The Innovator #8 - looking into sustainability from a holistic perspective

no. 8 looking into sustainability from a holistic perspective

sustainable in all aspects

BLUE LIGHT A RESEARCH PROJECT IN PSYCHOLOGY

PER GRANKVIST

Make money on sustainability

e-Sense Motion

Sustainability in Herning

Electric lighting as a luxury raising standards Ageless but not sharp-eyed

INTERVIEW:

Details make difference according to Josefina Johansson

Sustainability in all aspects!

Dear Reader, this issue of the Innovator focuses on sustainable lighting solutions from a holistic perspective. The matter of sustain­ability has continued to grow in importance, and become a prominent goal for suppliers of premium products. There are several programs focusing on energy efficiency, for example BREEAM, LEED and Green Star, that have become the main drivers in the industry. The requirements for certifications continuously change, lifting the bar to meet new goals. Fagerhult thrives on this challenge, regularly innovating to exceed these standards.

The evolution in lighting is very fast and we see more

and more projects with LED, all over the world and in every imaginable application. The fast impact of LED, in combination with smart lighting controls, means that we can reach new heights in terms of energy savings.

We are focusing on sustainability in all aspects, from materials chosen to energy usage over time. But most importantly, we never forget the human aspect when developing energy-efficient products. LED solutions have to be applied correctly to achieve world-class lighting comfort. With an innovative mindset, curiosity and over 70 years of experience we always strive to improve to meet and exceed our customers’ requirements.

So happy reading to all you innovators!

Elisabeth Back Head of Products and Brands – Fagerhult

publisher:

Fagerhult Belysning AB Åvägen 1, SE 566 80, Habo, Sweden Phone: +46 36 10 85 00 www.fagerhult.com

editor:

Klas Andersson, klas.andersson@fagerhult.se

graphic design:

Fagerhult Inhouse

cover photo:

Mats Andersson

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The rebirth of a hospital

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In this issue NO. 8

It’s common sense!

How to make money on sustainability

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Gallery Projects and products we are proud of

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Raising Standards Buildings environmental performance

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Can blue light make us better people? Ă…sa Moum explains

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A perspective from Down Under Fighting disposable economy

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The rebirth of a hospital Haga Hospital, a state of the art project

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Details that make a difference Asking the right questions

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Back to the future How Fagerhult solved the LED equation

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Lighting control An integral part of a sustainability initiative

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Ageless but not sharp-eyed Lighting needs for an aging population

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Research turned into reality The revitalization of outdoor lighting control

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Electric lighting as a luxury Bright Future

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e-Sense Motion Lighting control outdoor

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Seeing is believing Fagerhult visits Solar Sisters

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Sustainability and connectivity The city of Herning invests in the future

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the innovator

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It’s common sense!

How to make money on sustainability.

Corporate social responsibility isn’t just a buzzword anymore. Big or small, retailer or supplier, every company needs to be accountable for its actions. Sound expensive and difficult? Then you’re being short-­ sighted, says Per Grankvist, a Swedish trends analyst specialising in sustainability issues. text amelie bergman | photo anna hållams

Can you really make money on sustainability?

”Of course! Some of the world’s most innovative companies make sustainability a central part of their strategy.

And not because they’re paragons of virtue. They’re just being sensible rather than short-sighted.”

Per Grankvist is a trends analyst, writer and lecturer. He’s passionate about some of the key issues of our time: sustainability, ethics and social commitment at the private, political and professional levels. Viewing sustainability as a common-sense issue instead of a matter of policy and legislation makes it much easier to see what needs to be done and how to do it.

”We need to get away from all these silly abbreviations – CSR, ESG, GRI. They may sound impressive, but mostly they’re just confusing. If we want people and companies to understand

it’s common sense!

what sustainability is all about, we need to explain it in a way that even my old mum would understand,” Grankvist says. common sense At the core it’s just plain common sense.

It’s about getting back to how we used to act – up until around 100 years ago.

It’s about conserving resources.

”We need to find a long-term sustainable way to take care of one another and our planet so it can support all of us.

Sustainable development is about being able to make free choices now without robbing our children and grandchildren of that same opportunity.”

Conserving resources is everyone’s business. It’s something we’re all capable of, regardless of nationality or culture. Every time we use nature’s resources wisely, we save money. It’s about being sensible rather than short-sighted.

”Look at it this way: it’s great to have lights in the bathroom, but it’s wasteful to leave them on when you’re not there.

So why not have lights controlled by motion sensors? That conserves your resources and saves money.” resources are money Making money on sustainability is an abstract concept that seems hard to grasp. But making money on resources – physical and human – is easy. Every company wants to make money; that’s why they exist.

”Corporations are global, undemocratic organisations that are ruled by money. But consumers can make them listen through their buying power. When customers vote with their wallets, things start happening,” Grankvist says.

He puts the case of a certain global sports shoe manufacturer as an example. About 15 years ago, this company got into hot water when it emerged that their Indonesian supplier used child labour. Customers were not happy and started a boycott.

”It could have been one of the most ineffectual boycotts in history, but because the campaign went viral in the new social media, the company’s sales took a substantial hit. That made them get to grips with the issues in their supply chain.”

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Per Grankvist Per Grankvist is author of Sweden’s most acclaimed book on sustainability in practice “CSR i praktiken”, and an authority on ethics and corporate sustainability. As one of the leading voices on sustainability in Sweden, he’s regularly invited to speak on sustainability at universities and corporations all over the world.

Photo: Anna Hållams

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U. S. G

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”In much of northern Europe, particularly Scandinavia, we have a somewhat naive view of sustainability work. That you do it because it’s the right thing to do. Perhaps it’s a part of our Lutheran heritage, striving to be virtuous for virtue’s sake. But sensible companies see it as a way to make money.”

Grankvist describes how an international mining company brought that message home to him.

”I met their marketing manager in New York, and she told me about their successful project to reduce the number of deaths in their mines. A very noble and worthy cause, I thought in my typical Swedish mindset. However, I soon felt foolish when she explained the company’s motivation: Digging a body out of the rubble takes days and costs a lot of money in terms of lost production time and unused equipment.”

Another example is an oil company replacing its pipelines to reduce the risk of leakage. Oil is simply too expensive to be leaked onto the tundra. The polar bears’ welfare is just an added bonus.

”If it’s possible to conserve resources whilst avoiding poisoning the world and

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it’s common sense!

right turns The US office furniture manufacturer Steelcase became a pioneer in its sector when it decided to clean up its textile dyes.

”They analysed every substance and slashed the list from 800 dyes to just 34 that were all environmentally defensible. As I recall, they were even edible, and still included every colour of the rainbow. They also consulted one of those famous Swiss analytical institutes and found that the local watercourses get less polluted when the dye process occurs upstream rather than downstream. Very smart!”

There are loads of examples like this. IKEA, famed for its flatpack furniture, switched to lightweight recyclable cardboard pallets instead of wooden ones, saving valuable volume and weight in transit. Then there was UPS, which redrew its delivery routes in New York so that its vans only make right turns.

Ph oto : H& M

still come in on budget – then of course we’ll do it!”

yes, the recommendation is: Buy! And if not – Sell!

Sustainability has become a competitive advantage, an opportunity to meet the market’s demand in the long term. One company that embraced sustainability as an important part of its brand was the Swedish fashion giant H&M. With its sustainable Conscious Collection, H&M established itself as one of the most progressive fashion companies in the market. Film stars, royalty and ordinary people are all clamouring to wear the Conscious Collection.

”Instead of overworked employees slaving in sweatshops, which is bound to negatively impact product quality, H&M ensure good working conditions from the start. The company learned from its previous mistakes. They changed their procedures and did it right.

At first they just focused on having a sustainable collection – they forgot

Photo: UPS

”By eliminating left turns, you avoid idling at red lights, which saves time and minimises exhaust fumes. Not only can they deliver more parcels, they also save big money on fuel. So stop looking for ‘sustainability’ and ‘profitability’ solutions – if you look at resources instead, you’ll find all three!” from conscious to catwalk Sensible rather than short-sighted thinking has even become a key parameter of stock market analysis. Can the company turn a profit while conserving resources? Can it deliver what the customers want? Does it accept its social responsibility? If the answer is

Ph oto : GM B ARASH, H&M

Ph oto

: Pic

abay

not saints, just sensible It’s a common misconception that prioritising sustainability is something companies do out of the goodness of their hearts.

about being a fashion company. The trick, of course, was to combine high fashion with sustainable production.

That’s when they hit the jackpot.” diversity is a resource Diversity is a much-vaunted word in companies’ CSR reports – but even this is all about resource management.

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“If we want people and companies to understand what sustainability is all about, we need to explain it in a way that even my old mum would understand.”

Per Grankvist, Swedish trends analyst specialising in sustainability issues

Photo: Pexels.com

”It’s easy to reduce diversity to a focus on gender, ethnicity or age. But really, it’s about making the most of all the resources the company has. Consider language. Language is a unique resource.

A company that can approach its customers in their own language will have a huge advantage in the global economy.

At your local IKEA store, every employee wears a name badge with little flags indicating what languages they speak. It’s a lot easier to understand how to assemble your Billy shelves when it’s explained in your own language. Starbucks has a similar policy, where additional languages are seen as a bonus. The major banks have also started thinking along the same lines. How much better is it for customers to negotiate their home loans in a langu-

age they know? Diversity can always be converted into service, and service is money.

”The same thinking applies to diversity in the boardroom. Is it sensible to only have men on the board of a fashion company that manufactures and sells clothes for women? Or is it short-sighted?” someone has to be sacked A company that works actively with its values and focuses on sustainability, and which integrates both into its brand, will be able to attract the very best staff.

Assuming that it lives up to its values, of course.

”I don’t care if you have the most admirable values in the world emblazoned on the wall in your staff canteen.

Your Code of Conduct means nothing until someone gets sacked,” Grankvist says.

If an employee is fired for visiting a brothel while on a business trip, it shows that the code of conduct is a force to be reckoned with. The alternative – playing down what happened or covering up the real reason the employee was fired – diminishes the code’s clout.

