happy Valentines day lighting world :-)  Romance is in the air and as we approach the lighter nights again people begin to get happier and look to the summer months forgetting all about the dark nights and the need for lighting.  Remember however that lighting issues are never going to go away and if you address them when they are not so urgent during the summer it will save you the worry later when it becomes an issue.

I visited a well known hotel chain last week and found as usual the vast array of badly design lighting with no thought for energy consumption or long term maintenance.  It would appear that some hotels believe you cannot be green and still have your lighting come in on budget.  However I have recently finished designing the Knightsbridge hotel which is located next to the Lainsborough and the luminaires were nearly 95% energy efficient, LED and very controllable so giving the client exactly what they wanted and I was bang on budget (which I can assure you was not an easy task).  The hotel require decorative lighting, funcitional and exterior and all this was achievable for less than £165K, not bad eh!

So think on developers and clients, you too can achieve a green, energy efficient hotel or building with luminaires which require little or no maintenance and save you money each month.  In practice the cost to run my hotel project in the future will mean within a year it will have paid for itself whilst still costing no more than it was budgeted for.  So what are you waiting for.........let me see what I can do for your project today!!

Feb 2011

2011 so far has been wonderful and work seems to be regular and interesting which is always a blessing.  I am further exploring the energy market and of course progression with LED and other new lamp technologies to see what opportunities await for design in the future. 

I attended the ARC show in London in January and was very pleased to see a lot more technical products coming through with LED technology.  These addressed the issues of glare and distribution and allow for some visually impressive luminaires. 

OLED's are still not showing up much in the industry yet but a few have taken on the mantal and I will be keen to see what that brings by next years show.

My new blog is now on this web site and also on the Philips Lighting community site so that is something exciting to keep an eye on.  If anyone has any issues they want to raise in that format then I would be very pleased to hear from you.

January 2011

 

So, Christmas is over and done with for another year and as we speed into 2011 what is there to look forward to for It Does Lighting?  Well I have just opened my copy of 'Lighting' magazine and found to my surprise my face staring at me from page one no less.  Ben Cronin who edits it took my details a while back for the 'quizzed' section and low and behold it has now appeared.  So take a look and find out who I was influenced by and what my tips for lighting is.

Also this month I am working on several lovely projects including the AXA wealth HQ in Basingstoke.  This project will be for their reception area and brings some challenges along with a lot of scope to create the right atmosphere for the space.  Hotel meets bank is the brief which means to me class, strength and assurity.

Finally in 10 days time I will be attending ARC in London where I hope to meet up with colleagues and potential clients whilst viewing what the show has to offer.  This is not always the best lighting event however it does enable one to meet up with people in a low key environment and to spend some time with companies I may not always get to see.  Will update you all on the best and worst of the shows exhibits after the event.

Dec 2010

Another busy month and more interesting and creative lighting projects have landed.  The opportunities are very different and this is allowing me to improve my knowledge as well as deal with some exciting projects. 

I have exciting news in that I now have a date for my MILP IEng upgrade interview which will allow me to add to the MSLL letters I aquired earlier this year after my name.  The interview will be tough no doubt but I am looking forward to the challenge.

More good news is that I have been invited to attend an energy event at the House of Commons and will be required to give my humble opinion on all things lighting and energy related.  The event is run by The Energy Industry and the Energy Minister will be there to take questions.  A super opportunity for me and I am very proud to have been asked.

CIBSE have a great web site and one of the links which was very interesting from an office lighting point of view is http://www.cibsejournal.com/cpd/2010-11/ so take a look and see what elements you can use to save energy and improve your lighting.  33% of all office energy costs come from lighting so its a good place to start if you want to reduce your costs and work towards being greener.

As a company It Does lighting and energy Ltd is very proud to say that this year we have qualified for Carbon Neutrality again and also and perhaps more importantly we have reduced our own energy bill by a huge 20%!!  This has been done by reducing car travel and reducing office running costs with better controls and insulation.  Also of course all lighitng fixtures are energy efficient or are on controls to enable dimming. 

Lighting magazine has requested my details to perhaps include me in their questions section, I am very proud to be asked. 

This week I have two lovely events to attend which are the Hemsa and Aslec conference dinner in Wales which is always a super event and very entertaining.  Secondly I am very excited about this years ILP dinner dance in Windsor where this years London and South East chair has orgainised a Salsa black tie event for our festive delight.  Lots of great photos for the ILP web site no doubt!

