Illuminate and eliminate cost

Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a revolutionary technology and a highly versatile light source. LEDs have completely transformed the lighting industry worldwide and in India. Unlike other lighting technologies that are analogue, LEDs are completely digital and provide much greater creativity and opportunities in lighting applications.  Not only are they presenting a world of endless creative possibilities but also proving as a viable alternative to halogens for retailers.

With the retail industry thriving in India and the organised retail sector growing at nearly 30 per cent, the importance of breaking away from the clutter is becoming the biggest challenge for any retailer today. Lighting can define store’s ambience and offering, whether niche or mass. The lighting of a store may vary to compliment the store’s theme and décor and to create a unique atmosphere for its customers. Lighting offers an array of solutions, from different shades of white, to colour changing and ambient lighting. Lighting helps in creating a sharp contrast in order to draw customer’s attention to various zones in a retail space. For example, Goenka Jewellers have been using white LEDs to allow clear vision and sharp understanding of the design. The colour of the light is selected that matches well with the colour theme of the store. The overall Indian LED lighting market is expected to reach $399.2 million by 2015 from $49.6 million in 2009 at an estimated CAGR of 41.5 per cent till 2014. This clearly emphasises the need for retailers to start considering the transition from halogens to LEDs.

Lifespan of LED

LED lighting has been in existence for many years, mainly at high-end markets for high-end brands. But slowly and gradually, with a rising urge to sustain the environment and also to reduce operational costs, stores in every segment have opted for the energy-efficient LEDs. As per a recent report by Global Industry Analysts, it was predicted that the market for fluorescent and LED lighting could climb to $97 billion by 2010, which has been proven quite accurate.  According to industry estimates, 17-20 per cent of the world’s energy costs are towards lighting, and more than 80 per cent of lighting currently used in the world is based on outdated technology which consumes more energy and causes more carbon di oxide emissions. LEDs can help reduce the energy consumption and CO2 emissions considerably. The power indulgence of the most commonly used halogen lamp equals to a luminous efficiency of 16 per cent. The lifespan of a typical halogen lamp is limited to about 2000-3000 hours, probably equal to three to four months of use in a retail store. Whereas, LED lamp lasts many times longer than the conventional halogen lamp. LED lamps need very small proportion of electricity to give off a high level of efficacy rate.

Lesser power consumption

Today’s LED technologies are able to give up to 110 lm/W, in comparison to 16lm/W generated by halogen bulbs. Thus for LED, the total light output would be nearly 300 lumens. “For a warm place like Delhi, LED acts as a perfect choice as it generates less heat when compared to halogens. Also, the less heat leads to less air conditioning, which in turn leads to saving electricity” says  Lovy Khosla, Director of Elvy. “The effect is 8-10 times less power consumption once switching to LED,” he further adds. Good news is that the LED technology is continuously improving from year to year rapidly, and this trend will be replacing the halogens in the future. “At the World of Titan, we do not use halogens anymore in our stores, since we find that there is a tremendous power saving if we use LED instead of halogens.” says Jaikishan Mehta, Retail Marketing Manager, Titan Watches.

On average, one incandescent 60-watt bulb lasts 1,000 hours whereas one 2-watt LED light bulb lasts 60,000 hours. This shows that one 2-watt LED bulb is equivalent to sixty 60-watt bulbs.

LED spotlight bulbs do not rely on heated filaments or gas materials to give off light, this means that LED lamps can be used close to delicate items such as jewellery, valuable merchandises in the retail store display case or shelf, expensive ornaments and photos in the house, without heat damage over time, or causing fading.

“The way the lighting industry in India is shaping and evolving with LEDs gaining rapid acceptance in both professional and home segment, I think LEDs are something that cannot be ignored by any retailer,” opines Jitendra Agrawal, Senior Director, Professional Lighting Sales, Philips Lighting India.

Eco-Sustenance

LED lamp is best choice as environmentally friendly light. These are one of the greenest and the most sustainable lighting solutions available today as they contain no Lead or Mercury and do not emit any radiated heat. “LED if not completely, partially it is an environment friendly initiative and should be strictly adhered to by the retailers,” Khosla adds. The halogen may look reasonable and cheaper initially than LEDs but if you look at a long span of say 15-20 years, the retailer might end up spending more than what LEDs would cost. “Not only LEDs consume lower power, they are cleaner from an eco perspective. The power saving differs enormously depending on the usage as well as the lighting module in the store,” comments Mehta.

Comparison Chart

                                               Halogen                                             LED

Light source                              Quartz halogen bulb                     power LED

Avg. source life                           2000 hrs                                             5000 hrs

Lamp life expectancy                   1X                                                         25X

Lamp temp                                250deg C                                            70deg C

Power consumption                     20W (5X)                                            4W (1X)

Luminous Flux@                         200 lux (using 6500 white)          100lux (using 1 meter                3500K warm white)        

Luminous efficacy                       12 lumens/watt                              25 lumens/watt

Colour selection                          Single                                                  Multi

Colour stability                            Poor                                                    Good

UV or radiation                            Yes                                                      No

Shockproof                                  No                                                       Yes

Initial product cost                        Low                                                      High

Long term operating cost               High                                                     low

Choosing an LED

Many different models and styles of LED bulbs are emerging in today’s marketplace. When choosing a bulb, one should keep in mind the following:

• Package to be read to choose desired illumination level. For example, a 3W LED is equivalent in output to a 45 W incandescent.
• Selection should be made between warm and cool light. New LED bulbs are available in ‘cool’ white light, which is ideal for task lighting, and ‘warm’ light commonly used for accent or small area lighting.
• One should choose high quality bulbs or they will die prematurely. Cheap bulbs use a low-quality chip which fails easily.
• One should look for certifications including FCC and UL.

Brighter Days

The initial cost of installing LEDs is higher but when we compare the initial cost with long term benefits, it proves much more economical considering the energy savings and long life, thereby slashing down the maintenance and replacement costs. The transition is gradually making strides in the country; it’s a high time for any retailer not to lag behind in the race to upgrade the lighting system and rope in the boons of technology.