Obayashi Corp., a major Japanese general contractor, and Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd, a core member of the Matsushita Group, announced on March 23, 2005 that they have developed light fixtures for grid ceilings that significantly reduce both initial and running costs. The new design maintains the necessary light intensity in the room while consuming less power by cutting the required number of lamps in half. This type of lighting was first adopted at the Nishi-Shinjuku KS building, completed in March 2005.

The ceiling grid system consists of 60-square-centimeter panels, with one lighting panel installed every third panel. This type of ceiling has an advantage in cost efficiency, and also allows flexible room partitioning. Conventional panels require the use of two lamps, one on each side of the panel, as each one provides only about 600 lux, not enough the 700 lux needed for office illumination.

The newly developed design uses a highly reflective plate with a carefully designed shape at the back of the lamp, allowing just one lamp to produce the required 700 lux.

By installing these fixtures in the Nishi-Shinjuku KS building, the companies expect that the annual operating costs, typically 11 million yen (about U.S.$ 103,000) with conventional lighting, will be reduced by 2.8 million yen (about U.S.$ 26,000).



Posted: 2005/07/16 01:44:39 PM
Japanese version

TAG Eco-product/Business , Energy , Manufacturing industry , Non-manufacturing industry