So back to the long list of projects and I bid you farewell till the next time..............

November 2010

Well such a lot has been happening since I was last on here and its been a while so you can see how busy I have been.  Some of my more recent projects have been really interesting such as the types of lighting required for migrating birds and invertebrates.  This required a lot of research which took to around the globe to find the right information and who knew so little definitive research exists on the subject.  Have since approached Philips Lighting about them orgainising something and am hoping this will have legs and begin a new project for me in keeping on top of it.

The Knightsbridge hotel lighting project is now out to tender so that is a huge relief and finally I can concentrate on other elements.  I have also been involved with a super domestic lighting project for a lovely couple in Essex who are building their own home.  The task has been harder than when doing commercial projects as personal taste tends to come into it and therefore finding the right lighting that also agrees with their vision for their home was very time consuming and difficult to get right.  However I believe I now have a workable and interesting scheme for them which can develop over time with them and their new home. 

The ILP conference was, as always, a great event and I enjoyed catching pu with my lighting colleagues and learning about new developments in the industry.

Further events include the Hemsa and Aslec conference which is in early December and of course the social highlight of the year the ILP annual dinner dance which is being held this year in Windsor and will involve a Salsa demonstration.  I have my dance shoes ready and will be looking forward a great evening.

The LED side of the industry is moving still at a super pace and new and exciting products are evolveing all the time.  Recently I came across some beautiful and very tiny single LED spot lamps and in floor uplighters which are no bigger than the palm of my hand.  They are from Mike Stoane lighting and are just perfect for lighting a fair size area with minimal visual impact.  Also PhotostarLED have brought out a new LED luminaire which is the right colour to compete with Tungsten lamps and will give the right warmth to a domestic or hotel project. 

Well enjoy the darker nights which now bring to the fore the need for good lighting so that it keeps our lives functional long into the night.  Where would we be without it!?  Something to ponder till the next time...

Novemeber 2010

Hi there all fellow lighting enthusiasts,

We are now getting into the darker nights and with that brings more work as clients realise they suddenly need lighting.  So how can we at It Does Lighting Ltd help you?   Well we can save you money, energy and carbon.  We can give you better productivity and ultimately make your ongoing maintenance easier and more efficient..........interested?  Well give us a call to find out more.

In the meantime we have a few new lights to design with in the shape of LED and plasma technology.  Also a new association with Murray and Willis who are exciting and innovative in their approach to fit outs and refurbishment work. 

The ILE conference approaches in September and will no doubt, as in recent years, be one of the calendar events to remember.  Also for me a few others spring to mind such as Decorex at the end of September and 100% design which are always worth going to.  Lighting is fast becoming THE way to reduce carbon/cost/energy and therefore more sectors and diverse clients are interested in it than ever before.  Don’t miss out, take a look at the rest of the web site and see what opportunities are possible for your business.

Aug 10

Tuesday morning and I am very excited today as there have been many enquiries about projects and some of them very exciting.  One in particular is a lighting masterplan for a whole Island which would be awesome to be involved with.

Also on the radar is a project for some innvotive christmas lights which I hope to help a certain council achieve which will give them more flexibility and cost less over the coming years than their traditional ones.

Revenue streams for councils which can't get or don't want PFI, those can now be offered via It Does and our financing partners.  Go around the banks and get the best deal for the replacement of your lighting stock and still keep control over what you put in and where.  no restrictions as to product choice and as technology moves forwards you get to do that too.   Something of interest perhaps?

Energy saving is still popping up on the radar regularly and I am pleased to say even home owners and small businesses are looking at ways to save energy with lighting.  Lighting changes make a huge dent in your energy bills so why not go Green and make a plan that saves you money and on going maintenance, seems silly not to.

Aug 10 

Calling all facilities managers!!  Do you guys need some help finding the right solutions to your never ending maintenance dilemmas?  Well I can help, the mine field of LED's out there, the issues of to replace or to re lamp and risk shortened life etc is a big one.  Also there are so many options, so much information and who is telling the truth.  Well with no aligence to any companies and a completely free reign I feel that my 18 years in the lighting industry can qualify me to narrow down the field for you.  I specialise in LED and sustainable lighting and use some of the most cutting edge and innovative technology known.  My projects save my clients money on their energy but also give them a scheme which will last the course, be easy to maintain and will still give a good quality of light.  Often this is where replacement schemes go astray as they forget about the light distribution of the replacement lamp or luminaire and can often end upwith a seriously comproised result.  Light distribution for each lamp type and optic setting is different and even the slightly change can turn a good scheme into one which causes your staff and colleagues to complain.  Saving energy is not a good result if staff safety and well being is compromised. 

