“Operationally, IEQ’s lights aim to achieve up to 60 per cent savings in monthly energy cost. It also overtakes the lifetime ownership costs of a light as its lifespan is five times of a conventional light. Our customers typically only see us once every five years!”

— Mr Ong Wei Ping, Executive Director of IEQ Global Pte Ltd

Bright sparks: (from left) Jeffrey Tang, managing director of IEQ; Keith Tang; and Ong Wei Ping, executive director of IEQ

ECOLIGHT Design Consultants (EDC) was fully acquired by IEQ Global just last October and it is already invading the commercial space with IEQ’s highly efficient next-generation lighting.

Among others, it has worked with Suntec City and Bugis Junction to revamp their entire basement carpark with its high-specification light-emitting diode (LED) tube lamps which reduce energy consumption and ambient heat by more than 50 per cent.

‘The carpark is now a lot cooler than before,’ says Ong Wei Ping, executive director of IEQ.

The 44-year-old founder of EDC held the same designation in IEQ even before the acquisition took place. He assumed a larger stakeholding in IEQ after the acquisition. The company’s revenue at the close of this year is expected to be in excess of $30 million.

IEQ’s IntelliNRG brand of LEDs, plasma lights (PLS), and induction lights (IDL) are brighter and much lower in wattage than conventional lights, thus substantially reducing electrical consumption; paired with EDC’s light designing capabilities, IEQ is now an end-to-end provider of energy-efficient lights and lighting design services.

It was by no means a hostile takeover – Mr Ong and Jeffrey Tang, managing director of IEQ, met during their National Service and have been friends for 25 years.

The 46-year-old grandson of retail magnate CK Tang is no stranger to green technology as his Heritage brand of luxury hotel chains in New Zealand was the first to be accredited with the EarthCheck and Qualmark EnviroGold in the country (Green Mark equivalent).

Coming from a country full of green pastures and fresh air, Mr Tang hopes to promote a greener Singapore. ‘Incandescent lights are no longer allowed to be used there (New Zealand) and I hope that as people become more educated, they will switch to our energy-efficient lights,’ says Mr Tang.

IEQ’s claim to be the world’s most efficient lighting is not unfounded as its IDLs consume only half the amount of electricity required by conventional metal halide lights. It also generates half the amount of heat and casts a wider throw for better light coverage.

Its induction lamps do not use filaments or contain mercury vapour and has a lifespan of 100,000 hours or 11 years, about eight times longer than its counterparts. With its capability for an instant restrike, the light would be ideal for lighting up entry points between borders or airports.

‘For wattage beyond 70 to 80 watts and distances or heights beyond three metres, IDL are perfect as they currently cost 50 per cent less than LED, light up more effectively, and lasts twice the lifespan of LED,’ points out Mr Ong.

For distances beyond 15 metres, Mr Ong recommends PLS. With the same lifespan as LEDs, it can reduce energy consumption by over 80 per cent compared with incandescent metal halide lights.

One of its 1,000 watt plasma floodlights is able to replace three 3,000 watt metal halide lamps used to light up building exteriors or stadiums. Conventional metal halide lamps pale in comparison to its plasma floodlights as Mr Ong demonstrates in his office.

‘The metal halide lamp does not light up as fast as the plasma; you need to wait for about 20 minutes before it fully lights up,’ notes Mr Ong.

Additionally, his before- and-after photos of buildings were irrefutable. Skyscrapers that used conventional metal halides to light up their exterior during the night were still unilluminated whereas buildings lit by their plasma floodlights were fully illuminated.

‘I’m sure you’ve seen lights giving out smoke when its raining in Singapore, meaning it is more than 100 degrees Celsius,’ says Mr Ong, ‘Our lights don’t give out as much heat as conventional lights, so you won’t see it smoking up in the rain.’

Energy use reaches maximum utilisation as more of it is given out as light instead of heat, resulting in a brighter, more energy-efficient light.

‘Operationally, IEQ’s lights aim to achieve up to 60 per cent savings in monthly energy cost. It also overtakes the lifetime ownership costs of a light as its lifespan is five times of a conventional light. Our customers typically only see us once every five years!’

Mr Ong divides his target market into three primary groups at the moment – direct end-users, industry partners, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

Direct end-users include building or factory owners and managers who see the long-term cost savings of using IEQ lights.

Industry partners include developers that are looking into using energy- efficient lights and OEMs include companies that require customised energy-efficient lights for a specific purpose.

Mr Tang provides an example where a cold storage company had problems with conventional lights which always took a long time to light up.

