LED lighting solutions: helping businesses reduce their carbon footprint

Lietcorp, established in 2005, provides energy efficient lighting solutions to businesses around the world and work across a wide range of sectors including retail, offices, industry, and hospitality & leisure. They work with clients from the UK to Europe, Middle East, Hong Kong, and the USA and are harnessing the full potential of LED with their innovative designs and approach.

Climate Action sat down with Lietcorp Founder and Chairman, Mark Blythe, to discuss how LED solutions are revolutionising the industry.

 

Could you tell us a bit about how Lietcorp was founded and what has been your inspiration?

As a keen sailor, I was hugely impressed after buying OceanLED lights for my boat and in 2005 decided to invest in what is now the most widely distributed LED marine lighting brand in the world. After discovering that the same principles for LED marine lighting could be applied to commercial and architectural sectors, I soon launched OceanLED’s sister company and commercial lighting specialist, Lietcorp.

We are now a recognised specialist in innovative LED technologies providing energy savings, improved lighting quality and lower carbon footprints. The business works with a variety of sectors and a number of well-known brands including Mitchells & Butlers, RBS, Odeon Cinemas, Boots, Oxfam and Bathstore.

Lighting is one of only a handful of technologies, which, when done well, offers huge benefits to a wide audience including businesses, customers and the environment. My vision for the company now is to ensure significant growth through the development of creative product innovation and further expansion overseas, primarily in the UAE, South East Asia and Europe.

 

LED solutions present a significant opportunity to improve sustainability. Could you explain how LED offers this in comparison to other options?

LEDs use less energy than traditional light sources and offer the most efficient lumen per watt measurement. They also give off significantly less heat than metal halide and halogens reducing the need for air conditioning. The lower temperature also means that they last significantly longer, meaning they needn’t be replaced as frequently as incandescent bulbs, for example.

There is a wide range of benefits to businesses in rolling out LED lighting including significant contributions to Carbon Reduction Commitments. Could you tell us more about these benefits?

Energy efficient lighting such as LEDs, is the simplest and fastest ways for businesses to cut back on their carbon emissions. All Lietcorp products are ECA compliant, meaning companies can get 100 per cent tax relief on first-year capital allowances, providing an immediate cash-flow boost.

 

What are the inhibitors to businesses in rolling out LED lighting?

There have been incidents of businesses buying cheap LEDs from Asia with inflated performance promises along with a lack of instructions on how to install, use and control the products, resulting in a failed project.  Many companies can see the initial investment as a barrier too, but with the ECA scheme in place and additional funding available, I believe that this is now less of an issue.

 

Lietcorp have released the new Liet Linear and Liet HB-Series on to the market this year. What is unique about Lietcorp’s LED solutions?

Launched originally as an LED technology company, we aren’t a traditional lighting manufacturer trying to shoe-horn LED technology into an outdated business model. Lietcorp products have taken extreme lighting technology design from marine applications through our sister company, OceanLED, and turned it into true equivalent LED for commercial use. Additionally, Lietcorp LEDs offer both significant energy saving benefits in addition to the highest lighting performance.

 

What are the greatest challenges facing the LED industry and how have you been overcoming these?

Cheap LED imports have given the industry an unfair reputation that is now beginning to be turned around through education and successful case studies. Businesses are beginning to see the huge benefits that can be gained from installing LEDs including furthering their CSR commitments, significant revenue savings and better quality working conditions.

The majority of Lietcorp products are designed and engineered by in-house teams of engineers and product designers.

As we build and design the majority of our products in-house, customers can have quick and easy access to individuals from every part of the building process. Because our teams work solely on creating LED products, including our revolutionary cooling systems, controls and optical designs, we can offer bespoke lighting performance and increased energy savings.

 

What markets and regions are really embracing LED solutions and what do you think the future holds for the market?

The LED revolution is worldwide; however light-savvy markets such as the USA and Europe are easily identifiable as leaders in the market. Interestingly those countries without the traditional lighting heritage, such as China, are also steaming ahead with LED installations. The growth areas are in line with other global growth economies, such as the BRIC markets.