Nelo Neves, Managing Director at LEDVANCE UK, explains how the company is supporting better lighting through simple wireless control.

Lighting is increasingly expected to do more than provide basic illumination. It must support visual comfort, adapt to different activities and respond to changing conditions, while also helping to reduce energy use. As a result, lighting control is becoming a standard part of modern installations rather than a specialist addition.

LEDVANCE Direct Easy has been developed as a straightforward wireless control system that enables lighting to respond to how spaces are actually used, without adding complexity to installation or commissioning.

Direct Easy operates using Zigbee 3.0 wireless communication and is set up via Bluetooth using a smartphone app. This approach allows luminaires to be grouped and adjusted quickly, making it suitable for both new installations and refurbishment projects where layouts or occupancy patterns may change over time. Because no control wiring, gateways or cloud connections are required, lighting can be configured locally and adapted later without disruption, which is particularly useful in occupied buildings such as offices, schools and retail environments.

A broader range of customers

As wireless control becomes more common on everyday projects, having accessible systems that do not require specialist configuration helps wholesalers support a broader range of customers, from maintenance contractors to small commercial installers.

Once installed, up to 40 luminaires can be grouped within a zone, allowing lighting to be tailored to specific areas rather than treating entire spaces as a single lighting environment. This supports more even light distribution across working areas, while allowing circulation routes or peripheral zones to operate at lower levels. From a lighting quality perspective, this helps avoid over-lighting and improves visual comfort by reducing unnecessary brightness contrasts within a space.

The system also supports daylight harvesting and presence detection, enabling lighting to respond automatically to available natural light and occupancy. When daylight levels are sufficient, luminaires dim to maintain consistent illumination, while unoccupied areas can be reduced or switched off entirely. This not only lowers energy consumption but also helps maintain stable visual conditions throughout the day, reducing the risk of glare or excessive brightness when daylight levels fluctuate. When combined, these features can deliver energy savings of up to 50% compared to LED installations without lighting control.

Direct Easy supports dimming, Tunable White and dynamic RGB control where compatible luminaires are used, allowing light levels and colour temperatures to be adapted to different tasks or times of day. In practical terms, this means cooler light can be used in task-focused environments to support concentration, while warmer tones may be more appropriate in social, hospitality or customer-facing spaces. This flexibility allows lighting to contribute to the overall function and atmosphere of a space, rather than remaining fixed at a single setting.

Visual comfort

The system is designed to work with Zigbee 3.0 compatible LEDVANCE luminaires, which offer high luminous efficacy and low flicker performance. High efficacy ensures required light levels are achieved with lower power consumption, while low flicker supports visual comfort, particularly in environments where people spend long periods under artificial lighting. Combining efficient luminaires with responsive control enables both lighting quality and operational efficiency to be addressed together as part of a single system.

Adaptability over the life of a building is also an important consideration. Direct Easy installations can remain as simple, locally controlled wireless systems, or they can be expanded and integrated into more comprehensive lighting management platforms if future requirements change. Because the system is based on open Zigbee 3.0 standards, upgrades can be achieved without replacing luminaires or control devices, supporting longer system lifecycles and more sustainable refurbishment strategies.

For wholesalers, installers and end-users, the move towards wireless control reflects a broader shift in the market towards lighting that is efficient, adaptable and responsive. Having accessible control solutions available alongside luminaires supports installers who are increasingly asked to deliver lighting that balances performance, comfort and energy efficiency across a wide range of everyday projects.

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Flexibility, durability, sustainability and ease of use are the hallmarks of Ansell Lighting’s new Gabbro street light.

Constructed from durable high quality modern die-cast aluminium, Gabbro’s reliability in harsh outdoor environments makes it a highly dependable choice for long-term installations in carparks and walkways, as well as healthcare, education and commercial settings.

Gabbro’s extreme flexibility of use sets the street light apart from its competitors, meeting multiple project requirements within one product.

It is the only product that is both CCT selectable – between 3000K and 4000K – and power selectable. This provides a choice of up to three outputs in one luminaire and means light output can be customised on site.

A standard NEMA socket adds to Gabbro’s versatility, allowing customers to choose additional controls such as photocells or smart lighting solutions, while a 30° head tilt allows for varying widths of light distribution and an in-built breather gland delivers optimal heat dissipation and performance.