‘Conventional lights have ballasts that are attached right behind the light bulb. In such a cold environment, the ballast takes quite some time to heat up, so you need to wait for a long time before the light bulb actually lights up.

‘We customised the light bulbs for them with the ballast located further away from the light bulb, so when the user turns on the switch, the light instantly lights up.’

Both Mr Ong and Mr Tang hope that their next-generation lighting solutions will replace conventional lights even in households.

‘I think it is going to be difficult right now as most housewives are not educated enough to understand the amount they can save. I don’t think any of them will pay $80 for a light bulb,’ says Mr Tang, adding that only corporations will understand the cost-savings of switching to IEQ products.

‘Our projected plans are to build an even stronger revenue stream within the next two years and double that revenue three to five years later and extend our global network to every major country in the world,’ says Mr Ong.

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“If people are not falling sick, if the office doesn’t smell funny, they don’t call you,”

— Mr Ong Wei Ping, Executive Director of IEQ Global Pte Ltd

Mould thrives in tropical Singapore – and doing well too are companies that combat the indoor fungal pest.

Of a handful of indoor air quality (IAQ) specialist firms here, three have expanded locally and regionally over the last five years. The number of staff at two companies has tripled.

Experts said mould is the most prevalent IAQ problem here. Other air contaminants include bacteria, viruses and high concentrations of carbon dioxide.

Experts who specialise in lung diseases said that about one in four allergy-related conditions, such as asthma, is provoked by exposure to airborne mould spores.

Over time, this can lead to chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a severe lung disease, though such cases remain rare in Singapore.

IAQ firms said most of the local demand comes from commercial clients – two recent guidelines set limits on airborne pollutants in buildings.

Air-quality specialists said that up to 90 per cent of consultations are with commercial clients who want to meet these standards. Many have had office workers who fell ill or products damaged by mould.

Expatriates are more aware than Singaporeans of the health risks of poor indoor air, said the companies.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) had said it would soon focus more on ways to promote clean indoor air and not just energy efficiency in its Green Mark Scheme – introduced in 2005 to promote construction of more environment-friendly buildings – and guidelines published by Spring Singapore in 2009.

Most people just do not pay enough attention to their indoor environment, said Mr Ong Wei Ping, founder of IEQ Global, which advises clients on indoor air quality.

‘If people are not falling sick, if the office doesn’t smell funny, they don’t call you,’ he said.

Calls from homes typically come from North American and European expatriate families, the consultants said.

Worldwide, there is increasing recognition of the importance of indoor air quality, said Dr Philip Eng, a lung specialist.

Since 2007, IEQ Global has had projects in Australia, New Zealand and Japan. It has operational centres in Malaysia and Indonesia.

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IEQ Global’s Ong Wei Ping: Company is World’s third largest induction lighting manufacturer with offices in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Green solutions provider IEQ Global joins the rank of lighting manufacturers offering “induction lighting” solutions for industrial, commercial and residential applications. This new breed of lighting systems is targeting businesses and households that want to reduce costs and carbon emissions while improving quality and safety.

Induction lights are similar to fluorescent lights in that they use gasses, which once ‘excited’, react with the phosphor that coats the tubes to produce white light. Unlike fluorescent lamps, however, induction lamps do not use electrodes but instead uses the principle of induction, or the transmission of energy by way of magnetic field. This then eliminates the use of filament – the highest single point of failure in conventional lamps.

The result is a bright light that far outlasts filament-based lamps with an unprecedented rated life of over 100,000 burning hours. This is five times longer than common, high intensity discharge (HID) lighting that uses electrodes that degrade significantly over time.

A longer rated life means less replacement which lowers maintenance cost by several factors. Induction lights also use approximately 50 per cent less energy than HID lights, resulting in lower energy costs and emissions.

“Rising energy prices and climate change concerns are driving demand for more energy efficient technologies. Thus, this new range of induction lighting solutions is our contribution for a greener planet,” said Mr Ong Wei Ping, Executive Director of IEQ Global.

IEQ’s induction lamps are ideal for applications where fixtures are hard to reach, whether outdoors like street lighting, indoor applications like warehouses or cold environments like supermarket walk-in coolers and freezers where reliability and functionality is key and maintenance is labour intensive.

In terms of luminous efficacy, the group’s induction lamps also have a high colour-rendering index (CRI) that allows colours to be accurately reflected in a more natural light.

Ong added that they also manufacture innovative controls for additional energy savings. This means that their induction lighting system can be equipped with multi-brightness control levels that allow better visual acuity for users.

“Induction lamps offer instant re strike, and they also offer a wider throw and have a more evenly distributed polar curve light distribution,” Ong noted.

