Indoors or out, lighting can make or break a project's impact. AECOM associate David Holmes provides an overview of current costs
Lighting is one of the key elements of building design. The proper lighting enables you to perform tasks easily, makes you feel safer and more comfortable. Each room or defined internal or external area, however, has specific general and accent lighting needs. Specifications are critical to the success of lighting design work and ultimately make the project. One of the most important aspects of producing a quality lighting design is to ensure that the lighting products specified are actually acquired and installed on a project. It sounds simple enough but in the reality of everyday practice, this is not always what happens. A well-designed lighting installation can bring substantial benefits to clients and users; it can help improve productivity and energy efficiency and hence reduce operating costs. Therefore, it is in the client’s interest to have the best.
Meanwhile, LED technology is becoming a viable alternative to other energy efficient lighting solutions and is increasingly used for general environments including external, industrial and offices. With careful selection, LED systems can deliver qualitative design requirements without compromise to the overall visual comfort and ambience of the space. LED characteristics of high light output, good light colour quality and rendering, and engineered product efficiency are beginning to become comparable to fluorescent lighting systems. LED lamps/luminaires are typically more expensive than traditional lighting alternatives across most types, although the cost variance and energy saving potential for different LED lamps/luminaires types can vary significantly. Therefore, the return on investment from different LED lighting typologies and implementation approaches is not constant and requires intricate study to forecast in detail.
The following rates are based on the UK average and represent typical prices at 2020 Q3. Please note that prices can vary significantly depending on the exact specification. Range shown is not a minimum or maximum but an indication of expected prices.