LED Technology and Façade Lighting

Thanks to LED technology, Façade lighting is becoming more applicable and flexible for the following reasons:

• LED lighting fittings are small in size comparing to conventional lighting fittings, this makes it easier and more flexible for the lighting designers to incorporate the lighting fittings within the building façade. No bulky and ugly fittings any more.
• Digital colour mixing of Red, Green, Blue and White LEDS, hundreds of colours and lighting scenes can be created using same lighting fittings.
• With LED technology, it is easier to customize lighting fittings which match with the architectural facades. Lighting designers can coordinate with the façade architect and lighting manufacturers to make this possible. This will minimize the visibility of the lighting fittings on the facades in day time.
• Very long life time comparing to conventional lighting. This is a big advantage when it comes to inaccessible locations on the façade .Since no maintenance nor re-lamping is required.

Disadvantages/Problems.

1.Using low quality of LEDs. The main enemy of an LED is high temperature and high humidity.                      

High temperature reduces the life time as well as performance and characteristics of the LED. So instead of working for 50,000 hours, you start to see failures after couple of months or a year, and the worse is when the façade lighting consists of continuous linear lighting effects, where some parts of those lines are off. Accordingly, the whole façade lighting design concept fails.

Client requires from the beginning to have cheap lighting fittings due to saving in budgets. (Lack of awareness from the client side about LEDS). Here comes the engineer duty to explain to the client about the advantages and disadvantages of LEDs.

High quality LEDS re specified, but during construction, specifications change (due to too many reasons, contractor prices, value engineering, etc.).

2.Lack of Supervision by lighting consulting and lighting experts during the construction stage.

In most of the projects, the lighting consultant do only design. Many problems might happen during construction.

Wrong Installations: even though the LED lighting fittings have good quality, wrong installation and not following manufacture installation manuals might create many problems.

Using low quality power and data cables, connector, junction boxes and electrical accessories can cause lots of problems for the façade lighting.

DRIVERS, POWER SUPPLIES & DMX controllers. In most projects, the power supplies and controllers are installed outside (remote or build inside the LED lighting fittings), most of those devices fail much sooner than the LEDs. It is not enough to have good quality LEDs and LED lighting fittings, but also good quality drivers and controllers.

3.Lighting Control System

Some façade lighting projects use simple, normal switching system, ON/OFF switches or timers. Human error, or timer’s error will show part of the façade lighting circuits ON and other parts OFF. A proper lighting control should be used, different scenes can be created by just a push button, remote control or even a smart phone.

4.Lack of coordination in the design stage and construction stage.

Coordination in the design stage with the façade architect, electrical consultant and other related consultants is very important to come out with complete proper façade lighting design. This can avoid all the problems which might happen in the construction stage. Also coordination in the construction stage is very important to make sure all items will be installed properly.

Lighting Pollution

Façade lighting is one of the main applications that cause Lighting pollution and Glare. Façade lighting designers should guarantee a minimal amount of light split out of the facades in all directions especially upwards to the sky.

Final Thoughts

Effective storefront, drawing attention to key functional or aesthetic lighting systems provide needed visibility for your elements such as doorways, windows, signage, sidewalks, or architectural details. Strategic lighting can also deter criminals and increase the perception of safety for passing customers.
There are several different kinds of lighting: entrance way lighting, sign lighting, merchandise storefront lighting, energy-saving night lighting, decorative detail lighting, and general area lighting. Each lighting type performs a different job and should attract attention to what it illuminates, not to the light fixture or bulb.

Brighter is not always better

Security lighting can be at a relatively low level. Glare is light that beams directly from a bulb into your eye. It hampers the vision of pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. If lights are overly bright, they actually make it easier for a criminal to hide in the deep shadows produced by objects in the harsh light.
Make sure lights point downward or toward the building or sign and not into the sky.
Darkness can be better than lighting if no one is around to witness and report crimes or if lighting helps criminals to see what they are doing. Consider using motion-detector lights or timers when lights are not needed late at night. If an area is usually dark, people will more likely notice if it is suddenly lit up. Do not light back doors that cannot be seen by others.