“Getting 3000 lumens into a recessed LED downlight has been a serious technical challenge and has required advanced technology from several continents to be integrated into what for the customer just needs to be a simple form, fit and function replacement for the existing luminaire,” said Gerry Howley, one of Brillianz’s two Owner Directors.
BayLite is expected to save F. Hinds over GBP 500,000 in energy costs over the next 10 years and to contribute over 3,000 tons of carbon savings. “We are very careful about how we spend our cash,” said Neil Hinds. “The payback on this lighting initiative together with the improved merchandise illumination and reduced maintenance was a compelling argument to proceed straight away.”
F. Hinds’ diamond buyer Andrew Hinds was delighted not only by the savings but also by the quality of the lighting. “The stores’ new lighting is even better than I expected and is a significant improvement on the previous lighting – the diamonds really sparkle and the watch faces are brighter,” he said.
Howley was enthusiastic about the prospects for building on the manufacturing resources of the company: “We have extensive electronics and assembly capabilities in house and this has been really important in designing product to meet the particular requirements of our large clients like F.Hinds,” he said. “Growing this type of business not only improves local employment opportunities, it proves that ‘green tech’ can be economically manufactured in the UK.”
Brillianz markets the BayLite range directly to larger retail and commercial businesses and is actively seeking representative sales partners to help take the product nationwide.
Minister visits Brillianz
Grant Shapps MP, the Minister of State for Housing and Local Government, visited Brillianz in late March. His purpose was both to support successful local manufacturing businesses such as Brillianz, which has not only survived the recession but sprung back to life with major new contracts in the high-tech LED lighting sector, but also to see first hand the benefits that this green technology can bring to commercial and government sectors alike.
Brillianz not only services the Lighting sector but also has a core business providing sub-contract electronic assembly to local manufacturing and technology companies from its surface-mount automated assembly lines. This has proved to be a very valuable complementary activity, enabling the company to integrate its own electronics to drive the LED luminaires.
Shapps was keen to learn if the savings being achieved by companies such as F. Hinds in the retail sector could carry over to local Government and related non-commercial implementations. During his visit, Shapps commented on the UK government’s initiatives to assist SME businesses in high-tech industries and also on the commitment to drive carbon reduction and energy savings through the public as well as the private sectors.