Fluorescent battens have long been the stalwart of commercial and industrial installations but LED technology brings a whole host of new benefits which are a great selling point for wholesalers, writes Scott Brewer, Head of Technical at Knightsbridge.
The humble fluorescent batten has come along way since American electrical engineer and inventor Peter Cooper Hewitt and German physicist Leo Arons pioneered the first mercury vapour lamps in 1901. The fluorescent tube, with which we are all familiar, came into being 30 years later when a phosphor coating was added to the inside of the tube to improve the quality of the light output.
LED is the future and the way forward, offering superior performance across a whole range of metrics – efficiency, cost, design, and most importantly, speed of installation. The LED lighting market is reputed to be worth around £2.4 billion according to researchers IBISWorld, and the demand is unlikely to wane given the advances we are currently seeing.
The future of battens
So what does this new generation of LED battens look like? And what do they offer your customers in the way of features and benefits? Probably the first thing to say is that dimensions-wise, LED battens are available in the same sizes as their fluorescent predecessors, making them ideal for retrofit installations, while not forgetting their potential for new-build environments. For example, our new fast-fix LED batten range comes in lengths of 2, 4, 5 and 6ft – making them attractive to customers for a range of installations.
The next benefit is the sheer efficiency that LED battens are capable of, with lamps producing upwards of 120lm/w eclipsing the typical 40-100 lm/w from, say, a conventional T5 or T8 lamp. In addition, the quality of light is generally better and the light distribution is improved, reducing unwanted glare which can be disruptive in office or commercial situations.
Multi purpose
As with many electrical products, the adoption of electronics has helped improve not only efficiency but also the versatility of LED battens. Now you can expect to see LED battens that have an emergency lighting function, or a sensor control that detects movement with all the additional environmental and cost benefits that technology brings. Our BATS emergency range includes a lithium ion battery which is capable of storing more energy than the traditional nickel cadmium version, providing extended duration for emergency lighting in the event of a power outage.
Ever conscious that time is money, our BATS range has been designed and manufactured to make installation as simple as possible for contractors, and a real plus point for resellers. The push-fit, loop in / loop out terminal block means wiring is quick and easy; the hinged gear tray allows untroubled access to the lighting bay itself, and the end conduit entry makes finishing off the job neat and trouble-free. We’ve even gone so far as to call these the “Ultra Fast-Fix” battens!
Keeping compliant
One final consideration when it comes to stocking LED battens is compliance with ErP directives. The new ErP directive EU 2019/2020 and the energy efficiency labelling directive EU 2019/2015 was implemented on 25th December 2019, and will be enforced from 1st September 2021, replacing the old ErP directives EC 244/2009, EC 245/2009, EU 1194/2012, and Energy label directive EU 874/2012. While most reputable manufacturers will be offering ErP-compliant products, we have made sure that the BATS range satisfies every aspect of the directive, so your customers can be assured that they are getting the most energy efficient LED lighting out there.
So if you’re looking to stock a range of LED battens then the huge array of sizes, functions and lumen outputs make our latest range a convenient one-stop-shop for all your batten needs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
To explore the batten range in further detail, visit: www.rdr.link/ww009