”If there’s one thing that makes companies take action, it’s when they mess up and lose business to their competitors.

So there’s no question we’ll see companies step up. Politics is always local, but business is global. In the next 10 years, sustainability considerations will have a much greater impact on how companies do business than even the Internet has had. You can count on that.”

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raising standards

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Raising Standards Francis Pearce outlines the differences between the two leading method of measuring a building’s environmental performance. text francis pearce | photo pnc

Pressure is on developers and property owners to ensure that their buildings save energy, cut emissions and are better to live and work in. In the UK, for example, the built environment accounts for 45 percent of carbon emissions and roughly a third of landfill waste comes from the construction or demolition of buildings. However, two voluntary standards in particular are helping to drive up the environmental performance of new and refurbished buildings around the globe. They are the UK Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) and the US Green Building Council (USGBC)’s green building certification programme called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

BREEAM was launched in 1990 as a means of measuring their environmental performance in the design, specification, construction and operation of new buildings such as offices, shops, schools and hospitals. It has since expanded to cover refurbishment, communities, homes and schemes that do not quite fit any category, as well as projects outside the UK, principally in mainland Europe. LEED was trialled in 1998 and officially launched in 2000, to be followed by schemes such as Australia’s

Green Star, HQE in France, CASBEE in Japan and China’s Three Star System.

BREEAM and LEED have by far the biggest coverage although according to the test, instruments, research and consultancy organisation BSRIA, LEED is now the dominant green building standard in emerging markets and Europe, with BREEAM leading only in the UK. There are more than 534,700 BREEAM certified developments, and almost 2,215,600 buildings worldwide have been registered for assessment over the past 25 years. The USGBC says there are more than 72,500 LEED building projects located in over 150 countries and territories led by the USA, Canada, China, India and Brazil. More than one standard can coexist in a geographic market. For example, the UK has the fifth largest number of LEED Accredited Professionals even though it is the home of BREEAM.

BREEAM and LEED are voluntary standards but complying with them can add to the capital costs of project.

Indeed, the USGBC rather gloomily suggests that ‘sourcing the right materials, using the right professionals, and securing suitable design features in your building, has an ”environmental levy” that businesses and residents are currently unwilling to pay.’ So why bother?

The Sweett Group a construction consultancy estimates that office developers invest up to two percent more to target higher BREEAM ratings but recover those extra costs within two to five years by cutting their energy and water bills. The Better Buildings Partnership, a commercial property network, warns that in future buildings that are not demonstrably sustainable could fall foul of new regulations and lose value.

And a study by Maastricht University published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) shows that office renters are prepared to pay a premium for ‘green’ accommodation.

‘There is a greater ‘kudos’ associated with a sustainable building, and it is well known that tenants are more likely to be attracted to green buildings than those that aren’t, which means more competitive rental incomes,’ says leading BREEAM expert Dr Hardip Singh Mann, a senior sustainability advisor for BAM Construct UK. ‘Recent studies reveal that sale prices of BREEAM-rated buildings are increased by about 15 to 20 percent and rental rates between 20 and 25 percent higher than conventional unrated buildings, with an average increase of about three percent per rating level for LEEDcertified buildings. For developers, the

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prime benefit of sustainable real estate is preservation or increase of the value of the building, followed by reputation, reduction of energy costs, emissions and operating costs.’

Crucially, given that most building stock in old, in 2013 the BRE launched BREEAM In-Use International, to provide property owners and developers with a measure of the sustainability of existing buildings. The city of Stockholm is its biggest user with some 100 buildings including its City Hall, Stock Exchange building and House of Culture all certified. European investment giant Axa

raising standards

plans to certify about two thirds of its property assets by 2030, including refurbished buildings to ‘lower energy use and CO₂ emissions, increase stakeholder participation and anticipate environmental impacts.’

BREEAM is used to score performance against eight sets of criteria ranging from energy and water use through to the health and well-being of a building’s occupants. It also recognises innovations that are not covered by established benchmarks. The top BREEAM rating is Outstanding, followed by ’ Excellent, Very Good, Good, Pass and Unclassified.

LEED is similar but based on points accrued for satisfying specific green criteria. The highest rating is Platinum, followed by Gold, Silver and Certified.

Although there are differences within the credits the two schemes overlap.

BREEAM and LEED mainly differ in the way certification takes place. BREEAM has been described as more prescriptive than LEED. BREEAM takes a lead from European and UK legislation and bases its criteria on management, health and wellness, energy, transport, water, materials, waste, environment and ecology, pollution and innovation. LEED is based

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A data-driven media installation displays the energy performance of The Tower at PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh, owned by PNC Financial Services Group. The Beacon indicates energy and water consumption, water recycling, natural ventilation, waste, composting and use of artificial light in real time. The building achieved LEED Platinum certification, the US Green Building Council’s highest rating. The Beacon created by ESI Design comprises almost 1600 transparent liquid crystal polycarbonate panels back lit by LED lights

on the American ASHRAE standards and based on sustainable site development, effective management of water, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, awareness and training, innovation and design process, location and links.

BSRIA summed up the other differences between BREEAM and LEED thus: while BREEAM is based on best practice, quantitative thresholds and assessor involvement, LEED relies on optional standards, percentage thresholds and team involvement. BREEAM uses trained assessors who report to the BRE which validates their judgement and issues certificates whereas LEED information demonstrating compliance is gathered by the design team and submitted for third party verification. Training is not required but the USGBC gives a credit when an Accredited Professional (AP) is used.

Comparing the two standards, UK architects Wilmott Dixon noted that while BREEAM counts carbon, ‘there are also differences in the way LEED calculates credits; they are generally linked to the US Dollar (especially the energy credits), which means that if the exchange rate is unfavourable, then the building’s rating could suffer.’ Ultimately, though, the choice of standards is often dictated by global corporate policy.

For example, Germany’s Siemens uses LEED worldwide for all its new buildings whereas Deloitte’s chose BREEAM for its 40,000 square metres, energy neutral corporate headquarters in Amsterdam, The Edge building. It achieved an outstanding rating with the highest ever BREEAM score of 98.36 percent to set a new global benchmark.

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A perspective from Down Under

The importance on fighting back against a disposable economy Although Australia’s overall space is bigger than Europe, it is still an island. Don’t be fooled, even an island can be affected by climate change and Australia is no exception. Climate change has been a major issue in Australia since the beginning of the 21st century. In 2014, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology released a report on the state of Australia’s climate that highlighted several key points, including the dramatic increase in Australia’s temperatures and the increasing frequency of bush fires, droughts and floods, which have all been linked to climate change. text jayne piercy

The matter of Sustainability in Australia has continued to grow in importance, and become a prominent goal for suppliers of premium quality Australian products. However this was not always an important factor, with most companies only concerned in meeting the most basic mandatory standards.

”In Australia we are currently witnessing an increasing demand for sustainable goods and services. This proposes an exciting opportunity for our country to transform its dependence on the transitory mining industry and to assert the ‘Made in Australia’ brands as premium businesses. To which these businesses can be globally identified and accredited with sustainability excellence,” discusses Alan Jones, Managing Director at Eagle Lighting Australia.

Well over 40 years ago, government

a perspective from down under

regulations were virtually non-existent.

The regulations were not designed to assist or direct people to manufacture in a sustainable manner. They were simply created to prevent injury and ill health, a vast difference to where we are at now.

As government regulations started to be introduced on OHS and environmental practices, Eagle Lighting Australia made a conscious decision to review other damages, especially to reduce any operational impacts to our environment.

It is not only government regulations that Eagle Lighting Australia strives to meet. A company objective is for ELA to excel in achieving certifications within voluntary programs.

The aforementioned programs include Greenstar, NABERS, IPART/VEET. These have become the three main drivers in our industry. Rob Kilkenny, Sales

& Marketing Director at Eagle Lighting Australia mentions that ”Greenstar is our flagship, it is what’s most important to us and also the area we are most successful in meeting”. Greenstar is a voluntary code that is revised regularly, substantially faster than government regulations. The requirements for Greenstar certification continuously change, lifting the bar for specifiers to meet new standards. Eagle Lighting Australia, thrive on this challenge, regularly exceeding these standards and securing specifications for projects.

The current Greenstar regulations direct an increase of ambient lighting, essentially that there is to be greater light on ceilings and walls. This regulation provides the perfect opportunity for Eagle Lighting to market Fagerhult’s Itza, DTI and Notor lighting solutions. In

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addition, if a lighting solutions provider can offer lighting controls that allow an individual to customise the environment around them, an additional certification point can be achieved.

Greenstar compliance is awarded by the Green Building Council of Australia.

Their template allows companies to measure buildings against each other on their environmental impacts.

”Obtaining a Greenstar rating has driven our designers to create solutions that deliver the lowest watts per square meter per 100 lux,” says Rob Kilkenny.

”In terms of Eagle Lighting Australia, Greenstar has been one of the key motivators for our engineering department to design lighting solutions that exceed these requirements. Our goal here is to produce luminaires that generate greater spacings, the best uniformity and the lowest glare ratings without compromising human comfort.”

Another Australian sustainability system is NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System). This is a government initiative to rate buildings or a floor against another, based on energy efficiency. The benefit of this system is for owners and tenants, as they can compare energy consumption from one property to the next on equal terms. This aids in providing competition in the market, as a building with a better rating ideally becomes occupied sooner due to energy savings. In turn this creates a market for refurbishments

Grosvenor Place tower provides prestigious office space in Sydney's northern central business district, New South Wales.

and businesses within the industry to lift the environmental ratings of their space.

A key NABERS project Eagle Lighting Australia recently worked on was The Grosvenor Place tower in NSW.

”The Grosvenor Place tower has proven its timeless contemporary design can implement smart technologies to harness modern sustainability, delivering year-on-year energy reductions. Over the past 18 months, Grosvenor Place has been looking to

increase lighting energy efficiency, testing Eagle Multifive LED luminaires with the Organic Response lighting control systems. The successful results led to the decision to retrofit the combination to all skyrise tenancy areas. Our investment in the new technology passes on energy savings directly to tenants with the additional benefit of an extended warranty to reduce ongoing maintenance costs” states John Derrick, Executive Director of Grosvenor Place.