Compatibility with common spigot sizes means the street light can be used in a wide variety of installations and a range of enhanced labour and cost saving features ensure fast, accurate installation and minimal maintenance.

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Anthony Parkinson, Technical Compliance Manager at Ansell Lighting, explains what measures are being taken to support the company’s commitment to sustainability.

Sustainability is no longer a buzzword; it’s a core business principle. In the lighting industry we’ve seen a shift towards greener practices both in terms of use – thanks to smart lighting – and durability and longevity – due to product development.

At Ansell Lighting we have been at the forefront of creating greener products for many years – releasing our first low energy LED products in 2004.

As a responsible manufacturer we realise there are many more measures that can be undertaken to reduce carbon and waste footprint and this decarbonisation of direct and in-direct emissions supports our goal of achieving Net Zero.

We have worked closely with our manufacturing partners to ensure they minimise how their operations negatively affect the environment and that they comply with the associated laws and applicable compliance, which has assisted in developing a culture of environmental awareness and mindset of sustainable operation.

Environmental champions

Internally, our innovative Green Team – a group of environmental champions within the business who promote sustainability – consistently re-evaluate the way we do things and look for innovative solutions to reduce waste and to do more with less.

While we have undertaken the most obvious and necessary things such as getting rid of single use plastic waste; introducing fully recyclable packaging; reducing the footprint of our fleet of vehicles; and recycling as many spare parts as we can, including empty bodies and drivers, we have also looked at the bigger picture.

By making changes to key products, such as adding power selectability and CCT, or removing drivers, we have been able reduce the number of stock keeping units (SKUs) required for stock.

And more than just changing our packaging to unbleached, fully recycled and recyclable brown cardboard – one of the most environmentally friendly packaging materials – which in itself removed 16 tonnes of plastic from our protective packaging in 2023, we have also ensured fixing kits are now supplied in small paper bags, with biodegradable paper protecting the products.

More recently we have removed more than half of the paper guides and instructions from packaged products. The installation instructions for the specific product are still included, but all the generic information and master safety instructions can now be accessed simply by scanning the QR code on the pictorial instructions. This simple switch is set to help us save 23.1 tonnes of paper and avoid 30.5 tonnes of CO2 this year alone and reduce the waste for our customers to dispose of.

Supporting our customers

But of course it is not just about reducing our carbon footprint. It’s about supporting our customers in reducing theirs and ensuring the end user ends up with a durable, energy efficient lighting installation that delivers what they need.

The benefits of LED lighting are well publicised – using around 80% less energy than traditional alternatives and maintenance is also low cost as LEDs last for around 30,000 hours without overheating or developing faults. Communicating the benefits to our customers so they can make the right recommendations to theirs is key.

We recently launched our new Pace Plus panel lights and, in order to support our customers, we carried out a comparison to bring to life the savings that can be made by updating luminaires.

We were able to demonstrate that when comparing the use of 12 generic panel lights (30W and 100lm/W) with 12 Pace Plus panels (15W and 185lm/W) in a common classroom setting Pace Plus used 50% less energy to achieve the same results – the generic panels use 118kg of CO2 per year and cost £138 to operate, while Pace Plus use 58kg of CO2 per year and cost £68 to operate. That’s a total saving of 60kg of CO2 and £70. To put that into perspective, a medium-sized school with 15 classrooms of similar size would save 900kg of CO2 and £1,050 a year.

Of course smart lighting plays a huge role in the increased energy efficiency of lighting projects – when you consider that up to 40% of energy consumption in commercial buildings can be attributed to lighting, making sure it is only used when and where it is needed is vital in reducing bills.

Warehouse upgrade

Reflecting this, in one of our latest green initiatives, we installed a significant upgrade of the lighting in our main warehouse and distribution hub in Warrington. Improving energy efficiency, reducing ongoing maintenence costs, strengthening sustainability and providing more flexibility, we refitted this key area with Z LED Performance and Z LED Linear Opti-X luminaires, and integrated them with our OCTO connected lighting system.

As well as promoting improved performance, enhanced visual comfort and on-site safety for our colleagues, it delivered an instant reduction in energy consumption and cost savings, which equate to nine tonnes of CO2 emission savings each year and payback on investment in two years.

