Highlighting Lighting Inefficiencies

Lighting used to mean having one lightbulb in the middle of the room. How times have changed. Today an array of bulbs, lamps and accessories can transform a room, creating a new environment for the user. LEDs are a big part of that evolution. Liliana González, Director General of lighting systems company Luminográfica, says competition in the industry is heating up, especially since companies with little to no experience in the market began manufacturing and selling LEDs.

“The market is becoming saturated with countless LED products, but there is no comprehensive legislation that lays out the rules due to the rapid growth,” she says. “On an industrial scale, companies must choose between hundreds of different brands that may or may not be of the highest quality. A look at the LEDs installed along some freeways in Mexico City shows more than half are no longer functioning.” The situation is driving demand for stricter regulations to bring order to the market, she says.

Comfort and environmental health are the key goals when using LED technology. “Spaces can be transformed and adapted to any type of event or situation, such as presentations or parties,” says González. “Design needs to seamlessly integrate security, entertainment, comfort and people and controlling natural light allows infrastructure to save money on cooling and heating systems. These technologies also generate data on consumption levels and money saved in each part of a building.”

González acknowledges that since Luminográfica products can be expensive, the company’s services are sometimes out of reach for many people. “We seek to bridge this gap by educating the market and providing training for end users, companies and designers,” she says. “The industry’s main challenge is ensuring that with so many technological advances, consumers are able to obtain the information necessary to make the right decision.”

No two projects are the same, González says. The company worked with Hyatt Hotels on a project in which it automated the majority of the rooms, suites and spaces in one of the company’s buildings over the course of two years. “Spaces have different types of regulations and suggestions as to how they should be lit,” she says. “The first step in a lighting project is to sensitize the user and space, absorbing the largest amounts of information possible. In a hotel it is important to understand what the end user needs and the ambience the room should provide.”