In Australia sustainability incen-

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“Sustainability and best environmental practice is not just about individual things, it’s also about looking at the company as a whole and to think about how it is we use resources.”

Peter Janglund, Operations Director at Eagle Lighting, Australia

tives also filter down into state based programs, such as IPART (Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, in New South Wales) and VEET (Victorian Energy Efficiency Target, in Victoria).

These Government energy efficiency incentive schemes use certificates to trade in more efficient energy products.

This trade is now moving into the commercial area, allowing Eagle Lighting to expand and explore these opportunities created.

With the above certifications in mind, it would be remiss not to manufacture products in a sustainable manner. Hence why Eagle Lighting luminaires are all created within a sustainable and environmentally friendly facility. It

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is also the preference of Eagle Lighting to use local suppliers to minimise transportation, therefore creating fewer emissions. ”Sustainability and best environmental practice is not just about individual things, it’s also about looking at the company as a whole and to think about how it is we use resources” discusses Peter Janglund, Operations Director at Eagle Lighting Australia. ”We utilise recycling bins for both the factory and the office. In addition, there are regular reviews of our luminaire packaging in order to minimise waste both in the factory and on project sites, with Eagle Lighting Australia regularly tailoring packaging for larger projects to our

client’s needs.”

All of the equipment in the factory is modern, efficient, minimises scrap and the powder-coating facilities are state of the art. In turn, all of this reduces energy usage. The powder coating line is also a closed system, with no waste generated. All the powder is recycled, along with the water. Eagle Lighting also utilise water from rainwater tanks within the facility.

As reflected annually in the Fagerhult Groups sustainability report, Eagle Lighting track steel usage, packing materials, CO₂ emissions, paper, plastic, gas and electricity. They also report to the Melbourne Airport authorities, the owners of the land the building is on.

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Also discussed are environmental practices and initiatives undertaken such as the recent office lighting upgrade to reduce electricity. An additional strength to Eagle Lighting is the recent appointment of a Quality and Environmental Manager. This will allow Eagle Lighting to have a greater focus on environmental practices.

All elements discussed are not mandatory requirements, they are processes Eagle Lighting as a company choose to put in place. As a company within the Fagerhult Group, Eagle Lighting value caring for the environment and our planet.

”Most companies do not strive to do anything sustainable outside the

guidelines of the regulations written.

Fagerhult is the first company I have come across who insist we have exceptional environmental standards that match those in Europe”, says Alan Jones.

An example of this is Eagle Lighting’s ability to go above and beyond. As a company they could safely recycle the water used through the paint line, as the chemicals are inert, yet rather than running this water into the storm water system, Eagle Lighting arrange to have it collected by an industrial waste company as an additional measure. ”In terms of sustainability, Australia is a few years behind Europe. There are some regulations in Australia that

are on par, but very few. As a company I think that we are probably equal to the majority of Europe. As a local lighting manufacturer we have a more sustainable manufacturing facility that many of our competitors – it is now a part to our culture to protect the planet using every achievable means possible” states Alan Jones.

The importance of sustainability to Eagle Lighting has strengthened substantially over the years. Rather than simply complying with ineffective regulations, the company now runs in an extremely environmentally conscious manner, one that will only improve with time.

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Details that make a difference ”It is so easy to get caught up in the big words. I prefer the smaller ones. With many small changes you can make a huge difference. It takes knowledge though, and curiosity.”

Meet Josefina Johansson, Quality Engineer at Fagerhult’s Quality and Environment Department and – possibly – our most inquisitive employee. text amelie bergman | photo mats andersson

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”Well, in my job, it is an advantage to be curious”, Josefina smiles.

”To ask, and to ask the right questions, I believe is the key to a successful sustainability initiative. And if the answers you get aren’t good enough, then you’ll have to ask again. As companies become better at making demands on each other’s supply and value chains the opportunities for change are increasing dramatically”, says Josefina who devotes her workdays monitoring suppliers as well as on going sustainability projects within the Fagerhult Group.

She herself is one of those committed professionals who decided to change her careers in order to make a difference.

”I’m a trained chemical engineer and started my career working in a laboratory. But I really felt it was the wrong place for me. Environmental and sustainability issues have always interested me. Working in the laboratory I could see the causality but had no possibility to achieve changes. Instead I applied to the manufacturing industry. Here at Fagerhult, I have the opportunity to put my knowledge into action.”

tions? At Fagerhult we have made the decision only to purchase electronics from the world’s leading manufacturers, manufacturers that can provide proper documentation. It may cost a little more, but it is totally worth it.”

Working with high quality electronics is not only important from a human rights perspective and for the environment.

”When we choose high quality components, we also know that they will perform well and last longer, which ultimately benefits the environment as

well as being economical for our customers.”

Chemicals are another carefully monitored area. Under no circumstances are dangerous flame-retardants and plasticizers allowed in the cables of a Fagerhult fitting.

”These types of substances are often used as additives in plastics and are regarded as endocrine disruptors. As they are imitating our bodily substances they are likely to affect the reproduction of humans. They have also been associated with certain diseases and children

sustainability may cost A good dialogue with suppliers is crucial, says Josefina.

”For example, the electronics industry is one of the most difficult to monitor. There are so many aspects.

Which minerals are included, how have they been excavated, and by whom?

Where have the components been manufactured and under what condi-

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”When we choose high quality components, we also know that they will perform well and last longer, which ultimately benefits the environment as well as being economical for our customers.”

Josefina Johansson, Quality Engineer at Fagerhult’s Quality and Environment Department

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appear to be especially vulnerable. This is a subject which I personally think is extremely important. exceed the requirements Sustainability efforts have become an important economic force in society.

”Awareness is increasing in society.

As an individual, I have gained greater power to influence the market by my own purchasing decisions, which in

turn also affect corporate behaviour”, Josefina says.

Laws, regulations and industry initiatives – including RoHS, WEEE and REACH – are other important driving forces. In addition to legal requirements, Fagerhult has also chosen to follow systems for environmental certification of buildings, for example LEED and BREEAM. Another common requirement from the customers are assessments

made by private Swedish stakeholders called SundaHus (”Healthy Houses”) and Byggvarubedömningen. By these assessments the materials and components in the luminarie are evaluated from an environmental and health perspective.

”In many ways, these demands formulate tougher requirements than laws and regulations, which we see as an advantage. That means we’re one

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step ahead. By following this, we also facilitate developers and customers with high ambitions in sustainability.” introduction of gri g4 Fagerhult follows European laws and regulations regardless of where in the world production takes place.

”This also applies to products we manufacture at our own plant in Suzhou, China. Not because we have to, but because we want to! In the end, the products will reach our customers in

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Europe anyway. It is our responsibility.”

”We’re really proud of our Suzhou facility. Recently it was audited by one of our customers, known to have extremely high demands on their suppliers CSR-work. The facility was approved in all respects.”

As part of Fagerhult’s sustainability efforts and future strategic focus, one has decided to start reporting according to the new GRI G4 guidelines. A materiality analysis has been conducted in order to investigate what employees

and external stakeholders consider to be the most important sustainability issues to consider now and in the future.

Stakeholder perspectives have been supplemented by a contextual analysis with focus on mega trends, trends in the lighting industry and sustainability trends relevant to Fagerhult.

”This is a important step, allowing us to further prioritize sustainability activities on the basis of our customers’ needs and desires.”

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Six sustainable Fagerhult features 1. ”we treat metal sheets as if they were made of gold.”

Minimizing the use of steel in production is an effective way to conserve resources, energy and transport weight. We do it by reducing the thickness of the goods – in Multilume Flat for example, we’ve optimized the sheets from 0.7 to 0.5 mm. In the design phase, we optimize utilization so that waste materials can be used for new details. For example a sheet can be used for the manufacturing of both the body and the mounting plate.

2. ”we’re cooler than the average” Ballasts are extremely sensitive to heat. When they are exposed to excessively high temperatures the luminaire’s efficiency and life expectancy are considerably reduced. Manufacturers of ballast always indicate a recommended temperature level, which may be exceeded by up to five degrees. In order to keep the margins on our side, we always develop our luminaires to keep a temperature five degrees lower than recommended. This actually means that our luminaires perform ten degrees below the manufacturer’s limit, doubling the lifetime of the ballast.

3. ”we produce our own energy” For our own production we choose electricity from renewable energy sources when possible. In our Swedish factories we mainly use energy generated by hydropower. At our large production facility in Habo we even have our own heating system powered by locally produced wood fuel. The school in Fagerhult village is also heated by the boiler.

4. ”we screw instead of gluing.”

By choosing smart, flexible solutions when assembling our luminaires, we facilitate disassembly for recycling. We avoid gluing fixtures as glue makes the luminaire difficult to disassemble or – worst case scenario – to recycle at all. Instead of gluing, we choose to assemble with screws. Some fixtures, like the new Multilume Slim, is assembled without any separate details at all. By using innovative folding taps in the design, the luminaire is folded like an envelope.

5. ”we’ve reduced the material & weight in our downlights” LEDs are constantly evolving, offering more light for less power. This means that we’ve also been able to optimize the cooling systems. For example, we’ve made a redesign of the two cooling bodies in our Pleiad G3 downlight; resulting in weight reductions by 167 grams (22%) and 100 grams (16%). This saves a lot of material and weight during transport. We’ve also reduced the coating of the bodies with one layer, with a positive environmental effect.

6. ”we’ve got our own lighting laboratory” Fagerhults lighting laboratory is one of a kind, allowing us to evaluate new innovative ideas and technology. Founded in the mid eighties, authorised by Semko (today a part of Intertek) in1993 hosts advanced technology to monitor every step of the development process. Through careful measurements, we optimize the luminaire’s energy efficiency while ensuring that the light is glarefree and contributes to a good working and living environment. Our laboratory is also certified to carry out the safety and quality tests required by law.