This was definitely a case of practising what we preach, but also demonstrating that as an industry there are a multitude of ways to support sustainability.

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The regular testing and maintenance of emergency lighting systems is a legal requirement but often the process is flawed, putting lives at risk. In this article, Chris Anderson, Technical Manager at Ansell Lighting, highlights the issues that can compromise the reliability of emergency lighting systems and explores the emerging new methods of control and monitoring set to overcome them. 

A crucial part of ensuring an environment is safe when normal illumination fails, emergency lighting is a legal requirement in all public, commercial and high occupancy residential buildings. Designed to protect occupants when there is sudden darkness caused by a power cut, fire or other circumstance, emergency lighting should provide sufficient light for long enough to enable all occupants to evacuate a building safely. 

When embarking on an emergency lighting installation, one of the key considerations is ease of maintenance and testing, so it is vital that this is part of the sales message for the wholesaler.   

So, what is required? Emergency lighting systems must be tested and maintained at regular intervals by law and in accordance with the latest regulations to ensure they are fit for purpose. Emergency light testing is a central part of regular building maintenance and most insurance companies require it. Often stipulated within the design brief, commonly building users can opt for emergency lighting systems that either require manual testing or incorporate self-test products.  

When a manual test is carried out, once all lighting circuits and luminaires have been isolated, a tester has to pass through the whole building or circuit, checking that each emergency luminaire is operating correctly. The mains supply is then restored and the whole building or circuit must be walked again to check that the emergency lights have returned to being operational. 

Cost effective maintenance 

An obvious solution is the self-test lighting systems which allow for more cost effective maintenance. When the unit is first installed the fitter can randomly select a test date of between 200 and 365 days. Once this date is set it will continue to test at the same time every year for a full three-hour test. Every 30 days the installation will also be automatically tested for 10 minutes. A small LED button on the fitting will illuminate to show either regular function or that a fault has occurred. 

Whilst self-test systems clearly have the advantage over manual compliance testing, it too can still be imperfect. In both cases, if buildings are unoccupied or being renovated for example, it may not be possible to check luminaires often enough to comply with legal requirements and assess whether emergency lighting systems are up to code.  

The consequences for business owners and responsible persons who fail to comply with fire safety legislation and emergency lighting rules can be very serious. Ultimately, a fire can have tragic consequences if occupants cannot safely escape with owners and those in positions of responsibility being liable to prosecution. Unfortunately, a lack of sufficient emergency lighting remains a regular cause of health and safety cases coming before the courts and a guilty verdict can result in hefty fines or building owners and landlords facing imprisonment. 

However, advancements in new technology are set to provide a solution to these problems entirely, making the control and maintenance of emergency lighting systems more straight forward, cost effective and timely.  

Visual display 

Providing central monitoring capability, a ‘dashboard’ can now provide a visual display of a building’s lighting system in one place. This enables all connected emergency lighting systems to be tested wirelessly and automatically at the touch of a button and can highlight remotely whether an individual luminaire or driver is outside of expected operational parameters.  

Improving efficiency, they can provide insight and access to emergency lighting systems throughout a building or an estate – not just singular installations – improving the speed of testing and maintenance and removing the need for costly and time-consuming manual checks. 

Dashboards are also a great support when it comes to management and reporting. Alongside providing full real time visibility of compliance status at all times, dashboards  store historical test reports and data logs for all connected buildings and systems. This enables those responsible for building maintenance to access information whenever it is required.  

With economic pressures being felt across the board and working practices changing, the use of dashboards is set to become increasingly popular amongst building managers and those working in the emergency lighting maintenance arena.   

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With a complex set of rules surrounding specification and installation, the use of fire-rated downlights (FRDs) can often be misunderstood. Keen to support the industry and ensure complete compliance, Chris Anderson, Technical Manager at Ansell Lighting, discusses the regulations that are in place and the criteria required for installation in specific ceiling types.

A key part of the regulatory agenda, fire safety in buildings is a critical concern throughout the construction industry. With many changes and enhancements made to the Building Safety Act in recent years, the stringent guidelines which businesses and individuals across all trades must follow are helping to ensure that safer buildings are being constructed.

