotions can be amplified by bright lighting – depending on how you are feeling to begin with. Essentially, bright light intensifies one’s emotional reaction to stimuli or a situation, and it can be used in targeted ways in different environments to make you feel a certain way.
It can improve your concentration
It is common knowledge that you need lighting to see things, and it stands to reason that better lighting quality can help you focus so your eyes don’t tire. Adequate light is especially essential in environments where concentration is key – such as offices, factories, warehouses and schools.
How improved lighting in schools can help your children
It can improve your overall wellbeing + quality of life
Receiving the right light at the right time helps us achieve better sleep, health, and sense of well-being. When our normal sleeping cycles are disrupted by being exposed to bright lights late into the night (like on night shift) our overall sense of wellbeing declines. Tailoring light to our primitive needs helps us accomplish what we want with greater comfort and in better health.
It can make you more productive
A brightly lit environment can also affect how much you get done in your day! Darker environments tend to slow people down and make them sleepy, whereas brighter environments can help people perk up and get ready for the work ahead. Blue light has also been proven to help encourage productive spurts in the human brain, as its hue suppresses the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. Another reason why we are often encouraged to put down our devices before bed to aid sleep!
If you want to improve the lighting quality in your business, school or work environment – we’re here to help! Contact Integrated Lighting on: at info@integratedoutcomes.com.au
For more information head to www.integratedoutcomes.com.au
At Integrated, we make it our business to implement the best lighting upgrades using the newest technologies across the places where we all live, heal, shop, work and play.
It’s common knowledge that a good lighting solution is important for adults in their workplaces, but did you know that lighting has a clear effect on children in their schools as well?
Here are just some of the benefits that the best in lighting technology could be providing to your children:
Better Concentration
Great lighting improves the overall classroom environment – removing distracting flickers and colour spikes, helping students focus on the task at hand.
Better Results
International studies have found over 25% improvement in learning outcomes when switching to the newest lighting technology systems. It’s amazing what the right light can do!
Better Performance
Aside from improving outcomes for students, the newest lighting technologies reduce general maintenance (they rarely need changing) and reduce energy consumption, helping to make schools greener. It won’t be just the students performing better when you upgrade your lighting!
Read our top 5 benefits of LED lighting
If you think your business could use a lighting upgrade, contact Integrated for a free consultation at info@integratedoutcomes.com.au
For more information head to www.integratedoutcomes.com.au