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Photo: Mats Andersson

Lighting control – an integral part of the sustainability initiative It will save energy. It will have a positive impact on the climate. And it will most certainly create a better living environment for people. Lighting control is an extremely effective way to make a holistic approach on sustainability. Fagerhult’s Product and Application Manager Daniel Unoson and Henrik Clausen, Director at the Fagerhult Lighting Academy, explain how. text amelie bergman | photo mats andersson, örjan henriksson

why is lighting so important for a successful sustainability initiative?

Daniel: Lighting consumes more energy than you might think. According to the Global Lighting Challenge*, the lighting of cities, households, industries and office premises account for 15% of our global electricity consumption and 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions – more than double the emissions of global air travel. An overnight global transition LED lamps would avoid 801

lighting control – an integral part of the sustainability initiative

Mt of CO₂ emissions, equivalent to displacing 684 coal-fired power plants around the world. The transition to energy-efficient lighting could be one of the most significant short-term sustainability initiatives. Though, I find it extremely important that we do not confine ourselves with just replacing light sources. Changing to LEDs is only the first step. By connecting energy efficient light sources to intelligent lighting controls we can boost the effect.

Studies recently carried out in collaboration between Fagerhult, Swedish researchers and public authorities show that lighting control can reduce energy savings by, for example, a further 40% in an outdoor installation. (Read more at page 26.)

Henrik: It is also relevant not to reduce the discussion on lighting and sustainability to a question of energy and money. Reduced energy consumption

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e-Sense – lighting control that’s easy to grasp, for every task

e‑sense move arily for e-Sense move is designed prim ave row stairwells and is based on mic res cominai technology with multiple lum er. oth h eac municating wirelessly with

e‑sense detect e-Sense Detect is a lighting control system with microwave technology sensors that can be hidden in the luminaire without affecting its design or IP rating.

e‑sense actilume e-Sense ActiLume is the quick and easy way to install lighting control. e-Se nse ActiLume luminaries are equipped with integrated light control. An attractive , easy installation without the need for add-on or external sensors.

e‑sense organic e-Sense Organic is a smart, energyct saving lighting control system perfe can it se for open plan offices. Of cour A also be used in other type of areas. be can true plug & play solution that installed without programming.

e‑sense smart switch e-Sense smartSWITCH provides automatic switching wit h the sensor integrated in the lumina ire. Suitable for smaller spaces like rest rooms, where the system can be used to create a controlled environme nt between a small group of luminaires . The system is also the perfect soluti on in areas where microwave sensor s might detect through walls.

e‑sense customised Fagerhult e-Sense Customised is your opportunity to take advantage of Fagerhult’s lighting control expertise to tailor your own system. Current technology makes it possible to integrate thousands of luminaires and control functions in just one system, based on a network controlled via DALI routers. We create solutions for complex projects – from the early design stage through to final programming.

e‑sense connect e-Sense Connect is a wireless control system, equipped with intelligent daylight and occupancy control. Designed specially for classroom and educational environments.

e‑sense tune e-Sense Tune is a plug & play-control system. An innovative, decentralised stand alone-system intended for situations where one user at a time is allowed to control the light. Truly personal and wireless, controlled via an app for smartphone or tablet.

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automatically implies a positive impact on the environment, but one must not forget the human aspects. New intense light sources require accurate lighting control to avoid glare and flicker. By using lighting control systems we can also make better use of the opportunities that the new lighting technology offers. Creating healthier and more inspiring environments, outdoors and indoors. what’s the significance of human centric lighting in this context?

Henrik: Light affects us both physically and biologically – and you’ll find the explanation to this seven million years back in time. For about six million years, our ancestors lived on the savannah in central Africa. That’s where our visual system evolved. The daylight on the African savannah is bluish and it was in this light that our ancestors hunted and collected. It became, and is still perceived as, our ”working light”. A million years ago, humans learned to control fire.

The safe, warm light from the fire had a profound impact on our perception and became our ”dialogue light”. An intimate light that reflects our faces in a pleasant way, when gathered around the fire to talk. Relaxing and comforting. With the help of control systems and tunable light, we can use this knowledge to influence people’s energy levels and well-being, which is another interesting aspect of sustainability. You can create working environments in which individuals have the opportunity to influence the light based on their feelings and the duties to be performed. People become happier, more alert and perform better.

The research also shows that we sleep better if we get the opportunity to spend our days in the right kind of light – and as we all know, sleep is extremely important for health. The big challenge is to get society to understand that Human Centric Lighting actually works and is of significant importance. why is lighting control important from a sustainability perspective?

Henrik: Whether it is about saving energy or Human Centric Lighting,

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Photo: Örjan Henriksson

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technology must be used – and used in the right way. A common problem in the history of lighting control, is its complexity. People don’t understand how to use it. Instead they override it or simply turn it off. Actually, there are studies showing that approximately 3% of the existing light control facilities are fully and optimally used, because users do not know how to handle them!

Daniel: This is a great challenge for the lighting industry; to create better and more user-friendly lighting control systems. A control system should be intuitive – much like a water tap. Up and down to increase or decrease the flow. Right and left to change from hot to cold. When people understand how it works, and the benefits of lighting controls, they will also start using the technology. I believe that communities and businesses using lighting control will benefit from a stronger brand.

People find it attractive to live in cities, and to work for employers who can offer better living and working environments. what are the key trends in lighting control?

Daniel: Personality and simplicity! The possibility to easily control the lighting based on personal premises will have a huge impact on people’s working environments. New systems will be easier to handle, not just for the end users, but also to install and program. The latter through clever plug and play-solutions.

Connectivity and interoperability will be considered important in order to create more sustainable solutions.

Henrik: Yes, in the future I think we’ll be better to cross-collaborate with other industries, integrating our different control systems. For example, today lighting is often controlled via one system and shades via another. This practically means that when the sun visor goes down, the sensors of the lighting control systems are triggered to raise the light levels. So, instead of taking advantage of daylight, we end up using more energy.

Kind of non-intelligent and not sustainable at all!

*The Global Lighting Challenge was launched in 2015 by the Clean Energy Ministerial.

It is an initiative to reach cumulative global sales of 10 billion high-efficiency, highquality, and affordable advanced lighting products, such as LED lamps. The initiative is endorsed by the European Commission and representatives from 12 countries. By 2030, the work of initiatives like the GLC is projected to deploy 50% more lighting globally while consuming 50% less energy compared to today. lighting control – an integral part of the sustainability initiative

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Research turned into reality.

The revitalization of outdoor lighting control

With advanced lighting control, energy consumption in urban areas can be reduced by 40% – without affecting people’s perceived safety and visual comfort. The development of new lighting control systems are Fagerhult’s contribution to sustainable lighting design outdoors. text amelie bergman | photo zentuvo, marie peterson

Lighting control systems have a great potential to reduce energy consumption in outdoor public areas. But the balance between energy savings and functionality are crucial.

”The easiest and most traditional way is to simply switch the lights off completely when nobody’s around.

Though, in urban areas with parks and other public spaces, this is hardly a good idea as people then stop visiting the area after dark. The trick is to design a lighting control system that can optimize lighting levels but with regard to energy savings as well as visual comfort and safety”, explains Mats Wernberg, Technical Product Manager at Fagerhult. based on new research Between 2012–2015, Fagerhult participated in two research studies in collaboration with the City of Stockholm.

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The intention was to identify the correct parameters for combining maximum energy savings with a positive lighting experience.

The first project involved a pedestrian and bicycle path along the shoreline at Kungsholmen in the centre of Stockholm. The other project concerned a pedestrian path between the two suburban neighbourhoods Bromma and Åkerslund. The first study was conducted by Harita Undurty Surya and Efi Stragali, both active at the lighting laboratory at Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH). The second study was conducted by professor Jan Ejhed and Per-Henrik Branzell. Both studies were co-financed and coordinated by the public organization SUST (Sustainable Innovation), with Fagerhult and Tritech contributing expertise and solutions.

Initially, old lighting was changed to LEDs, giving immediate energy savings

Mats Wernberg Technical Product Manager at Fagerhult.

Photo: Marie Peterson.

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Azur, Kungsholms strand, Stockholm.

of up to 60%.

”With such a huge impact just by changing luminaires and light sources, you really have to come up with something special to motivate the installation of a lighting control system.

So we did”, says Mats Wernberg. walking with light In the first completed project at Kungsholmen, Fagerhult installed a trial system where every fixture was controlled individually by sensors. Every luminaire was connected to each other, communicating via radio. The default setting at night without interaction was set to 50% of the luminaires’ capacity.

As pedestrians approached, the system lit up to 100%, following them as they went along. Luminaires were lit up in groups of seven – four in front of the pedestrians and three behind. Once they had passed, lighting levels were

dimmed back to 50%. The solution was much appreciated by the users, indicating an energy saving potential of up to 40%.

”During the trials in Bromma, the solution was further refined, focusing on finding the exact numbers of luminaires lit up as well as the perfect timing. How far could we go in reducing effect and time without affecting visual performance and people’s experience of safety?”

Numerous interviews showed that a total of six fixtures were enough, three of them illuminating 60 meters ahead.

”We were a little surprised that the subjects preferred three fixtures ahead instead of four. Actually, they stated that four luminaires were perceived as less pleasant. We also thought that the luminaires would have to remain at high levels for a much longer time after the pedestrian had passed – perhaps

as long as ten minutes. But it turned out that one minute was enough!” impact in urban environments ”The research has shown us that it really is possible to make significant energy savings with lighting control systems outdoors – and still create a good, pleasant and safely lit environment. With savings of an additional 40% on top of the savings made by changing to LED, we also know that we are prolonging the luminaires’ lifetime when only running on 50%. Exactly how much is impossible to calculate, levels are simply too low”, says Mats Wernberg.

”This kind of solution can have a major impact on sustainability initiatives in urban environments. In Stockholm for example, there are about 50 thousand lighting spots, consuming an estimated 14 million kWh every year…”

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e-Sense Motion The research carried out at Kungsholmen and Bromma is the basic formula for Fagerhult’s future outdoor lighting control system – e-Sense Motion. A flexible system based on integrated sensors, communicating via radio frequency. text klas andersson | illustration klas andersson

For those readers familiar with e-Sense Move it is easy to understand the basic principle of e-Sense Motion. e-Sense Move is for use, for example, in the stairwells of multi-storey buildings.

