Convincing a Lighting Skeptic

[Toby Cambray]

Hello

I have a client on a non-dom PH project who says he doesn't want fluorescent lighting - I suspect he has bad memories of flickery, cold-colour, slow to start (and maybe even noisey!) systems.

Does anyone have a project with a good linear fluorescent lighting system that they would be willing to show us/him around to convince him that modern kit can produce really good (and efficient...) results? He's based Hampshire/Dorset and I'm in Wiltshire, I'm not sure how far he would be willing to travel, but hope he might be up for a trip to the big smoke for example.

Toby

[Dave Howorth]

I have a client on a non-dom PH project who says he doesn't want fluorescent lighting - I suspect he has bad memories of flickery, cold-colour, slow to start (and maybe even noisey!) systems.

Is it too obvious to suggest asking him what it is he doesn't like about fluorescent lighting? It might be memories of Tesco stores with pink lights?!

I suppose the alternatives to fluorescents are LEDs or HIDs (depending on exactly what the application is). It might be worth showing him examples of those as well and presenting him with budget estimates to show you're not being arbitrary with the choice of fluorescents.

[Toby Cambray]

Hi David

I did ask, and he specifically mentioned flicker as a concern, but other things he said led me to think other factors may be contributing to his resistance. Pink Tesco lights may have contributed, and I'm sure we've all experienced a bad, old-fashioned lighting design that would put anyone off fluorescents (my gym has a fitting in the gents that sounds like a drunk blacksmith hitting an anvil while it tries to strike the arc, and then sounds like a very angry, very loud bee!).

LEDs are a possibility (application is a weaving and craft workshop), but as you say, there is a relatively tight budget and it's not always easy to get a nice ambient element to schemes with LEDs.

Hence hoping to be able to enlighten him to the performance possible with modern systems!

[Nick Grant]

Hi Toby

Had the same objections plus aesthetics from a very switched on client some years ago so ended up designing some fittings for the job with a friend, Colin Chetwood, who makes lights. The friend had also been biased against CFLs and linear fluorescents but has now embraced them!

http://www.colinchetwood.co.uk/section181470.html

I like T5s (obviously high frequency ballasts) and you can get warm or cool white as well as dim-able. Simple pelmet fittings can be good for ambience but if you need good work lighting then likely to be suspended with mix of down and up light, great for craft work without shadows.

Nick

[fostertom]

I'm not v up on lighting but, just installed an array of
http://www.aurora.eu.com/productpages/LampProductDetails.aspx?g=7821&c=6&b=136&oc=84 and
http://www.aurora.eu.com/ProductPages/LampProductDetails.aspx?g=7822&c=&b=136&oc=84 -
fantastic effect, £35 + £9 driver.

[Toby Cambray]

Hi Guys

A belated thanks for the input here. We didn't manage to find a suitable installation to visit, but have been allowed some fluorescents anyway!

Nick, those fittings you linked to are brilliant and we have pinched the idea and developed it somewhat - the pair of buildings in question are craft workshops, one a pottery and one a weavery, and the idea is that we have a fitting into which the craftspeople can place items of their work - thin porcelain panels in the pottery and a frame with fabric stretched over in the weavery (definitely no tungsten bulbs allowed in the latter!) Should look really good, and the clients love the idea.

Cheers

Toby