challenger-lighting

Revolutionising Emergency Lighting With Bluetooth And Lens Technology

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 13:57:24 GMT

Revolutionising Emergency Lighting with Bluetooth, Lens Technology and Ulti- M ate - New For 2025

Smart Emergency Lighting Project (London Site)

We recently carried out work on a London site – utilising Bluetooth technology to communicate with 39 on site fittings for emergency lighting, testing, reporting failures and imminent failures. We reduced the emergency lighting units from 82 to 39 – reducing costs for the future utilising Lens technology and lithium batteries -albeit the important component is the LENS = LIGHT distribution. Not only do we achieve specified emergency light levels across the retail area, we also reduce energy and service costs over time.

The Bluetooth technology does not impact on site activities in any shape or form as it beams the information directly back to Gosport for our evaluation. This activity does not detract from the Customer carrying out your own weekly / monthly on site tests.

We are interested to provide costs and solutions, etc, to pursue this concept which one would suggest would be very much of interest to both parties as it is evident that generally Management and Staff do not understand the emergency lighting testing procedures, or indeed have the ability to identify emergency fittings as normally they refer to the exit signs - not the total content of the site. This removes the burden of responsibility from the Staff and provides concise Management information – available 24/7 at our HO in Gosport.

Revitalisation & Sustainable Lighting

We also have witnessed specifically over the last 24 Month, failures on LED fittings on sites near to / or at the end of their guaranteed life. This initially resulted in new fittings being installed; however, it is clear to us that the number of failures are increasing, primarily with drivers, albeit LED cobs and LED strips have followed closely behind on certain parts of the Estates we have the pleasure of maintaining.

The fittings that we have retained – ie the ones that were removed from sites – are revitalised with drivers and LED strips – at a fraction of the buying costs of new fittings, reflecting an overall saving including installation of some 40%, without jeopordising quality or life expectancy of the new components as the integrity of the heat sink has not been jeopardised and the energy consumed / light output has indeed improved by circa 25% over time as technology has advanced.

Challenger are committed to moving forward with ‘revitalisation’ including investing in a mobile workshop to affect on site repairs, with minimal impact to Customers – our new mobile workshop will facilitate LED units up to 1600mm in length and down to LED track spots, which contributes not only to the circular economy but also for a sustainable future.

Benefits Of A Managed Lighting Solution

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 13:27:51 GMT

Benefits Of A Managed Lighting Solution

Our business is built upon developing trusted partnerships. Our clients have confidence in our expertise to design, install and maintain their lighting system, enabling them to focus on their business safe in the knowledge they have an innovative and highly efficient solution in place.

We constantly monitor the market to ensure we are abreast of what innovations are available and which will deliver the best solution. However, sometimes the latest innovation isn’t the best solution. We believe passionately in reducing waste and promote a circular economy wherever possible. If a luminaire can be repaired, our technicians will replace the relevant components to extend its life. Similarly, if LED doesn’t represent the best option, we will recommend a traditional technology that better meets your lighting needs. We understand innovation brings significant benefits, such as Xicato’s 10 Year guarantee on its high performing LED COBs, or switching to lithium batteries in EML units for enhanced safety and energy reduction.

When we maintain systems, not only will we oversee the lighting fixtures to guarantee optimal performance, but our technicians will also tend to other minor repairs they encounter, whether directly related or not. We don’t engage sub-contractors, so every person you work with is part of the Challenger team and works to the same high standards.

Our IT systems brings our partnership even closer together, providing our technicians with the ability to update actions immediately and giving you shared access so system performance can be monitored around the clock and immediate notification given should any issues need attention.

Responsible Waste Management

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 13:24:20 GMT

Responsible Waste Management

At Challenger we approach every project with the objective of delivering the optimal LED lighting solution while minimising the environmental impact. We employ comprehensive waste and energy conservation practices that involve everyone in the business and extend to all areas of operations.

To secure the best energy savings available and provide clients with optimal lighting solutions, we target the conversion of luminaires using traditional technologies, such as CMH, to LED. We actively engage manufacturers to design LED fittings that can be easily serviced using components that are readily available and cost-effective. Our supply chain principles centre on having strong availability of spares, promoting the repair and continued use of luminaires instead of replacing and scrapping them. Technology also plays a critical role in increasing energy efficiency while enhancing luminaire performance, whether it’s integrated drivers that extend the life of components, or Bluetooth beacons that improve intelligence gathering and reporting.

The diverse nature of our activities results in the production of general waste and recyclable materials, but also hazardous waste in the form of fluorescent tubes, lamps and batteries. We adopt the ‘best practicable environmental option’ when engaging in waste management, always choosing to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover as opposed to disposal to landfill. We adhere to the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and comply with the requirements of the WEEE regulations where materials cannot be recycled ourselves.

We take responsibility for managing the full life cycle of products and embrace the principles of the circular economy in our approach to waste management. Placing greater emphasis on product design helps proactively manage waste and encouraging their sustainable consumption keeps them in active use for longer.

Insight Investing In Technology

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 12:55:29 GMT

Insight Investing In Technology

Technology is a key driver behind what we achieve at Challenger , whether it’s sourcing the latest products for a new lighting system or developing improved IT systems to track and record its performance. We’re always looking for ways to improve our services by investing in innovative solutions that drive cost and energy efficiencies.

It starts with the products. LEDs are constantly evolving, as manufacturers find ways to improve performance, increase lifetime, and enhance efficiency. We carefully evaluate products to manage their integration into our solutions offer to maintain a realistic transition away from traditional lighting products or indeed upgrade existing LED . Availability of components for LED lighting, which can often be scarce, is another consideration in product selection.

Developments in technology have enabled us to develop a proprietary IT system capable of controlling installed systems and being tailored to an individual client. Our technicians can immediately record any maintenance activity on site using smart phones, providing clients with real-time data on their system performance and contributing to time and cost savings. The system is driven from our head office and available around the clock, allowing clients to interrogate their system performance and make informed investment decisions whenever convenient.

The integration of Bluetooth technology into system design delivers significant benefits to both financial and energy considerations. Bluetooth has an ideal combination of features suited to lighting control and developments in the performance of many lighting components and their integration into intelligent LED luminaires provides opportunities to drive efficiencies. Smart controls for lighting systems changes they way lighting systems are maintained, by increasing the useful life of luminaires, improving energy efficiency and reducing waste.

Beyond our core lighting services, we are investing in technology to enable us to support existing clients with other energy saving initiatives, including the equipment and expertise to maintain the pods needed to charge electric vehicles. New developments within lighting also require investment in technology and we continue to progress our capabilities to support growth in the use of LED within the horticulture sector.