Instead of switching on all fittings in a stairwell, with presence detection you can choose just to switch on those luminaires where presence is detected as well as luminaires on the levels above and below the presence detection. This means if a person moves up or down the stairs the light follows them and will always have them moving into a lighted area.

Just imagine how many stairwells that are fully lit, consuming energy every day in hospitals, hotels, offices and so on, buildings where people normally use the elevators. Even if the stairs are used it is often just to get to the next floor. Often designed as simply as possible they are essential as escape routes in case of an emergency but there is so

e‑sense motion

much potential in lighting these areas with smarter lighting control. light along the path e-Sense Motion basically works like e-Sense Move but horizontally instead of vertically. Walking in a park is different from moving up or down a stairwell.

In a stairwell you still have the control option of switching on manually. In a park you don’t. With old lighting technology there was no option to dim the light sources in order to save energy it was common practice to turn off every second fitting after midnight (or something like that) creating dark areas where people felt very uncomfortable or unsafe with the result that they avoided walking through the park at night.

Current technology means we can now have the “non-presence-light” dimmed to a very low level and when presence is detected the fittings light up to a set level in front of you and stays

illuminated for a given time behind you.

This results in large energy savings and create a good, pleasant and safely lit environment for city dwellers.

e-Sense Motion is – like e-Sense Move – a duplex system and involves all luminaires acting as both master and slave, depending on which luminaire detects presence. When a sensor in the luminaire detects presence it sends information to its fellow luminaires, which light up to the set light level.

The system is scalable and can be expanded according to needs and functionality. It is designed for connectivity, allowing the owner to control every single luminaire separately, smart and simple using an app for smartphone or tablet. e-Sense Motion will be presented on the Fagerhult stand at Light&Building and released on the market later this year.

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And so it goes on...

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Sustainability and connectivity in Herning Focusing on sustainability and connectivity, the Danish community of Herning has invested a new, innovative lighting control. Having successfully installed an early pilot version of Fagerhult e-Sense Motion it was decided to continue on the path. text amelie bergman | photo herning kommune, örjan henriksson

Kim Grarup Kim Grarup is Project Manager at the Road and Traffic Department of Herning Municipality, Denmark.

”Herning has made a political decision to invest in sustainable solutions for the public outdoor environment”, says Kim Grarup who is Project Manager at the Road and Traffic Department of Herning Municipality.

”We have decided to continuously replace older lighting with LEDs, but also wanted to further reduce electricity consumption. Light pollution is another important area that we wanted to address. Therefore, our priority was to find a system that allowed us to control each luminaire individually, so that we can easily adjust the lighting levels depending on location and needs.

For example, if the residents living near a road are affected by night time illumination, we would like to have the capability to control specific lighting.” clean and uncluttered Herning contacted Fagerhult with a request, and a decision was made to install an early pilot version of the new e-Sense Motion lighting control system along the new bicycle and pedestrian path between Herning and the new hospital in Gødstrup.

The lighting solution comprises 58 Vialume luminaires with sensors neatly integrated into the housing. The luminaires are communicating with each other via antenna and the system can also be controlled remotely via GPRS. Bug reports, control and maintenance

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are easily managed via computer or an app for smartphone or tablets, resulting in an extremely cost efficient maintenance. The technology has been built into the luminaire, giving a clean and uncluttered appearance. next step Herning has opted for luminaires being dimmed down to only 10% output when no one is moving on the path. When a cyclist or pedestrian approaches, six luminaires at a time dim up to full output, following the person as a string of light. A minute later, the lighting is dimmed down again.

”We are very pleased with the outcome, though energy measurements have not yet been made. We appreciate the flexibility of the system and the ease with which the individual luminaires can be controlled”, says Kim Grarup.

In a second phase, Herning therefore decided to install a further 71 luminaires along another pedestrian and bike path that leads from Herning’s shopping centre to the village’s rural settlements.

”That’s the beauty of it, that the system can be expanded along the way, it is easy to add on new luminaires and features. It is nice to see that the paths and roads are used in the way it was intended. There are now a lot of joggers, pedestrians and cyclists using the facilities at night.”

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”Herning has made a political decision to invest in sustainable solutions for the public outdoor environment.”

Kim Grarup, Project Manager at the Road and Traffic Department of Herning Municipality, Denmark

Photo: Örjan Henriksson

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Gallery Working with lighting design is often very abstract. You do designs and calculations digitally but you seldom get to see the finished project with your own eyes. We also see more and more of international projects where the project itself is on an other continent. Some times you can read about the projects in the trade press a year after the design was made. text klas andersson | photo รถrjan henriksson, pirjo lindfors, abe van ancum fotografie, stefan postles, zentuvo

The evolution in lighting is very fast and in the shift to LED solutions we see more and more projects with LED, all over the world and in every imaginable application.

Just five years ago, we saw it coming but we could never imagine the fast impact of LED, and what LED combined

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with lighting controls can do in terms of energy savings. We also have seen sustainability from all aspects, from materials chosen in the products, energy usage over time but most important, we must never forget the human perspective.

LED solutions are to be handled with care and applied correctly to achieve

lighting comfort for people spending their lives in the light of our solutions and lighting designs.

In Gallery we present things we want to share with you; projects we have been a part of as well as some new innovative products.

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minter ellison, sydney, australia Minter Ellison is one of Australia’s largest international corporate law firms. The Sydney central business district office is located in Governor Macquarie Tower, Sydney. The tower is regarded as Sydney’s pre-eminent office building, built on the site of Australia’s first Government House. Being the third tallest building in the city, it is among the most visually dominating buildings in the Sydney skyline. Working with BVN Architectural to create a refreshed and unique refurbished workspace, ARUP called upon Eagle Lighting Australia to help create a refreshed and unique space for the refurbishment of the offices. The project, completed in August 2015, utilise 250 white Appareo circular pendants to achieve a modern edge along with various specially designed architectural lighting products.

Appareo was chosen to provide the focal point in the main office area.

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Photo: Stefan Postles

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Photo: Abe Van Ancum Fotografie

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apm terminals maasvlakte bv, the netherlands APM Terminals designs, builds and operates over 160 port and inland services operations in 58 countries around the globe. The new APM Terminals Maasvlakte II 80-meter high cranes are the world’s first remote-controlled terminal quay cranes and will remotely load and unload cargo ships. It will be a state-of-the-art automated facility with zero CO₂ impact. To match the latest technology used in the terminal, architect Nelleke de Vries has given the interior of the facilities a high-tech character. APM also needed the offices to be built according to HSSE standards (Health, Safety, Security & Environment). To comply with these standards Fagerhult supplied energy efficient lighting solutions for the offices and other buildings, with daylight control and various DALI-controlled areas. The office is certified by BREEAM in the classification ”very good”.

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ministry of the environment, helsinki, finland The Ministry of the Environment moved to energy efficient premises at the beginning of May, 2015. The renovation was initiated in 2012, with a particular focus on energy efficiency: by means of structural and technical solutions the aim was to reduce energy consumption by half. The whole project is made with a sustainable mind. The roof houses a solar power station. Lighting and air conditioning are controlled using presence, condition and daylight sensors. The lifts recover brake energy, and all components used are extremely energy-efficient. “Active green walls� purify indoor air and are very efficient thanks to the plants´ ability to adapt their functions to the ambient conditions. The Ministry of the Environment will closely monitor its own consumption in real time.

Photo: Pirjo Lindfors

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utby, gothenburg, sweden The city of Gothenburg has approximately 95 000 light points. A large number of them needs to be replaced according to the European Ecodesign Directive. One of the areas that recently had the lighting replaced is Utby, in the eastern parts of Gothenburg. Along the transit route in Utby there are both residential and industrial areas. Parallel to the road is a well-used pedestrian and bicycle path which also needed new lighting. The requirement was �one fixture for the road and one fixture for the pedestrian and bicycle path�. The luminaries should also be able to communicate via LC60, which is a wireless communication system that allows you to control, switch and dim the light to current circumstances and monitor the status of the fittings.

Fagerhult assisted with lighting calculations and delivered 70 Vialume 1 with LC60 ballasts.

Photo: Zentuvo

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sweep Work wherever you want, on whatever you want. Sweep is Fagerhult’s new, innovative way to light activity-based offices. The luminaire combines indirect general lighting and a direct working light, and thereby fulfil the basic lighting requirements in a single, stylish solution. With this solution you get an excellent glare-free light for working at a computer monitor, wherever you choose to work. Sweep is shaped like a cut-off sphere with a light distribution of 60% direct light and 40% indirect light. A larger proportion of direct light may be preferable in situations where the need for working light is greater, such as at conference tables or in workplaces. The luminaire is available with an opal or delta-prism louvre.

The opal louvre in Sweep is curved inside the luminaire housing, which produces an appealing, spherical and entirely glare-free effect when looking inside the luminaire. The luminaire has a tactile surface with a rubber-like matt finish, and are available in the standard colours white, black, light blue, light green and orange.

Photo: Ă–rjan Henriksson

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itza Itza is a new, sustainable approach to lighting.

From a new product development perspective LED has become the new normal but with Itza Fagerhult has taken a holistic approach to reducing the environmental load. Providing exceptional efficiency packed within a timeless design that minimises volume and materials usage is our way of conserving resources. Lighting that never needs to be changed for aesthetic reasons but instead can work for a long time. As Itza is defined by its trend-neutral, clean and simple lines, the room can undergo numerous different guises but the luminaire can remain the same. A luminaire efficiency of 120 lm/W and a life expectancy of 80,000 hours are two strong arguments that will appeal to a demanding market. With Itza, Fagerhult is also launching its new louvre technology. Beta Opti optimises efficiency, but also provides amazing lighting comfort with the opportunity for both direct and indirect/direct light distribution.

Photo: Ă–rjan Henriksson

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Photo: Stefan Postles

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national library of australia, canberra, australia The National Library was opened in 1968. With its elegant classical lines, the building is a tribute to the vision of architects Bunning and Madden. The original lighting was designed around a specification written by Julius, Poole and Gibson Consulting Engineers in 1966. In 1969, the Illuminating and Engineering Society of Australia (NSW) bestowed an Award for Meritorious Lighting. The lighting was upgraded in 1994 with no significant energy savings.