So if you are truly interested in doing an outstanding job and really helping your company to save energy, be greener and have the best lighting for the space possible then come and talk to me.  Happy to help!

July 10

Friday again and where has this week gone?!!  Many things to light not so much time to do it in.   energy saving has yet again been top of my list of important discussions with my clients and from the sound of it this area is gaining even more momentum. 

LED's are still a hot topic and did you know how much money it can save you just by changing your luminaires/lamps to accommodate them?  Well if you don't know we are talking about savings of up to 80% on certain lamps not to mention they are better for the environment that compact fluorescents as they have no mercury.  Pay back is around 2 years in most cases for interior projects and a little longer for exterior. 

Green procurement is another avenue which some of my clients are interested in and I was also amazed at how many just don't understand what it truly means.  What is your understanding?  have a think about what you believe you need to do to change your business accordingly and then if you come up stuck for inspiration or answers contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and I shall gladly help fill in the blanks.

So have a grand weekend folks and remember to switch off those lights when not in use and enjoy the energy saving that few moments like that will bring!  happy saving!

July 10

Today in my world of lighting consultancy its a good day as one of my best clients is having a birthday party, they are 5 today.  This for me means a chance to press the flesh with the great and the good of the consultancy world and of course free booze and food, always a plus!   So perhaps there will be new clients there who may want my services as a lighting and energy consultant, who knows!

visited another client yesterday for the first time and noticed they are spending a lot of additional money on energy by using the wrong lamps in their interior luminaires.  I shall be approaching them in the coming days to see if I can address that for them to reduce their energy bill and of course make them more Carbon friendly for the government.  It always amazes me at just how many companies really don't know what to do when it comes to changing their lighting for something more efficient.  Lots of business to go at methinks.

So I hope you are enjoying the weather, have plenty of work and until next time, take care :-)

 July 10

Sunday morning folks and the world of innovative lighting design never stops!  Todays project is still the Knightsbridge hotel where I am getting to the stage of client sign off.  A sigh of relief will be felt by all involved I am sure when that is achieved.  The scheme is below budget, yes thats right you heard, below budget and although not as 'wow' as I would like for a lighting scheme for a hotel of this calibre but its true you only get what you pay for and no one ever allows enough for lighting. 

I am pleased to say however that thanks to the great products of PhotonstarLED and Philips LED I can also make the hotel a really carbon friendly and build reg compliant scheme.  This will save the owner money off the bottom line in energy but also reduce maintenance costs for the future.

Lighting consultancy is under valued as part of the design team and often excluded from the mix if at all possible with interior designers, electrical consultants and architects feeling that their catch all knownledge gives them the right experience to do a good lighting scheme.  Often this a bland and uniteresting scheme emerges which may not always be as energy efficient as possible or hard to maintain.  Beware clients of cutting corners here as your consultants should save you money and add value so give us a try before allowing other disaplines to get involved.

June 10 

 

Sorry its been a while since my last update however this if for good reason as work has dramatically increased and now leaves me with some excellent and interesting lighting projects.  The two bespoke 5 star plus hotels are progressing nicely and I am nearly at sign off for one of them.  Had the good fotune to bid for a lovely project in Surrey which would have involved lighting the interior and exterior of a new Castle.  However it was a two horse race and unfortunatley I did not on this occasion get the job.

Other interesting work is a project in Bexley which will be lighting a 5m high sculpture of a Welsh Cob for an art project there.  I am working with the artist and the Council to make it a mystical and dramatic sight after dark.

Lots of development control work popping up so obviously lighting for section 278 and 38 works are increasing which is hopefully a good sign for the housing market to pick up.

Also I am bidding for two fabulous projects, one in India and one in Essex.  Should they become a reality then I will have the opportunity to really design some very special lighting effects and create diverse and attractive spaces after dark.

Finally I am also working on helping those seeking to reduce their energy consumption due to the CRCEES committment.  This area can be challenging for clients and I can help with specialist knowledge of what lighting can help them cut cost and CO2 and also what not to do and why. 

