Sustainability is not a limitation in the luxury lighting space but rather a philosophy. Bespoke fixtures can be crafted with fine detail to attention and produced in limited quantities. High-end clients are increasingly looking for eco-friendly lighting options that not only reduce energy consumption but that have also been sourced ethically and responsibly manufactured.

Materials are carefully considered such as recycled metals, hand-blow glass, FSC certified woods and even bio-based composites to retain environmental integrity. Advanced LED tech and low-energy drivers as well a smart lighting systems really help to reduce energy consumption whilst allowing for precise control over colour, brightness and ambience. By thoughtfully including this sort of lighting into our installations has allowed us to reinforce our commitment to responsible, future-focused, lighting design.

The Bank of England recently agreed that net zero policies are currently contributing to higher energy prices. Transitioning to renewable energy obviously involves huge investments to the infrastructure such as grid upgrades, solar and wind farms. Octopus Energy suggest, that whilst the majority of households support net zero, 71% would not continue to support it if costs continued to rise. Households also face additional costs to retrofit homes with heat pumps or adopting electric vehicles and home charging points.

Long-term though, there are obviously great environmental and health benefits… reducing our use of fossil fuels will increase air quality and help mitigate climate change impacts. Going forward, solar and wind energy sources are cheaper to operate and transitioning to these cleaner methods can stimulate job creation and attract investment boosting GDP and regional development.

The cost of renewable energy, such as wind and solar, have already dropped and are expected to continue to do so as the new technologies are scaled up and efficiency improves. However, significant improvements and reductions in costs are not expected to materialise until the early 2030s.

The electrical contracting industry has always leveraged new technologies. It is no stranger to innovation; using tech to improve safety, accuracy and efficiency and now, AI offers further advancement opportunities. AI driven systems can help to detect hazards by monitoring systems in real-time… using sensors and analysing data, they can monitor power lines and substations to detect malfunctions which can reduce downtime. Machine learning can help reduce energy waste and prevent power cuts by analysing past and real-time data to predict the fluctuations in energy demand and therefore balance the supply appropriately.

AI tools can very quickly detect faults and improve service efficiency as well as analysing patterns to predict equipment failure. It can also be used to streamline the design process, ensuring that energy efficiency is optimised and that systems are compliant. AI is certainly set to transform some of the tools of the trade!

It’s good to see that the recent ‘Don’t Do DIY’ campaign by the NICEIC has been a great success. The campaign educated DIYers about the dangers of DIY electrics and has now connected over 100,000 customers across the UK with qualified and certified electricians.

The campaign ran across multiple platforms to reach audiences on TikTok, Google and Meta.

Over 2,500 pieces of coal have been transformed into a stunning art installation by designer Paul Cocksedge which is currently on display in the Painted Hall at Old Royal Naval College, London. 

Weighing over half a tonne, the 6 meter diameter installation hangs from the ceiling like a giant chandelier, each piece of coal suspended on stainless steel wire, sparkling in the light and captivating its onlookers. And why 2,500 pieces of coal? Because, this is the amount that is used by a single 200w lightbulb in one year.

Many thanks to the team behind the Tamar Crossings Newsletter for including us in the ‘Working with local suppliers and contractors’ article; we enjoyed talking with them…

Another local company which has worked on the Bridge is Saltash contractor PC Doney Electrics. Established by Percy Charles (PC) Doney in 1948 (the first electrical contractor to be officially registered in Cornwall) the family run business has seen three generations carry out a range of electrical works on the iconic structure during the past 40 plus years. Although not involved in the original construction of the Bridge, the firm won the contract to replace the giant aircraft warning lights on top of the two 76 metre high concrete towers in the early 1980’s. 

More recently, with grandson Darren now in charge, the firm won the contract to upgrade the street lighting on the Bridge. This was a large job which involved replacing all the street lights with more energy efficient LED fittings. “The old lights used approximately 21KW every night” said Darren. “With the new LED lights installed, the energy consumption is just 6KW, significantly reducing carbon emissions and energy bills!”

The firm has also been involved in installing and managing much of the extensive network of electricity and communications cables which run underneath the bridge.

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