As reducing the use of electricity is one response to the Australian Government’s aim to improve the environmental performance of Australian Government departments and agencies and therefor it was decided to upgrade the lighting. The project enquiry initiated in August of 2012 which was to retrofit the existing fixtures with LED. This of course had many challenges, partly because it is a heritage listed Government Building. The national Library requested a new luminaire to be designed and manufactured by Eagle Lighting who fulfilled the request with pride. The result? A stunning lighting experience!

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Can blue light make us better people?

Can lighting design actually make us better people? Last year I did a research project in psychology at Stockholm University to see if light can influence human behaviour.

The short answer is yes. This means that, by infusing lighting design with insights from psychology research, we have the possibility to do an even better job in designing our light surroundings. That is what Human Centric Lighting is all about. text åsa moum | photo mats andersson, jens design sthlm ab

psychology According to psychology researchers, the two most important traits for predicting successful outcomes in life are 1) self-control and 2) intelligence.

We haven’t figured out how to increase intelligence, but we do know how to increase self-control. By selfcontrol, we mean that a specific response is restrained, making a different response possible. Problems such as underachievement, procrastination at work, and alcohol and substance abuse can be attributed to low self-control, while successful careers, happier relationships, and feeling content can be attributed to high self-control.

Psychologist Dr. Roy Baumeister postulated that the brain is like a muscle which can become exhausted.

In the context of self-control, he meant that self-control is a limited resource

can blue light make us better people?

that becomes used up and needs to be restored. Many studies have been based on this theory, but a decade later, it was challenged by Dr. Veronika Job. She found that your beliefs about self-­ control can actually override the behavior of self-control as a limited resource. light Not too long ago, researchers discovered a third receptor in our eyes, Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). It is most sensitive to light at 460 nm, which is blue light. Because a large proportion of daylight consists of blue light, the third receptor plays a major role in the circadian rhythm, i.e. our sleep/wake cycle. As we are exposed to blue light, our daytime physiology is triggered and brains become more alert, heart rates go up, as does body temperature, and production of the

hormone melatonin is suppressed.

Blue light can also be found in common lighting products, which means that artificial light sources can have an effect on human health. psychology + light We know that high self-control makes us happier and more successful. We know that blue light affects us physiologically. I put these two together as my research question: Can blue light be used to increase self-control?

To find out, I replicated one of Job’s studies with two added light conditions: with blue light and without blue light. Luminaires were installed in the rooms, and orange Rosco filters were used to remove the blue light in one of the rooms. Extensive measurements of illuminance levels from different angles were performed to ensure that the

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Ă…sa Moum Ă…sa Moum is a Swedish product developer and researcher, working most recently with mobile phones. She became interested in light on a trip to Shenzhen, China, where she discovered an entire shopping mall for LEDs. Now she is attending a Master in Architectural Lighting Design at the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and recently completed a research study about light at the Department of Psychology at Stockholm University.

Photo: Jens Design Sthlm AB

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can blue light make us better people?

Photo:Mats Andersson

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“The right light at the right time could truly help us become better people.” Åsa Moum, Swedish product developer and researcher

rooms had identical levels of illuminance.

The experiment was conducted during November 2014. The 82 participants were led to believe that they were participating in a project to optimise office lighting. They worked on tasks in rooms that resembled offices. No computers, mobile phones or other additional light sources were allowed in the rooms.

During the experiment, the participants’ mood was checked through self-assessment. Toward the end of the experiment, the participants were given an easy but frustrating task to complete under time pressure, with the goal of making them lose their selfcontrol.

Immediately after that, they were given a Stroop test, a word color test commonly used in psychology research. It is a simple but stressful test, and the participants were instructed to be as fast as possible. The number of errors they made was used as an indication of lack of self-control.

The results demonstrate that lighting for humans is a complex topic. It shows the variety of ways that humans react to different lighting conditions.

I found with marginal significance that blue light does affect self-control.

We can see that those who believed in self-control as a limited resource were sensitive to blue light: they performed better in the blue light condition. However, those who believed in selfcontrol as an infinite resource were not affected by blue light. Therefore, blue light can have an effect on self-control, but it is not the same for everyone. This indicates the need for personal adaptation of light surroundings, since light affects different people in different ways. human centric lighting In the past decade or so, every industry—from books and music to taxis and hotels—has been turned upside-down by disruptive technologies from the mobile phone revolution.

Now, two emerging trends, Internet of Things (IoT) and Quantified Self (QS), have the potential to disrupt lighting design, so I believe it is important to pay close attention to them.

First, Internet of Things means that things, not just humans—cars, doorbells, toasters, dogs, robots—will be able to talk to each other over the Internet. This makes it possible to create connected lights, which enable us to adjust lighting in new ways, based on individual needs and preferences.

Second, people have started to collect all sorts of data about themselves using mobile apps and low-cost wearable devices. Fitness and sleep trackers, for example, make it possible for people to improve their health and well-being.

This movement, called Quantified Self, is based on the belief that the more data you have, the better you can optimise every aspect of your life. The same technology could also e.g. track productivity and mood at different times in different places, enabling individuals as well as lighting designers to experiment with and learn more about human behavior in relation to light surroundings.

With IoT and QS, combined with the latest lighting technologies, we are now in a position where we can create the right light environment at the right time for each and every individual. This has a huge potential in creating positive impact on our lives, for example by minimising the effects of jetlag to improve our sleep and increase our selfcontrol to help us perform better at work.

The right light at the right time could truly help us become better people. That is what Human Centric Lighting is all about. Let’s make it happen!

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State of the art sustainability at Haga.

The rebirth of a hospital.

Innovative, playful and caring. The Haga Teaching Hospital in The Hague has been reborn. With a design embracing the patients and Human Centric Lighting, the hospital is now a state of the art sustainable facility. text amelie bergman | photo michel kievits

Michel Molenaar Michel is Project Manager for Big Projects at HOMIJ Technische Installaties bv.

the rebirth of a hospital

The transformation of the Haga Teaching Hospital has been achieved through several subprojects. The existing facilities have been extended by a new build measuring 37.500 m² including the Juliana Children’s hospital, a new OR complex with 15 ultramodern operating rooms, a birth hotel, day treatment, outpatient clinics – and the most extensive First Aid children’s department in the Netherlands.

In close proximity there is also a brand new Ronald McDonald House, lit by Fagerhult, where families of sick children can stay in a home-like environment. In cooperation with other benefactors the house has been made into a comfortable place where anxious parents can rest and still be close to their children. The Juliana Children’s hospital has a beach theme and is a joyful, colourful place with many things for the children to play with. This theme continues in front of the Ronald Mc Donald house with a spectacular helicopter made by the creative forces of Tinker Imagineers.

The new facilities were inaugurated with by her Royal Highness Queen

Màxima in June 2015. The next phase is to renovate the existing, older parts of the hospital – a project of some 18 500 m² that will be completed by early 2017. patient-centered “This is a very special project, as every single detail has been designed with the purpose of creating an ideal healing environment. The hospital has been developed in accordance to the principles of Planetree, a model for patientcentered environments. It represents a multi-dimensional, holistic approach and attitude to patient care and treatment”, tells Ruud Hoetmer, Application Manager Health & Care at Fagerhult Netherlands.

The new hospital was designed by MVSA Architects and is rich with natural light and characterized by soft, organic lines. The building has two “beating hearts” formed by the two large atrium rooms. Corridors are wide and spacious. human centric lighting The lighting concept was planned by the VolkerWesselsHaga consortium and it’s

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project manager Michel Molenaar, in close cooperation with Fagerhult BV.

“Lighting is a very important aspect of this project, because of Human Centric Lighting. The better the light, the better the patient can recover”, states Michel Molenaar, Project Manager big projects at HOMIJ.

When the project for The Haga Teaching Hospital was announced, the dynamic duo went all out. In their proposal, they made the suggestion of designing the hospital according to BREEAM, which is considered as the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for buildings.

“We thought of it as the perfect way to extend the patient-centred theme making the project more valuable to the patient”, explains Michel Molenaar.

The client found the idea very appealing and Haga is now the first hospital in the

the rebirth of a hospital

Netherlands built according to BREEAM, pending issue of certification.

“From the lighting perspective, this means high demands on the solutions when it comes to energy efficiency as well as the use of ‘clean’ materials – such as halogen free cables. Calculations have been done meticulously in order to optimize functionality without exaggerating lux levels and energy consumption”, says Ruud Hoetmer. daylight mimicking The project includes Fagerhult’s extensive range of ward lighting along with some of our most popular general lighting solutions.

“Whatever the context, we’ve put the patient's well-being and healing first, without neglecting the needs of the caregivers”, explains Ruud Hoetmer.

For example, Fagerhult has introduced

tunable white and daylight mimicking in four of the intensive care cubicles. By controlling the colour temperature and lighting levels during the day, Fagerhult’s tunable white system supports healing, as it helps the patients to restore their circadian rhythm (their “body clock”) following trauma or surgery. Every day at 7 AM a day cycle starts, increasing from 0 lux to 750 lux by midday. After peaking, levels decrease back to zero by 10.30 PM. The colour temperature in the morning starts at 2700 K, adding the warmth of a natural dawn, then increases to a more blueish light at 4000 K by midday. In the evening, the light turns warmer again, reminding the body and mind that it is time to rest. In case of emergency, it can be overruled manually to achieve a lux level of approximately 1200 lux (6500 K).

“The nursing staff is very enthusiastic about the atmosphere and the influence

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�This type of advanced lighting project requires a heavy focus on technology and lighting design. I believe that our common knowledge and the mutual trust between ourselves and Fagerhult have been important factors.�

Michel Molenaar, Project Manager Big Projects at HOMIJ

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on patients and working conditions”, says Michel Molenaar. green light for robots Patient rooms are lit by flexible ward luminaire Eira, combining general lighting with examination light as well as a pleasant reading light. The glare free solution with plenty of ambient light (indirect lighting from ceiling and walls) has a comfortable resemblance to daylight. It has also proved to be the perfect lighting solution over incubators in the hospital’s neonatal department.

