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Lighting Design Process 2.

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Lighting design

Lighting is typically used for the following functions:

  • Product illumination
  • Accent lighting to emphasis the display’s style or brand
  • Graphical information such as logos or lightboxes


The illumination on products needs to be of high quality providing good colour rendition and contrast – which requires a good relationship between the product and the viewer.

For example, backlighting onto a product can create a silhouette effect, leaving that product in shadow if the general store lighting is not bright enough to counter the effect of the backlighting.

Accent and effect lighting is usually used to emphasis the brand or display and often uses backlighting or coloured lighting, making the lighting less energy-efficient. For example, using LED’s to backlight opal or frosted acrylic reduces their efficiency by between 30-50%.

The choice of lighting engine colour can have an effect on the look and feel of the display.

The minimum acceptable colour rendering of LEDs should be CRI80.

The location of the main electrical components or control gear needs to be accessible to the appropriate person but restricted to non-skilled or untrained personal. It must have ventilation to keep components at the correct working temperature (no greater than 80°C ) with sufficient space for components, cabling and connectors.


Production


Consider the following in design and production

  1. The availability of sub-components from other parts of the world as components may not be readily available in the country servicing and repairing the display.
  2. Labour costs and production processes in other parts of the world should be taken into account. Countries that have low labour rates will design or re-engineer designs to reduce the need for expensive production equipment. Conversely countries with predominantly mechanised production will not use design with labour intensive methods. Such cultural conflicts can result in problems occurring further into the life of an installation when on-site maintenance and repair may be required.

 

 

Export

If the display is be used or exported to multiple countries they may be a requirement for multiple certifications. Certification to UL962 is required for retail display equipment to be shopped to North America. CE certification can be used as the basis to CB Certification which can be used to export to 54 countries.


Transport

Displays that have been designed for shipping may require re-assembly upon arrival at site; therefore the electrics may need to be designed as discrete sub-assemblies.

If the displays are to be produced over multiple production runs then there may be a requirement for batch packaging and size and format restrictions may be applied.


Predictable issues

Use of electrical components brings a risk of shock, heat and reaction to liquid etc, which means that predictable issues need to be considered during the design process, for example:

  1. Ventilation must be reliable and not easily blocked
  2. Electrical enclosures must not be used for storage
  3. Plugs must be used for their intended purpose only
  4. Electrical assembles must be kept away from liquids and not designed into areas where liquids may pool if spilt

 

Components

Consider the electrical and lighting components as early as possible in the design process. Correct selection of components can greatly impact the functionality, efficiency and cost of the completed solution. Common lighting components include:

LEDs

Gear trays

Lightboxes

LED panels

LEDs

When using LEDs in a design, consider:

Functionality

Lighting is typically used for the following functions:

  • Product illumination
  • Accent lighting to emphasis the display’s style or brand
  • Graphical information such as logos or lightboxes

 

The illumination on products needs to be of high quality providing good colour rendition and contrast – which requires a good relationship between the product and the viewer.

Backlighting onto product can create a silhouette effect, leaving that product in shadow if the general store lighting is not bright enough to counter the effect of the backlighting. Typically, most of the lighting budget should be spent on direct product illumination.

Aesthetics

Consideration needs to be given to the desired aesthetics of lighting in the design. For example, high-contrast spotlighting may be a requirement to provide a ‘theatrical appearance’ around a promotion to emphasis contrast.

Accent lighting is used to emphasis the brand or display and often uses backlighting or coloured lighting, making the lighting less energy-efficient. For example, using LED’s to backlight opal or frosted acrylic reduces their efficiency by between 30-50%.

Life

Using standardised components in a modular design format with semi-permanent fixings allows for easier maintenance and also allows for the upgrade or improvement of lighting in the future. Lighting technology is developing so rapidly that there may be two generations of lighting technology within the product’s expected lifespan of 10 years.

Light colour

The choice of lighting engine colour can have an effect on the look and feel of the display. White light that is warmer in colour is often used by more luxury brands, while a cooler white colour typically appears brighter and hence more ‘practical’.