Design-wise, customers can choose to customise their lamps with the help of IEQ’s three in-house designers to fit customers’ design preferences.

Going forward, IEQ is scheduled to go regional to formally launch their induction lighting systems.

“In the league of induction lighting manufacturers, IEQ Global is now the third largest globally, with sales and support presence around the world. Here in SE Asia, IEQ Global has offices in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.  In Vietnam, we just signed a deal with a company that provides green construction materials. We are also looking at expanding to Japan and Australia,” said Ong.

“A lot of companies are now joining the green bandwagon and offering a myriad of technologies and solutions.  Some work while many others have yet to prove themselves. When clients ask, I always tell them that going green means having to spend money to save more money in the coming years. You’ve got to spend to save,” he added.

Lighting accounts for over 30 per cent of any building’s energy consumption. While induction lighting has a higher upfront cost than conventional metal halide, high intensity discharge (HID) and pressurised sodium lamps, it is cost competitive over time due to re-lamping, maintenance and energy savings.  Compared with LED alternatives in industrial and general lighting, induction lamps cost up to 50 percent less.

“So we always tell our customers, if you buy induction lights from us, you won’t see us for the next five years, unless you have a new building to illuminate of course” Ong remarked.

Transformative Indoor Lighting

Given IEQ Global’s arsenal of LED and induction lights, spaces can be transformed on demand.  A combination of dimmable T5 and LED lights in a living space can address illumination needs and improve ambience.  With a straight polar curve, LED lights excel at illuminating focal spots.  Dimmable T5 lights on the other hand, transform the mood at a touch of a button from a bright working environment to a cozy and intimate space.

Sustainable Outdoor Lighting

To showcase a building façade, an induction light or plasma light is an excellent environmentally friendly alternative to conventional metal halides as they consume half the energy compared to the latter.  The ultra-bright lux level of plasma lights make it ideal to cover long distances, while the wide photometric curves of induction lights enable it to cover more breadth.  A combination of plasma and induction lights thus enable this luxury hotel’s façade to be illuminated to its maximum potential, adding character to the Bauhaus styled icon in Auckland, New Zealand.

Practical Commercial Lighting

Induction lights are an excellent choice for commercial spaces such as offices, warehouses and car parks.  Today, induction lights offer various advantages over their traditional alternatives. In addition, they provide the same benefits as LED lights but at a fraction of the price.  IEQ Global’s IntelliNRG LED and induction lights come with competitive pricing, longer lifespan, lower energy consumption, are non-flickering and have high colour rendering index (CRI). Given their obvious advantages, companies in the region, including those in Malaysia and Vietnam, have embraced induction lighting.
IEQ Global Pte Ltd is a Founding Member of the Singapore Green Building Council and a Strategic Partner of the Singapore Institute of Architects.

Through the participation in the conference, IEQ Global will introduce major players in the logistic industry to the range of IntelliNRG energy efficient lights.  Industry players will discover the viability of energy efficient lights in reducing electricity costs and maintenance costs.

(Issue 064.)

The uber-trendy Balaclava@Ion brings an ambience that is hip and relaxed.  The lighting concept integrates with the Ion Building’s iconic façade lighting.  This infuses privacy where possible, making it the perfect showcase of design transcending function.

Individually zoned lighting controls manage mood lighting.  The linear design of the bar is first illuminated by natural daylight.  At dusk, the lighting level is gradually lowered.  By 8pm, the building’s façade lighting diffuses into the bar.  For patrons, this heralds the evening’s arrival.

Post sunset, spots in the bar are strategically lit by LED lights, creating a chic and intimate atmosphere, an ideal backdrop to unwind.  Entrances to the restrooms are a conversation point with a purpose built projector spotlight casting the restroom’s genders onto the door.  This cheeky interplay of lights provides an aura of adventure for patrons:  Miss the light and risk entering the wrong door.

IEQ Global provides energy efficient lighting technology that can be harnessed to the benefit of higher design aesthetics.  IEQ Global is a Founding Member of the Singapore Green Building Council, Strategic Partner of the Singapore Institute of Architects and Member of the Illuminating Engineering Society.

IEQ Global’s monthly seminar series introducing its range of energy efficient lamps is back again this November.  IEQ Global’s experienced lighting team will introduce participants to energy efficient lamps that have a proven track record of providing substantial energy savings.  There will also be an opportunity to get up close and personal with the lights and witness them in action.

Agenda:

• 11.00am
  • Registration
• 11.15am
  • Seminar Commences
• 12.30pm
  • Question and Answer
  • Product Demonstrations
• 1.00pm:  Buffet Lunch

RSVP required. Please email: info@ieqglobal.com (Places are strictly limited)