Operating rooms and recovery rooms are equipped with luminaires designed for extremely demanding health care environments – Multilume Hydro. In some of the operating rooms, the Multilume Hydros are fitted with green LEDs.

“This is a special requirement for the hospital’s specialists. When operating with robots, the surgeon is primarily focusing on a computer screen and green light facilitates vision.” ambient lighting Thankfully not every patient ends up in intensive care or high dependency and the Haga Teaching Hospital is a meeting place for people of different ages and needs; friends and relatives accompanying or visiting patients for example.

Therefore the general lighting of the hospital has been carefully planned to meet the needs of different eyes, ages and sights. Fagerhult’s signature downlight Pleiad G3 and subtle Multilume Flat Delta light the communal areas.

The entrance is highlighted with special pendant LED luminaires

equipped with grand shades. The outside areas, as well as the underground car park, are built for easy orientation and optimal energy efficiency.

This project has been realized in a very short time: presented in the summer of 2012, the orders were placed in August 2013 with the first deliveries of luminaires to site in November that same year.

“This type of advanced lighting project requires a heavy focus on technology and lighting design. I believe that our common knowledge and the mutual trust between ourselves and Fagerhult have been important factors”, concludes Michel Molenaar.

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Back to the future: an innovation from the 1990 s helped Fagerhult solve the LED equation A double-parabolic louvre – for LED. With Beta Opti, Fagerhult has solved one of the lighting industry’s trickiest equations. The clues were in the past and the classic r5 louvre. text amelie bergman | photo örjan henriksson, mats andersson

”It’s all go now. After years of discussions, preparations and product development, LED technology is commercially ready. Customers are more informed and discerning with both the efficiency and, increasingly, the light quality they expect from their LED investment,” says Leif Norrby, Product Development Director at Fagerhult.

During the 00 s, the lighting industry switched arena from being a standard manufacturing focusing on conventional light sources to part of the electronics industry. Years of standard practice was rapidly transformed, Fagerhult for instance, started producing luminaires for fluorescent tubes in the 1950’s, as the migration from T5 to LED took place in little over a decade.

”We were offered a unique opportunity to use the new, more efficient T5 fluorescent tube which was also smaller.

With our innovation-driven corporate culture – Fagerhult has always been open to new technology and materials – it was a challenge not to be missed,” Leif Norrby remembers.

The transition to T5 involved a number of technical lighting considerations.

”The louvre was the main focus. The existing reflector technology, based on double-parabolic louvres made of ano-

back to the future

dised aluminium, couldn’t benefit from the increased efficiency of T5. That’s why we chose to develop a completely new louvre based on the new light source.”

The innovative r5 louvre built on a new combination of a side and top reflector in addition to a cross reflector, the latter was the fulcrum for increased control of the light distribution. Using new manufacturing technology and a new metallised aluminium material called Miro, we succeeded in creating an efficient louvre that reinforced the all the benefits of the T5 light source.

By using Miro, the reflection factor increased from 86% to 95%.

”Another crucial point was the temperature inside the luminaire. T5 performed best at 35 °C, compared to T8 which performed best at 25 °C. By building louvres and luminaires with inside temperatures adapted for T5, we increased the efficiency even further.”

r5 was also developed to satisfy the more stringent cut-off requirements.

”We realised that a smaller, more intensive light source also involves a greater risk of glare. Visual comfort had long been part of Fagerhult’s signature and was not something on which we were willing to compromise.”

r5 was launched in 1998. The combination of T5 and electronic ballasts became a new standard in the market, but as early as in 2010 it was time for a new generation. When LED was first introduced as a light source it was primarily used in downlights. Fagerhult launched its first luminaires for general and work lighting in 2013.

”The r5 project taught us a lot.

Just like T5 in its time, LED posed a real challenge. Both cases involved new, relatively unexplored light sources that were very light-intensive compared with the incumbent variety. We knew how difficult it was to take a new light source and dress it in an old suit. If existing louvres and reflectors do not have the capacity to control and manage the power of the light sources – which they didn’t in either of these cases – you risk both the efficiency and, above all, the lighting comfort. The high intensity of LED brought matters to a head. This small, intensive light point risked dazzling people in a completely different way to the long, narrow fluorescent tube.”

There were a number of reasons to be wary. The early LED modules varied a lot in quality – from service life and deterioration to colour reproduction and colour temperature. The LED modules

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“Visual comfort had long been part of Fagerhult’s signature and was not something on which we were willing to compromise.”

Leif Norrby, Product Development Director at Fagerhult

Photo: Örjan Henriksson

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Beta Opti concentrates its efforts on the louvre’s side reflectors to create a controlled light pattern with optimal efficiency and light comfort.

back to the future

By distributing the luminance from the LED modules, we have created a luminous surface that is comfortable to the eye and eliminates glare.

Beta Opti is based on a new generation of louvre based on Fagerhult’s legendary r5 lamell.

The cross blades work in tandem with efficient side reflectors. The technology is supplemented with a unique film which provides extra precision in the light control.

Photo: Ă–rjan Henriksson

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The first luminaire with Beta Opti, Itza.

requirement for an efficient cooling mechanism also necessitated luminaires designed solely for use with LEDs. Otherwise you risk letting the fire go up the chimney with LED modules that will break in the future.

When Fagerhult rolled out the first big LED series, the focus was on luminaires developed from scratch. Just like other manufacturers, Fagerhult chose to work with microprismatic louvres to satisfy the requirements for energy efficiency and lighting comfort.

”Our aim has always been to create a double-parabolic louvre that can also improve performance and user experience. This is why we developed a new r5 generation customised for LED. Beta Opti makes use of the benefits of Medium Power LED and gives us completely new options for efficient and ergonomic control of general and work lighting.”

Beta Opti is based on a modified r5 cross-blade that, in combination with side reflectors and a diffusing film, provides complete control of the

Photo: Mats Andersson

luminous flux. The efficiency has gone from 70 lm/W (T5) to approx. 120 lm/W and the aim is to achieve an even better value. The louvre has two different modules: one with direct light and one with an advanced combination of direct and wide-beam indirect light.

”The traditional long, narrow luminaire shape is based on fluorescent tubes.

With LED the prerequisites were different and that’s why we’ve tried to create a uniform light for long surfaces as well.

The luminaires with Beta Opti satisfy the cut-off requirements in EN 12464-2 and I would claim the lighting comfort is better than when using conventional light sources. Aesthetically speaking, a double-parabolic louvre is also a welcome alternative to the microprismatic and opal louvres.”

The launch of the Beta Opti reflector is Fagerhult’s signal that LED technology is ripe for full-scale implementation. However, Leif Norrby expects the development to continue at the same intensive pace, but with increased focus on quality.

”On average, a new more energy and cost-efficient LED version is launched every eight months. This is a development with which we have to keep up.

Lighting will also be an important part of the new digital infrastructure where connectivity and Internet of Things are key concepts. It is a complex process that we follow with great interest. In the future I think lighting manufacturers should expect our assignments to be further displaced – we will become more valued as sub-consultants.”

”But our most important assignment in the future is to maintain visual comfort. It’s so easy to get carried away and allow yourself to be swept up by the quick development of efficiency and performance. LED is an unbelievably intensive light source and we must remember that in everything we do. We cannot let a hundred years of experience go down the drain. Technology exists to serve man.”

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ageless but not sharp-eyed

Photo: Mats Andersson

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Ageless but not sharp-eyed.

How do we meet the increased lighting needs of an aging population?

We are getting older. Probably wiser. But as the human eye is aging, our needs for light increase dramatically. ”We are talking about raising the retirement age and living a more active life as elderly. To realize this, we have to come up with new solutions”, says Henrik Clausen. text amelie bergman | photo mats andersson, örjan henriksson

Henrik Clausen Henrik loves light and lighting in the widest terms of the word, he talks enthusiastically about it to anyone who cares to listen, and his audience increases. He has worked with lighting for more than 25 years all over the world, in all kinds of applications.

Photo: Örjan Henriksson.

In 1980, the number of people in the world who had reached 60 years was 378 million. In the middle of our century, they are expected to reach 2 billion. The trend is also a fact within the European Union where an increasing part of the population is older, while the proportion of young people decreases. The consequence is that we have to work longer to maintain the welfare – and to take care of our old.

“This is not necessarily a bad thing.

Our approach to aging has changed in many positive ways. We no longer accept a calm and withdrawn life as old-timers. Many of us want to remain active in working life long after the statutory retirement age. We like the idea of turning up at the office as usual and meeting younger colleagues with new perspectives”, says Henrik Clausen, popular lecturer and Director of the Fagerhult Academy.

“We want to continue to experience life and the world as we are used to.

Travelling, sporting activity and driving our cars without being limited by our aging bodies. This is wonderful, but it also causes a lot of complications, especially from a lighting perspective.” urgent research needs Lighting planning for the elderly was previously relatively uncomplicated, primarily focusing on nursing homes.

In the future, the lighting needs of an aging population are to be met in all contexts – from workplaces, meeting places and schools to traffic environments. Schools designed with lighting intended for a 20-year-old also have to meet the requirements of the retiree association’s evening course in watercolour painting. Not to mention street lighting and headlights. The ones we have today cannot support the vision of a 70-year-old…

“Today we have very good knowledge of how the eye works for people between 20–60 years. But very little

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“We want to continue to experience life and the world as we are used to. Travelling, sporting activity and driving our cars without being limited by our aging bodies. This is wonderful, but it also causes a lot of complications, especially from a lighting perspective.”

Henrik Clausen, Director at Fagerhult Lighting Academy

research has been done on what happens with the eye and its need of light when we are older than that. Though, we do know that an aging person needs much more light than a young person.

When getting older, the lens of the eye is yellowing, making our sight cloudy.

For example, a 40-year-old person requires twice as much light as a 20-year-old to have good eyesight. And a 60-year-old needs four times as much.

How much more light the 80-year-old needs, in that we can only speculate.