So until next time......

June 10 

 

Some excellent lighting opportinities are landing on my desk currently and its good to see enquiries at least picking up.  Confidence is improving and clients are seemly being brave again and moving their projects forwards. 

Projects for the Arab countries are also a possibility and this would be very exciting for me as have always wanted to move into the that market. 

The best news however was that my article on carbon reduction and energy usage in lighting projects was publised in the February edition of the Lighting journal so take a look that and let me know what you think.  More and more clients are approaching their lighting from a carbon reduction perspective these days and rightly so, companies have to have a holistic approach and all areas need to be addressed to have the best effect.  We can of course help with that aspect of your CRC and with addressing the lighting weaknesses afterwards.

March 10 

 

Snow, snow and more snow!  when will it all end??  The up side though is that it hasn't detered my customers from placing new work orders with me and keeping me very busy.  Also have had a few enquiries from the USA which is my target for 2010 so February is proving very positive.

The hotels are progressing and I am discovering some fantastic products to use and entice my clients with.  Controls have been a concern as I have a huge wish list but with some help from a few experts in this field I now have a clear way forwards and can feel confident of producing an easy to use robust system for my clients when we get to that stage of the project.

Not long till Frankfurt and the light and build show.  Should be an interesting year to visit it and I am very much looking forward to catching up with a few people there who I haven't seen for many years.  Also very excited about what new products will be shown and where I can then specify them.

Basildon is taking shape and should be fully functional by the end of March.  There will no doubt be a big opening so I am looking forward to seeing that working and gauging public reponse.

Introduced a new memeber to the ILE this week, Paul Cox of Architainment.  He will be a huge asset to our institution and I am sure he will receive a warm welcome when he attends his first technical papers meeting. 

So onwards we go into spring, lets hope those new shoots continue to grow.

Feb 10

 

Its all systems go here and many new projects to work on.  Basildon town centre is also being installed at present and that appears to be smooth running for now.  Fiona Jones from Holophane has been down to site many times to make sure everything goes in as it should and i am very grateful to her for that.

I currently have two fabulous 5 star plus hotels to work on which are proving challenging but interesting.  The interior designers are based in Battersea and I am working along side a client who are a small but well thought of consulting engineers based in West London.  Lots of development control work too and some small light art work to top it off. 

On the energy management side of things I have several good contacts into some new areas and hope to make something of those in February.  The CRC is nearly upon us and large companies really do need those carbon footprints and environmental stategies to keep from incurring large fines for not meeting their committments.  Come and talk to me about how to achieve that and make the enviroment work for you.

Jan 10 

 

 

Happy New Year!  Well ladies and gentlemen here we go into yet another exciting and challenging year.  Credit crunch is still biteing but it does seem to be showing some signs of recoverey so fingers crossed that continues.  I am going to be looking at expanding my consultancy work this year and perhaps heading into the Australia and American markets where I believe there is a gap in the market. 

Frankfurt will be another stop on my list of things to do and i am very much looking forward to seeing all the new and innovative products that are bound to be there.  LED's of course will feature heavily but there are some other new and emerging lamp technogies which could be interesting to watch.  Lamp Utopia does come in packages other than just LED!

I am hoping to commence some very exciting projects in the next few weeks which will take me further into the interior market which will be exciting.  New consultants to work with and the possibility of other alliances further down the road.  Watch this space.

For now though I wish you all things good in 2010 and a very happy and prosperous future.

Jan 10

 

Merry Christmas everyone and thank you for all your support over the last year.

So as we meander our way into 2010 what will this year hold I wonder?  Well for It Does I hope a continuing foray into the energy reduction world and more work with ISO14001 and 16001 along with the opportunity to work on some inspiring projects.  Enquiries are definately rising so perhaps those green shoots are there even before Spring!

Dec 09 

 

We did it!!!  It Does Ltd is now Green!

We take our environmental responsibilities seriously here at It Does and therefore we have taken the time to have our Carbon Footprint assessed and then addressed that to become a NeutralCarbonZone accredited company.  We also have an Environmental Plan to clearly show how we will further reduce our Carbon emmissions in the next 5 years.  This is a service we offer our clients too so why delay in saving costs to your company and helping the Planet, you too could be Green!