3000K – warm white – softer white similar to halogen
4000K – natural white – typical in most stores
6000K – daylight white – a more functional tone, with industrial connotations

Light quality

The minimum acceptable colour rendering of LEDs should be CRI80. The trend from manufacturers is towards CRI90, with ‘ultra-high CRI’ LEDs of CRI95+ being commercially available. Higher CRIs give a sharper better quality colour rendition of the product. For comparison:

CRI 80-85:     HD TV
CRI 85-90:     LED TV
CRI 90-95:     OLED TV

Higher CRI values should only be used in open optics for direct product illumination. There is no point in using high CRI LED behind diffusing screens.

Display materials

When choosing construction materials it should be remembered that unless the customer is looking directly at the lighting they are actually seeing the light as it is radiated from the lit surface. Therefore, the selection of materials used in the display will have an impact of the effectiveness of the lighting source.

White reflects very well, while a polished chrome finish will act as a mirror and expose customers to direct reflections of lighting and, potentially, uncomfortable glare.

These lighting considerations can be used to your advantage and ultimately affect the materials, finishes, shapes and structure of your furniture.

Energy Efficiency

In line with the Eco-Design for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information (Lighting Products) Regulations 2021, commonly referred to as the ErP Directive, the minimum energy efficiency is a C

Light efficiency

The designer should aim to illuminate the display on a ‘just enough’ basis to gain customer attention, so that energy is not wasted. This can be achieved by creating contrast between the ambient illumination and the direct illumination on the product.

The minimum recommend contrast in Luxx per meter squared is:

2:1 – noticeable

5:1 – low theatrical

10:1 – theatrical

 

LED Light panels

Clear acrylic panels may be of varying thickness and use either etched grid lines or dots to optimise the light refraction.

The LEDs should be encased within the acrylic for protection and an adequate heatsink should be provided to ensure operating temperature is below 20°C.

Typically panels up to 500mm width (shortest edge) will be illuminated with a single length of LEDs, while widths between 500mm and 1200mm will be illuminated on two sides (double sided).

Panels over 1200mm wide may not maintain uniformity and they may show a visible drop in illumination in the centre of the panel.

In addition to the EZ safety requirements previously listed the following performance criteria must be adhered to.

minimum of 100 lumens per watt

maximum of 25W/m2 single sided, 50W/m2 double sided

minimum of 95% uniformity (across 25 points)

 

Eg:

Type

  

Expected light level
Single sided (0-500mm) 3000 lux
Double sided (500-1200mm) 4000 lux

Gear trays

Use DC-approved subcomponents in the electrical component design and construction (Link)

Only use alternative components if they have been reviewed and approved by DC.

An example of the use of components can be seen in the control gear diagram below.

Figure‑1 Example of 60W Control Gear

  1. Lockable LV mains input connector
  2. Mounting plate
  3. Auxiliary mounting holes for LED driver
  4. LED driver
  5. Mounting plate fixing holes
  6. Restraining clip
  7. Earth lead
  8. Fuse carrier
  9. Spare fuse
  10. Lockable ELV mains output connector

Fusing

Correct fusing is a critical to the safety and integrity of the shop display and must be verified by the lighting manufacturer.

  1. Section 0 Circuits provides indication of how many fuses are need.
  2. Lighting circuits using control gear of 60W or less should have fusing in EZ2
  3. Lighting circuits using control gear of greater the 60W will require fusing in EZ2 to protect EZ3 but supplementary fusing must be used in EZ4.

 

In

Figure ‑4 Example of 24V 200W circuit, the fusing would be as follows:

Zone Fuse
EZ4 13Amp fuse
EZ2 3.15Amp fuse
EZ3 0.5, 0.8, 10, 1.25 1.6, 2 or 2.5 Amp FF fuse depending on load

Light boxes

The construction of the light box and the type of graphics used may vary depending on the manufacturer or customers demand. It is to be expected that the type of light engines will vary depending on depth.

Depth Light engine
< 50mm Edge lit panel or backlit
50mm – 100mm Back lit
> 100mm Back lit or side lit

In addition to the EZ safety requirements previously listed the following performance criteria must be adhered to.

