Green building lighting installations to soon be complete

16th August 2013

By: Sashnee Moodley

Senior Deputy Editor Polity and Multimedia

  

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Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting solutions manufacturer LED Lighting South Africa (SA) will soon complete its supply of almost 7 000 light fittings and LED units for what will soon be Cape Town’s tallest skyscraper, the Portside building.

LED Lighting SA will complete the supply of 4 585 light fittings and 2 390 m of LED strip lighting.

Construction work on the R1.6-billion project began in August 2011 and is scheduled for completion in March 2014.

“With such a large-scale building project a multitude of light fittings and applied light technologies are specified to achieve the desired green star rating,” says LED Lighting SA projects manager and industrial engineer Shawn Godfrey.

About 29 types of fittings are being supplied to the project, and include cove lights, down lights, office lights, parking area lights and evenly illuminated light boxes.

LED Lighting SA started supplying the lighting solutions in March, with electrical contractor Brand Engineering South Africa appointed to undertake the electrical installations.

Godfrey explains that the company’s project timeline was developed in conjunction with the electrical contractor, with which LED Lighting SA continuously liaises to ensure constant project management.

The company is also offering Brand Engineering South Africa technical support during the Portside project’s installation phase.

The project, which is one of LED Lighting SA’s bigger projects, to date, includes the development of a fully automated fitting, with daylight harvesting, lux-level control and customised LED office lighting solutions, which were developed to cater to specific preferences, while meeting all green star requirements.

Godfrey adds that Portside will be one of the first sky scrapers that will be equipped with fully controllable LED lighting in large-volume areas, such as its entrance lobby and office areas, which have digitally addressable lighting interfaces to ensure constant control, as well as sensor-driven daylight harvesting. This will ensure that no electricity wastage occurs in such a large-scale building.

The Portside project is a joint venture between international financial services group Old Mutual and banking group FirstRand Bank and, once completed, will house the provincial headquarters of FirstRand Bank's three divisions ¬– FNB, Rand Merchant Bank and WesBank – taking up half of the available 50 000 m2 office space.

The remaining 25 000 m2 office space will be let out by Old Mutual Property, with additional retail space available at ground level for lease. Besides seven parking levels, the Portside building will also boast space for 268 bicycles, with additional areas for bicycle parking outside the building.

Meanwhile, Godfrey notes that LED technology has developed significantly in the past five years and currently offers energy efficiency benefits while being more price competitive to other lighting methods as the technology develops.

The LED lighting technology has developed to the point that the life span of the product can justify the purchase of the higher prices technology. Previously, LEDs were priced far out of the market with only marginally improved performance over legacy lighting solutions, this has changed to what it is today, where the performance and longevity of the product can justify the price, he says.

“We are reaching a point where new-generation LED efficiency, life span, performance and controllability are strengthening LED solutions even more. The LED technology we incorporate in our designs is of the highest quality, ensuring that we lead product performance and can confidently guarantee our product.

“LED technology is also significantly versatile, a flexible platform and, if the product supplier is local and manufactures its own components, offers a security of supply,” Godfrey states, adding that all these benefits are poised to lead to an exciting future for the South African lighting industry.

Meanwhile, LED lighting SA works closely with energy services companies to assist in State-owned power utility Eskom’s roll-out of energy efficient lighting in architectural, retail, commercial and industrial environments.

Godfrey says LED Lighting SA is undertaking several large projects for national corporate companies to develop and supply energy efficient solutions to meet their electricity-saving drive. Various LED lighting products are also being developed for retail and industrial applications, he adds.

Edited by Tracy Hancock
Creamer Media Contributing Editor

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