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Key Takeaways
- Switching to LED lighting isn’t enough; using cheaper luminaires can lead to poor illumination and dark patches in rooms.
- Quality luminaires are essential for meeting specifications and achieving optimal UGR ratings in lighting design.
- Using substandard fittings can negatively impact focus and wellbeing in office environments, making spec-breaking dangerous.
- Educating customers about the benefits of quality lighting can discourage cheap alternatives and encourage multi-phase projects.
- Tamlite’s products aim to address and reduce the issue of spec breaking in lighting installations.
When specifying a new lighting system, switching to LED isn’t enough. This is a common pitfall when choosing luminaires for a lighting upgrade.
While LED fittings do indeed tend to be more energy efficient than fluorescent alternatives, cheaper LED luminaires may not offer the longevity or improved illumination that comes with higher quality luminaires.
This can be pivotal from a specification perspective, as lighting designs may be put together based on certain luminaires being installed.
If a specification required certain spacings between luminaires in order to achieve a higher UGR rating, and cheaper fittings are used instead, then this may lead to dark patches throughout the room.
This can significantly detriment room occupants in terms of their focus and wellbeing, particularly in office and working environments, which is a serious consideration for end users.The culture of spec-breaking, therefore, can be particularly damaging, and it is important that contractors deliver the specified luminaires to customers, in order to deliver the intended benefits.
Highlighting the benefits of lighting for wellbeing to customers can not only discourage cheaper alternatives from being used, but may also increase the likelihood of a one-phase project becoming a multi-phase scheme, which can provide significant, long-term benefits for contractors.
You can learn how Tamlite’s products are working to break the culture of spec-breaking.
Read our article explaining how LED’s can help with energy savings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Simply switching to LED is not enough because cheaper LED luminaires may not offer the longevity or improved illumination provided by higher-quality alternatives. A common pitfall occurs when “spec-breaking” happens; if a lighting design is based on specific spacings to achieve a higher UGR rating and cheaper fittings are substituted, it can lead to dark patches throughout the room.
Using cheaper alternatives instead of specified luminaires can significantly detriment the focus and wellbeing of room occupants, which is a serious consideration for end users in office and working environments. By delivering the originally specified luminaires and highlighting the benefits of lighting for wellbeing, contractors can ensure the intended benefits are met and increase the likelihood of securing long-term, multi-phase projects.