When it comes to downlighting, the UK’s leading charity on fire safety, Electrical Safety First, recommends that in all occurrences where downlights are installed into a ceiling, fire-rated downlights are used. Here we explain why.

In all buildings in the UK, plasterboard floors and ceilings must pass stringent fire tests. A minimum fire-resistance rating of 30 minutes is required in typical two-storey homes whilst those with more floors require longer 60 or 90 minute ratings to prevent rapid fire spread and give occupants chance to evacuate the building.

When installed as a complete structure, the systems and materials developers use to construct floors and ceilings meet the required fire testing standards, but once an opening for a downlight is made, the fire barrier is no longer wholly effective. This is because the holes, even when filled with a standard light fitting, provide a gap for fire and vapours to escape to, enabling them to penetrate the building structure.

By opting for an FRD, this issue can be wholly rectified. FRDs comprise built-in fire protection – a sealed steel body alongside an intumescent strip which stops fire, heat and vapours from spreading into ceiling cavities. FRDs re-instate the fire-resistance capabilities of the floor/ceiling.

Whilst the benefits of installing FRDs are obvious, what isn’t always clear is which type of FRD product should be used in which type of ceiling. This is why it is essential that a building’s fire resistance ratings and the specific requirements relating to different types of ceiling joist is well understood.

As we have briefly touched upon, there are three fire resistance ratings – 30, 60 and 90 minutes – which indicate the length of time a complete floor-ceiling structure must be able to withstand fire. Once identified, ceiling thickness and joist spacing should be considered alongside the type of joist in use. Outlined are the requirements below:

Solid Timber Joist

Typically only seen in domestic properties constructed more than 20 years ago, solid timber joists are the most traditional. Specifications for each fire resistance rating category are:

• 30 minute construction
• 600mm joist centres
• 220mm x 63mm
• 15mm Type A wallboard and plasterboard
• 60 minute construction
• 600mm joist centres
• 220mm x 63mm
• 2 x 15mm Type F Fireline plasterboard
• 90 minute construction
• 450mm joist centres
• 220mm x 63mm
• 2 x 15 mm Type F Fireline plasterboard

I-Joist

I-Joists are the most commonly used joist on new builds across the UK and dominate the house-building market. Specifications for each fire resistance rating category are:

• 30 minute construction
• 600mm joist centres
• 220mm x 63mm – 9mm OSB/3 ‘web’
• 15mm Type A Wallboard plasterboard
• 60 minute construction
• 600mm joist centres
• 220mm x 63mm – 9mm OSB/3 ‘web’
• 2 x 15mm Type F Fireline plasterboard
• 90 minute construction
• 450mm joist centres
• 220mm x 63mm – 9mm OSB/3 ‘web’
• 2 x 15mm Type F Fireline plasterboard

Metal Web/Posi Joist

The Posi Joist (metal web/open web) is a new joist type used in the UK. It combines the lightness of timber with the strength of the Posi Strut steel web, which enables it to span far greater distances. The Posi Joist can be used across a wide range of applications, for both floor and roof, in domestic, industrial and commercial applications. It is not used in 90 minute construction applications. Specifications for the relevant fire resistance rating categories are:

• 30 minute construction
• 600mm joist centres
• PS9 (225mm x 0.9mm) + TR26 (47mm x 72mm timber)
• 15mm Type A Wallboard plasterboard
• 60 minute construction
• 600mm joist centres
• PS10 (253mm x 0.9mm) + TR26 (47mm x 72mm timber)
• 2 x 15mm Type F Fireline plasterboard

Ensuring compliance

Selecting the right FRD can be made simple by selecting a model which complies with every category of the joist specifications; one that is suitable for all ceiling types, joist types and achieves every fire resistance rating.

Whatever FRD you opt for it is essential to ensure that they meet the requirements of building regulations and the NHBC, adhering to the standards set out in Part B Fire Safety, Part C Moisture Protection, Part E Acoustic Resistance and Part L (One and Two) Energy Efficiency Building Regulations.

It is the responsibility of the lighting manufacturer to evidence that a FRD is fully compliant. Products should come with full documentation of relevant testing, including test house certification numbers, to provide absolute confidence that the downlight offers maximum protection to the people inside a building, and the structure itself, in the event of a fire.

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