  1. minimum of 100 lumens per watt
  2. maximum of 50W per m2
  3. minimum of 90% uniformity (across 25 points)

 

While 6000-6500K is typically used in lightboxes for outdoor media, careful consideration should be given to the image colours and the instore lighting colour specification before determining the LED colour used.

Lightboxes should be bright enough to ensure a minimum of 2:1 (noticeable) contrast ratio (accent/background) but some can be expected to be between 5:1 (low theatrical) and 10:1 (theatrical).

Tension fabric light boxes

Translucent graphic panels are to have a translucency of no less then 35% and should always be of high quality and crease-free.

 

Type Expected light level
Back lit           4000 lux

Lighting schematics

All designs should be verified by the intended lighting manufacturer before completion of the schematic and before progressing to prototyping.

Revisions to the schematic may be required after prototype and before final submission to the client for approval and dc certification.

Before starting the schematic its recommended to establish the requirement of the following key elements:


Load

  1. Establish the total number of LED modules needed and the total wattage of the load. (This will help you to select the driver size and number of drivers.)
  2. Drivers should be loaded to 90% capacity to meet the ECA criteria.
  3. Where this is not possible, 50% capacity should be the absolute minimum.
  4. If the load is more than 60W then multiple drivers or larger drivers will be needed.
  5. Refer to fusing section to establish how many fuses are needed and where they are located.

 

Distribution

The length of cables and number of connections should be kept to a minimum to ensure efficiency and fixings should be used to ensure that cables are held in place.

Conversion

The control must be mounted in a secure, ventilated location with access restricted to skilled personnel only

Supply

The fused spur must be accessible to store staff. Some retailers will require input cable access from both above and below the unit. This should be established during the brief with the client.


EZ 1 (Supply) Requirements

 

The requirements for the EZ 1 (Supply) zone are:

  1. The LV power supply into the display has to be isolated with 13A protection (either via a plug and socket or a fused spur unit).
  2. The isolation point should be switched. It should also be clearly marked and referenced on the store schematic so that staff are able to isolate the supply during maintenance and repair.
  3. Cables into and out of the fused spur must have strain relief.
  4. Cables into and out of the display must have strain relief or panel mount connections, preferably lockable.
  5. Where displays are ‘daisy chained’ and mains power is distributed via a series of connectors, the total load must not exceed the 13Amp rating of the plug and socket or spur unit.
  6. Extension sockets are not recommended for mains power distribution as they can be easily damaged and misused by store staff.
  7. Socket timers and plug adaptors are not recommended.
  8. LV power cables should not be of the coiled variety and excess cable length should be minimised.
  9. Cables should be kept tidy and restrained to avoid accidental snagging.
  10. Flexible power cables that stretch across the floor to supply the unit should be avoided. Where long flexible cables are needed, use appropriate protectors to avoid hazards.
  11. All cables should be insulated and sheathed, with a minimum of 1mm protection thickness.

EZ 2 (Conversion)

 

The requirements for the EZ 2 (Conversion) zone are:

  1. Fix LED drivers onto a mounting plate along with the ELV fuse and earth. Using studs and bolts rather than rivets will allow for the reuse of the plate.
  2. For 60W power supplies the ELV fuse must be very fast acting (FF) and rated to the fault condition on the driver.
  3. For larger power supplies the fuse must be rated to the current rating of the cabling in EZ3
  4. Mounting holes should allow for alternative LED drivers where possible.
  5. All cables to be restrained on the mounting plate itself.
  6. Use lockable input and output connectors to ensure the integrity of connectivity.
  7. Mount the control gear horizontally or vertically, but not inverted.
  8. Position the control gear in an area that has ventilation.
  9. Access to the control gear should only be possible with the use of a tool. It should not be accessible to the public or unsupervised/unskilled personnel.
  10. The polarity of the ELV output must be indicated either by coloured cable (black and red) or by labels.


EZ 3 (Distribution)

 

The requirements for the EZ 3 (Distribution) zone are:

  1. All LV distribution cables and connections must comply with the
  3. Lighting schematics
  4. All designs should be verified by the intended lighting manufacturer before completion of the schematic and before progressing to prototyping.

