Australian award winning manufacturer of energy efficient lighting
The 21st century is seeing new milestones being set in energy efficient living. Consumers and regulatory bodies are demanding that the community be responsible and efficient with their energy consumption. There are now companies that specialise in manufacturing energy efficient products and an Australian leader is 3S Lighting.
This dynamic company manufactures in Australia and specialises in the production of innovative energy efficient lighting systems and fixtures for both the domestic and commercial sector.
Using 3S Lighting products can reduce the power your lights consume by up to 80%. Currently lighting in the average Australian home accounts for 6% of total power consumption. Thus over time the cost savings (and greenhouse gas savings) become significant. (Source: Energy Australia Energy Usage Guide.)
Award winners
In 2009 3S Lighting received the prestigious 2008 IES Luminaire Design-Award of Excellence for Australia and New Zealand for a lighting solution applied to the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney. This solution involved the manufacture of a custom designed pendant luminaire; developed in conjunction with Bassett Consulting Engineers and manufactured by 3S Lighting Company.
Building Codes of Australia (BCA) and BASIX
3S Lighting products comply with the latest lighting requirements specified in the BCA.
In NSW all new homes and renovations must comply with BASIX energy requirements as well as BCA requirements. 3S Lighting makes it simple to comply with these requirements due to their energy efficient LED and fluorescent based light fixtures. Within the BASIX online form you can nominate to have energy saving LED or fluorescent fittings. If you do not dedicate at least 80% of your lights to be energy saving fittings you will have difficulty in complying with the maximum energy usage that BASIX permits.
Your health and lighting
Correctly using 3S Lighting designs in you home or workplace will eliminate the side affects associated with poor lighting. Side effects associated with poor lighting include: headaches, sore eyes, poor concentration, reduced production,irritability, mood swings and depression.
Custom lighting solutions
Innovative research and development has made 3S Lighting, and its sales company Interlux, a well known lighting solutions provider. 3S Lighting will help you design your lighting schedule to produce the perfect space, at home or in the workplace.
3S Lighting sets the following goals when designing a light fixture or luminaire:
- To produce the optimal amount of light for the intended application while keeping energy consumption to a minimum. This is achieved using one or more of a variety of technologies (fully explained below) including built-in electronic energy management systems, the use of high quality reflectors or the use of LEDs.
- To produce the correct spectrum for the intended application. This is important in creating the correct atmosphere or mood or for a space; be it for work or relaxation.
- To optimise the cut-off angle of the fixture; in other words design the fixture so that light from bulb in the fixture does not shine directly into the eye.
- To minimise the amount of glare produced by the fixture.
Product range
Energy efficient lighting technology has come a long way in the last 2 years. 3S Lighting has seized the opportunities presented by these technological changes to manufacture and distribute standardised light fixtures and luminaires in addition to providing custom lighting solutions.
Interior lighting
Downlights.
Downlights include low voltage fittings that are compatible with traditional halogen lamps as well as energy efficient compact fluorescent or LED lamps. These new lamps consume up to 75% less power and can now produce light of exceptional quality.
Track spotlights 3circuit.
This type of light fixture is perfect for the following domestic and commercial applications: kitchens, raked ceilings, galleries and shop fronts. Track spotlights allow you to add and remove fittings and use different intensity bulbs in each spotlight.
Wall lights.
Wall lights are both decorative and a great source of indirect lighting. They are typically used by architects and interior designers to enhance the look and feel of an interior space.
Wall washers.
Wall washers sit in the ceiling close to a wall and create indirect lighting by reflecting light off of the wall.
Cassette systems.
3S Lighting manufactures two types of lighting cassette systems: aluminum and wooden trimless ceiling panels. Cassette systems are used in offices to enhance the interior design. They are available in many colours and can be used for many applications.
Architectural Highbay Luminaires.
These types of luminaires are typically used in factories and warehouses with high ceilings (6M to 9M). 3S Lighting carries a variety of these types of luminaires. They are the Eco-Star surface mounted & suspended luminaires, and luminaires with metal or polycarbonate reflectors.
Exterior or outdoor lighting
Bollards.
Bollards are mainly used in gardens and along pathways. 3S Lighting manufactures bollards with long-life energy saving lamps.
Bulkheads
Bulkheads can be mounted on a wall or ceiling, in front of a garage, next to front door, in a foyer entry, or around the exterior of the house to provide soft illumination.
Inground luminaires.
Low voltage inground luminaires are often used around swimming pools. In addition they are used at night to illuminate buildings from the ground or highlight outdoor landscape features such as trees or rock gardens.
Recessed location luminaires.
These are used both indoors and outdoors as marker or guiding lights. They can also be installed in walls and ceilings.
Recessed wall luminaires.
Recessed wall luminaires are very similar to floor luminaires; differences are minor.
Lighting terminology and technology
- A light fixture is an electrical device used to create artificial light or illumination.
- A luminaire is a lighting fixture complete with the light source or lamp, the reflector for directing the light, an aperture (with or without a lens), the outer shell or housing for lamp alignment and protection, an electrical ballast, if required, and connection to a power source.
- A lumen is the measure of the perceived power of light. See Wikipedia for a more detailed explanation.
- Lux is the number of lumens per square metre.
- LOR is the acronym for "light output ratio". Cheap, poorly made, light fixtures typically have an LOR of less than 40% due to the shoddy quality of reflectors within them. High quality light fixtures, using quality reflectors, can have an LOR in excess of 85%, and thus consume far less power.
- Energy management system. An energy management system regulates the amount of power to the bulbs in a lighting fixture. For example 3S Lighting has designed a lighting fixture that contains a bank of fluorescent lights. The energy management system in the fixture has a detector that measures the amount of natural light coming from any nearby windows. When the amount of natural light detected is determined to be sufficient, bulbs are dimmed or turned off depending on how close they are to the window.
- LEDs have become an incredibly energy efficient source of light. Just two years ago light-emitting diodes were only producing about 30 lumens/Watt. Now they can produce over 100 lumens per Watt, as compared with 60 -100W incandescent light bulbs which only produce 15 lumens/Watt.
- BCA (Building Codes of Australia). Amongst other things the BCA specifies the minimum energy efficiency requirements for lighting in various residential and commercial application.
Distributors
The following companies sell & distribute 3S Lighting products around Australia and New Zealand:
- Victoria: 3S Sales Victoria. Phone: 03 9311 9863. Email: salesvic@3slighting.com
- NSW (Sydney): Lightsmart Solutions. Phone: 03 9817 2915. Email: rw@lightsmart.com.au
- NSW (North): Interlux Lighting Pty Ltd. Phone: 02 4340 0540. Email: interlux1@iprimus.com.au
- Queensland: Lightcycle Pty Ltd. Phone: 0417 057 177. Email: susan@lightcycle.com.au
- Canberra: Lighting Products. Phone: 02 4684 3900. Email: lightingproducts@bigpond.com
- South Australia: TMC Lighting. Phone: 08 8340 1100. Email: tmclite@airnet.com.au
- Tasmania: Undersea Lighting. Phone: 03 6267 9530. Email: De_T@bigpond.com
- New Zealand: Future Lighting Systems. Phone: +64 9410 9280. Email: mike@futurelighting.co.nz
Further Reading
Visit the 3S Lighting website to learn more about:
- Lighting Technology & Design
- Surface Treatment and Finish
- 3S Lighting's environmental policy
- 3S Lighting's recycling program
For more general information read the Home Design Directory's article on Light and Lighting in and around the home.