Think of your Brand, think of who your clients are and how they like to trade and most of all think of how your employees and trading partners see you and the company.  All elements are important but mostly in these trying economic times cutting cost from your bottom line has to appeal no matter what the Environmental benefit.  So call us today and lets see how we can help you to achieve NeutralCarbonZone status.

Dec 09 

Hello again!  This week I have just returned from the Hemsa/Aslec conference which was a thoroughly enjoyable event as usual.  Nice to catch up with some people and to see what direction that side of the business is taking. 

The main theme I felt seemed to be carbon reduction both for our schemes and for the industry itself so this means I am well placed to facilitate this and further my position in this market.  This of course also means that CMS systems will be more easily specified as companies realise that there is only a few ways in which to reduce their carbon and reduction in lighting energy costs are definately one of them.

November 09

 

Well what a few months its been, busy with a lot of changes to the company which I am looking forward to telling you about. 

Firstly I am now able to offer ISO14001 and 16001 accreditation which for those of you who want to be more than just 'seen to be Green' its definatley the way forwards.  Already I am finding companies will not trade with others unless they have a clear environmental plan and this will no doubt be more prevelent in the future.  It Does is currently doing our paperwork to become Carbon Neutral and we shall have an environmental plan in place after that to make sure we reduce our Carbon Footprint to the minimum we can over the next few years. 

Other interesting developments are that Energy reduction commitments which the Government are enforcing now mean all of my lighting schemes have to be even more energy efficient than they already were.  Cost is usually the reason most clients give to not do something but now Brand image and their own footprints will be making the cost less of an issue against their image to their clients and trading partners.  Not a bad thing as far as I am concerned and this will only increase in priorty as the new Part L building regulations come into play in 2010. 

I am currently revisiting areas in which i have not worked for a while which include private housing and working with interior designers.  This is an interesting and challenging arena as private clients requirements and desires for their lighting are a different ball game entirely to that of the commercial world but still an area where high end design can be achieved.

Finally I am now part of a cooperative of smaller businesses who are targeting work specifically in the Milton Keynes area so we can offer a complete package.  Our cooperative is called BuyMK and incorporates companies including lawyers, investors, interior designers, architects and of course myself as a lighting specialist.  Many other disciplines are covered so take a look at what we can offer see where our combined expertise can help you.

Many thanks for reading, till next time...

November 09

This month has been so busy I havent had time to update this page, definately not complaining about that though.  The Gatwick project has had phase one of the design completed and we are hoping to start phase two next week.  Although the brief is quite restrictive I am trying to put forward LED technology and have found a product which not only gives great light output but also a superb distribution so fingers crossed the client will proceed with that.

On a personal note I am finally progressing my MILE and IEng upgrade and have got to the stage of Technical report.  I am hopeful that within 9 months I will have passed through the process and be Incorporated.

The recession is still biting but I have found a large increase in development control work from my clients so perhaps the building industry is truly improving??  Watch this space :-)

August 09 

 

What a great week for various reasons.  Yesterday I have been awarded a contract to light the Gatwick South Terminal with one of my clients who has brought me in to support their offer.  The brief is for mainly interior lighting and the style will be clean and bright to match other international airports.  A tight timescale has been implemented and I have only 4 weeks to come up with something amazing and technically sound.  Wish me luck.

Also I have more news on some stadiums I am hoping to light later in the year, some of which are international projects.

Finally Development control projects seem to be picking up steam and so perhaps the housing market is finally showing those elusive green shoots of recovery, lets wait and see.

July 09 

 

Interesting week for me as I am currently working with a former employer only in a different guise.  John Best the former Chief Executive of Milton Keynes Council has set up on his own covering a multitude of disciplines which revolve around City Planning and a term he calls ‘City Fitness’.

John feels that with my expertise in lighting strategies and sustainable lighting we can assist town planners and city developers across the UK and internationally with their initiatives.  Several projects are in the pipeline and we look forward to progressing them in the coming months.

On another topic but still related to Milton Keynes I was asked by the Lighting Journal to comment on a piece they are running this edition on the MK Redways.  The piece is an excerpt from a paper written by Anna Whittaker of Holophane lighting and details very clearly some of the issues facing MK and the lighting of their Redways.   My comments reiterate the concerns Anna has and responds with information from my point of view which was relevant when I worked with them a couple of years ago.  I am sure others will wish to express an opinion so watch this space for updates on how the story unfolds!

June 09