Revisions to the schematic may be required after prototype and before final submission to the client for approval and dc certification.

Before starting the schematic its recommended to establish the requirement of the following key elements:


Load

  1. Establish the total number of LED modules needed and the total wattage of the load. (This will help you to select the driver size and number of drivers.)
  2. Drivers should be loaded to 90% capacity to meet the ECA criteria.
  3. Where this is not possible, 50% capacity should be the absolute minimum.
  4. If the load is more than 60W then multiple drivers or larger drivers will be needed.
  5. Refer to fusing section to establish how many fuses are needed and where they are located.

 

Distribution

The length of cables and number of connections should be kept to a minimum to ensure efficiency and fixings should be used to ensure that cables are held in place.

Conversion

The control must be mounted in a secure, ventilated location with access restricted to skilled personnel only

Supply

The fused spur must be accessible to store staff. Some retailers will require input cable access from both above and below the unit. This should be established during the brief with the client.


  1. EZ 1 (Supply) Requirements    .
  2. ELV distribution circuits must be protected by a very fast acting fuse at the beginning of the circuit, rated to the fault condition of the driver.
  3. ELV cables into and out of the display must have strain relief or panel mount connections, preferably lockable.
  4. ELV cables should be insulated and sheathed, and minimum of 0.5mm protection thickness.
  5. ELV cables should be kept tidy and restrained to avoid accidental snagging.
  6. ELV distribution plugs and sockets must be rated to minimum of 3 Amps and kept to a minimum to reduce inefficiencies.
  7. Voltage drop may occur when cables are over 2 meters. Therefore, it is important to ensure the cables are rated to the required load and volt drop.
  8. The polarity of the ELV output must be indicated either by coloured cable (black and red) or by labels.

 

EZ 4 (Load)

 

The requirements for the EZ 4 (Load) zone are:

  1. If the fuse used in EZ 2 is used to protect EZ 3 then and additional FF fuse must be used to protect EZ 4.
  2. LED light engines should be provided with appropriate heatsinking for thermal management.
  3. LED light engines must be mechanically fixed in place using screws or fire-rated fixing pins or clamps.
  4. LEDs must be mechanically fixed in place. When flexible tape LEDs with an adhesive backing are used, follow the manufacturer’s instructions and cure times.
  5. LV luminaires must be fixed in place. If magnets are used with a metal structure, the magnets must have a pull force no less than 20kg per 350mm.
  6. Cables into light engines, luminaires, and light boxes must have strain relief.
  7. Light engines, luminaires, and light boxes must have the appropriate level of IP protection to be used in the application.
  8. The polarity of the ELV output must be in indicated either by coloured cable (black and red) or by labels.

 

Figure 2 Example of 24V 60W circuit

EZ1 The LV supply connection via RCD and 13 Amp switched fused spur
EZ2 LED diver with (FF – Very Fast Acting) fused ELV output rated to the fault condition of the driver and no greater than the rating of EZ3 or EZ4.

 

Note: This provides two forms of protection, the primary protection is the fuse (2.5Amp) and the secondary protection is the rating of the remaining circuit (3Amp).
EZ3 The minimum rating of the ELV distribution must be 3 Amps
EZ4 The minimum rating of the ELV load must be 3 Amps

 

Figure 3. Example of 12V 60W circuit

EZ1 The LV supply connection via RCD and 13 Amp switched fused spur
EZ2 LED diver with (FF – Very Fast Acting) fused ELV output rated to the fault condition of the driver and no greater than the rating of EZ3 or EZ4.

 

Note: The load has been split into 2x3Amp circuits.
EZ3 The minimum rating of the ELV distribution must be 3 Amps
EZ4 The minimum rating of the ELV load must be 3 Amps

 

Figure 4. Example of 24V 200W circuit

EZ1 The LV supply connection via RCD and 13 Amp switched fused spur
EZ2 LED diver with fused ELV output rated to the fault condition of EZ3
EZ3 The minimum rating of the ELV distribution must be 3 Amps and must include fusing rated to the load of EZ4 and not grater the fuse in EZ2
EZ4 The minimum rating of the ELV load must be greater than the fusing of EZ3

 

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