Recent research from the US road authorities indicates it could be up to 30 times as much.” can we defend it?

The question is twofold, says Henrik Clausen. On the one hand, the wide span of ages calls for a lighting design

ageless but not sharp-eyed

that is extremely diversified.

“But an even more complex question is energy. Customizing lighting in order to meet the needs of the elderly would mean a dramatic increase of energy consumption. Can we defend that? This is why it is so important that we get research started in this area at once. We need solutions that are sustainable in both perspectives – energy and human.”

New lighting control systems with individual settings is a possible solution, at least to a certain extent. For example, you can install lighting with higher effect at work places and in community centres, but choose to let them work at lower levels. With the help of the lighting control system, older employees or visitors can raise the light levels in the areas where they choose to stay

and work. Today’s technology with apps controlled by smartphone and tablets already makes this possible. alternative solutions On the other hand, as lighting professionals, we should be open minded, realizing that there might be other ways. Maybe more light is not the solution. Maybe it is not about light at all…

“I recently met an eye surgeon who performs six lens changes per day. After changing the lens an older person has the eyesight of a 20-year-old. Maybe we should reflect over the idea that it is more viable to replace a lens in the human eye with artificial material, instead of consuming more energy? Positive or provocative? Without adequate research, we can only speculate.“

Photo: Mats Andersson

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electrical lighting as a luxury

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Electric lighting as a luxury In the lighting industry today we talk about lighting for people, focusing on light­ing quality, ambient light, Tunable White and so on but these are luxury issues for the 1.7 billion people that live off-grid worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa it is estimated that 590 million people lack access to electricity. text klas andersson | photo solar sisters

Where people lack electricity they have to light their homes, schools, shops and so on with fuel-based lighting where kerosene is the most common fuel. The use of kerosene for lighting affects the climate more than all the CO₂ emissions throughout the UK annually.

In sub-Saharan Africa kerosene use corresponds approximately to Spain's entire emissions of CO₂.

a brighter future for africa ”Fagerhult has always taken a local social responsibility, and as we grow globally, we want to take on a broader responsibility. If we take our responsibility today, we have better opportunities to achieve success in the future.”

The words above come from Frank Augustsson, Regional Director for Fagerhult in Scandinavia. This broader responsibility is called Bright Future and is a project where Fagerhult focuses on fighting poverty as well as helping people achieve a better life while at the same time helping to reduce CO₂ emissions globally. As we are in the lighting industry we can contribute to this brighter future with increased use of more environmentally friendly and healthy lighting for the poor and by focusing on social entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa.

”At Fagerhult we asked our employees if there was an interest in helping out with the project and the interest

to become a part of this was overwhelming” Frank says. ”We formed a team of six employees which is our internal project group responsible for fund raising and informing their colleagues. There are several organisations that work with distribution of solar lighting but as soon as we were presented to Solar Sisters and their business model we were stunned. This is what we shall do.” solar sisters To help contribute to a better life and a brighter future for some of the poorest people in the world Fagerhult has now started a cooperation with the Solar Sisters organisation and the project runs to the end of 2017. Solar Sisters are now present in Uganda, Nigeria and Tanzania. Using an Avon Cosmetics-style women’s distribution system, Solar Sisters trains, recruits and supports female entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa to sell affordable solar lighting and other green products such as solar lamps and mobile phone chargers. These entrepreneurs use their community networks of family and neighbours to build their own businesses, earning a commission on each sale.

Solar Sisters’ aim is to eradicate energy poverty by empowering women with economic opportunity and by selling solar lamps. Combining the breakthrough potential of clean energy technology with a deliberately woman-

centred direct sales network brings light, hope and opportunity to even the most remote communities in rural Africa.

Investing in women is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do. Women invest 90 percent of their income into their family’s well-being.

The business model of Solar Sisters creates sustainable businesses, powered by smart investment in women entrepreneurs and their families. When you invest in a woman, you invest in the future for the whole family. fagerhult bright future The contribution from Bright Future is focused on trying to spread solar lighting in an area in north-eastern Tanzania, in the regions of Tanga and Kilimanjaro, where we will support Solar Sisters financially by helping entrepreneurs with a ”Business in a Bag” (a startup kit, training and marketing support).

Solar Sisters entrepreneurs can double their household income with their solar business. Not only are we helping women to have an income, we also know that women reinvest their income in the family. By helping Solar Sisters we can also help to fight poverty making solar powered lighting available to the poorest in rural Tanzania. Of course there is an initial cost for the customers to buy solar powered lamps but it is an investment for a better life for the

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It only costs eight dollars. But for Amina, a fifteen year old student in Tanzania, it means being able to finish her homework whether or not the unreliable electrical grid is working. It means not bending close to the page with a candle flame, or breathing in smoky fumes from a lantern. It means reading by a light that is 3 times brighter than kerosene. It means a better education.

whole family.

Every Euro invested in a Solar Sisters entrepreneur creates a value of about € 46 over a year, partly through the increased earnings of the female entrepreneurs and partly through the families’ reduced spending on kerosene.

Not only is the light from kerosene lamps of poor quality, it is also expensive and an increasing cost for lighting.

Using a solar lamp to replace expensive kerosene can reduce household expenses by 30 percent. The greater the distance from cities the greater the cost of kerosene. The money saved on kerosene can be reinvested in lifting a family out of poverty. If you are poor and struggling to make ends meet cuts need to be made. For example, is it really necessary to let the kids study that extra hour in the evening? By helping to spread the use of solar powered lighting

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and replacing kerosene with solar light children can have three hours more reading time every day.

The use of kerosene is also a harmful health issue. Kerosene, which produces toxic fumes and black carbon is also a fire risk. Emissions and fires cause about 400.000 deaths annually worldwide. Having kerosene lamps at home is equivalent to smoking 170 cigarettes a year. Diseases such as tuberculosis and cataracts are common.

While providing healthier and more affordable light is the main reason for our involvement it is not the only one, there’s more. It is common, even in rural Africa for people to own cell phones. 85 percent of the population own phones and use them for business and global connection but only 5 percent have a place to charge them and charging your phone costs money. However several

solar powered lamps also have a USB that can be used for phone charging. the plan for the project In each of our regions there is a Development Associate. Victoria Mfinanga and Halima Issa are responsible for recruitment, training and support a network of Solar Sisters’ entrepreneurs in the Tanga and Kilimanjaro districts. During the three years since the project began around 35 new Solar Sisters will have received training in each region annually.

When the Bright Future project together with Solar Sisters ends in 2017, we estimate that there will be close to 200 Solar Sisters entrepreneurs active in ”our” regions and we will have played our part in helping 95.000 people to achieve a better, safer and more economical light and, hopefully, a better life.

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repreneurs in the

ter ent A group of Solar Sis Region.

Tanga

Facts about the project

Beatrice is a So lar Sister entre preneur and he primary schoo ad teacher at l. She teaches the local Swahili and Ge the school adm ography, as we inistration and ll as running selling solar lig community. hts and cooksto ves to her

Tanzania with a population of around 52 million people is one of the world’s poorest countries where 43% live below the poverty line. In rural Tanzania it is estimated that 98% of the population lacks electricity. Population growth is faster than the expansion of the electricity grid, hence the need for solar products. Dar es Salaam is the largest city with close to 3.2 million inhabitants and the urbanization rate in Tanzania is approximately 31%.

In the Tanga region there are nearly 2 million people, and the region’s urbanization rate is estimated at approximately 20%.

In the region there are four towns with over 10.000 inhabitants where Tanga is biggest city with 270.000 inhabitants.

In the Kilimanjaro region there are round 1.6 million people, and there are five towns with over 10.000 inhabitants.

Moshi is largest city with 184.000 inhabitants.

she this customer near Tanga TZ When we visited the home of e explained that she has a larg She ps. lam r sola e thre out brought everyone. for light gh enou is e ther family: this way

The students at the primary school near Tanga TZ have two Solar Sister entrepreneurs: Mpagi who teaches maths and Beatrice who teaches Swahili, Geography and also acts as head teacher.

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Seeing is believing At the end of January two of the team members from the Bright Future project team visited Solar Sisters in Tanzania in order to get a deeper insight of the operation and to introduce Fagerhult. They came back impressed having seen firsthand the reality of life and how it looks for those who live there. Despite a hectic schedule they had some time to talk to Solar Sisters entrepreneurs and their customers. text klas andersson | photo gustav källner

One thing that struck Gustav Källner and Britt-Marie Björnell was the very fast transformation from day to night, the dusk lasts for only 15 minutes and then it is pitch-black. Living off grid on latitude 4° south of the equator makes the need of lighting obvious, for cooking, reading, studying and all the other things you do in the evening after six o’clock. Even if it were possible to connect to the grid the costs are just too high for these people. They would have to pay for the power poles themselves in

order to connect.

”Things and life in rural Tanzania are so very different from my own life that you must experience it to believe it” says Gustav. ”Britt-Marie has been here before and has told me about it but I just didn’t understand. Everything is so much more time consuming, you just can’t take the car to go and buy the things you need, nor can you just turn on the tap to have water, instead you must walk a mile with a 20 kg water container balanced on your head.

Despite all that, we were always greeted with a smile”.

During these days Gustav and BrittMarie also had a chance to take part in a workshop that Development Associate Halima Issa held with her Solar Sisters entrepreneurs. All of them were asked to set an objective for their own business and also say what they would like to buy with the money they make from selling solar powered lamps. They all had different dreams, from a metal roof for the house to a new sofa.

Above left: Halima Issa with Solar Sisters entrepreneur.

Above right: Outdoor workshop to set objectives for the entrepreneurs and their business.

Left: A typical locally produced kerosene wick-lamp.

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Above: The students at the primary school near Tanga.

Below: Just getting some water takes a lot of time and effort.

Excel-sheet or a business system? Or just a ruled paper? It’s still important to keep track of your sales.

Above: School children in Fagerhult T-shirts.

Left: Mobile phones are not only used for communicating but also for doing business and transfer money.

Left and right: Houses are not exactly as we are used to in our part of the world.

seeing is believing

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