February 2010

New Chiara surface fitting

Clearvision has developed a new surface fitting to complement its Kallista recessed range. The Chiara is based around highly efficient T5 lamps using the M45 superdiffuse lens to disguise lamp read and spread the light distribution. The Chiara is equally suited to applications in offices and classrooms as well as the more common circulation and public space use for this type of product.

“There are not many good looking mid-priced surface mounted products on the market that are also efficient” says Paul Stephenson, Clearvision MD.

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January 2010

New Zen family launched

Clearvision has launched a new family of fittings to target the mid-price market for modular and surface fittings. The modular (pictured) recessed Zen600 fits into lay-in T-grid ceilings and offers good output and wide-angle distribution from a newly developed optic. The Zen Slim is 300mm wide and produces an efficient fitting in an unusual size (both 600 and 1200mm long).

The Zenon is a surface mounted fitting ideal for corridors and general space using T5 fluorescent lamps to combine a modern appearance with high efficiency.

August 2009

Clearvision supplies LED emergency fittings to Grand Hotel

Clearvision has supplied its Emstar LED emergency lighting to the Wyndham Grand Hotel in Chelsea Harbour, London. The hotel is undergoing an extensive makeover in 2009 and new lighting has been installed in large parts of the hotel, for which Clearvision has supplied a range of architectural products through the electrical installation company Boon Building Services.

LED emergency lighting is far more cost-effective than when using halogen, and is now even preferred, largely on environmental grounds, to CFL based systems.

Paul Stephenson, Clearvision MD, says that "LEDs are an obvious choice for emergency lighting, since they work best on DC, require smaller batteries and do not have the reliability issues of conventional light sources"

August 2009

Clearvision launches illumination grade LED products

Clearvision has launched a new range of LED products for ambient lighting as energy saving alternatives to incandescent, halogen and CFL downlights.

The range is centred around 7w and 10w CREE chip based light engines with 420-550 lux exit lumens. Offered in warm (3000k) and cool (4000k) white with good colour rendering (Ra=80+) the downlights offer similar illumination levels to 35w main halogen with a typical 65% energy saving. The LED lifetimes are quoted at an L70/B50 (ANSI LM-80) of 50,000 hours based on rated operating temperatures.

Paul Stephenson, Clearvision MD, commented on the launch "These products are quite distinct from the MR16 replacement type LEDs, which currently cannot match the flux density of halogen, because unusually these products can actually deliver similar light levels".

Clearvision are offering a range of drivers with the products, including both fixed output and those dimmable with 1-10v and DALI protocols.

July 2009

Clearvision wins schools projects with energy saving lighting

Clearvision has won a series of school refurbishment and new build projects over the summer with customers across the UK. Five schools in Scotland, 3 in London and several each in Manchester, Telford and Hull will all now benefit from the more efficient and ergonomic that is a Clearvision speciality. Other educational projects include The Perse School for Girls in Cambridge (right), which has just completed some more areas using Clearvision lighting.

March 2009

Lightening up at Standard Life

Entering the offices of Standard Life in Shaftesbury Avenue is a brighter experience with the transformation of the new reception space with the help of Clearvision architectural lighting products. The front of the reception desk has frosted glazing backlit with an array of white LEDs from the Clearvision LEDline range. The ceiling raft above the reception desk is lit with concealed cold cathode lighting creating a soft wash around the perimeter. The ambient lighting throughout the area is provided by the Mini I-BE CFL downlighter and the accent lighting on desk and walls comes from square Flex IRC halogen downlighters.

January 2009

Abbey shows good lighting habits at business centres

Abbey recently opened a flagship Business Centre at One Canada Square, the main Canary Wharf tower. Clearvision has supplied a lighting package of quality products sourced from its own catalogue and that of leading German design firm Tobias Grau. Clearvision used its technical team to support the interior designers with Dialux and AutoCAD design services. A wide range of products were supplied including Kallista modular fittings, circular downlights, decorative wall lights, concealed fluorescent and recessed LED emergency ceiling fittings. The picture shows a relaxation area with Dark Star halogen and TT trimless fluorescent fittings in the ceiling.

December 2008

St. Peter's Hospital up for lighting Laureate

One of the NHS major hospitals has upgraded the lighting at its Laureate ward with the new Clearvision Koracol luminaire. This light fitting uses Virtual Daylight® technology combined with a curved lens structure to provide an ergonomic, but robust product specifically for use in healthcare and education environments. The lens is retained into the luminaire body by shoot bolts accessible from underneath, making the luminaire resistant to dirt but also easy for maintenance. A corridor in the Laureate ward is shown as an example of the high level of wall lighting emitted by the Koracol in this situation.

October 2008

Hillingdon Council Chamber gets energy upgrade

The London Borough of Hillingdon has completed a project to improve the lighting in the Council Chamber with a view to reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs.

Clearvision Lighting manufactured a retrofitting kit of ballast looms, reflectors and lenses to provide a much brighter ambience using the original lighting carcases. Given the problems of a high ceiling for maintenance, the ballasts and lamps were replaced with extra long life versions to provide a 60,000h life. The output of the fittings was boosted with DRS 99% reflectors and Q45 fisheye lenses, whilst being upgraded from old T12 technology to the latest T5 lamps. The overall project will produce a 38% saving in CO2 per year.

July 2008

Clearvision launch new Koracol fitting

The Koracol is a surface mounted luminaire with a range of curved lenses - similar to that of the recessed Kallista - and will be available first in the Optika II version. The Koracol is targeted in particular at schools and hospitals. Clearvision see a need for a fitting functionally midway between sealed (IP rated) products and the usual difficult to clean open luminaires. The fitting has a robust white polyester powder coated steel body and a release mechanism that allows the lens to swing down for easy maintenance. The Koracol has T5 lamps as standard with an efficient light output ratio (LOR) of 71%. Availability is from September 2008.

May 2008

Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in new light

The Facility Architects and BPR Interiors have employed a whole range of Clearvision light fittings to good effect at the new offices of the CIEH in Southwark. The combination of Virtual Daylight, architectural fittings, colour changing LEDs and the discreet use of halogen, creates a warm but ergonomic workplace with a striking appearance. The scheme also shows how efficient fittings can be mixed with those that add mood and texture to light a space in a practical manner.

April 2008

Clearvision wins Blink Point with Low Void Kallista

The developers of the new landmark development at 28 Park Street in Southwark have chosen the low void version of Clearvision’s Kallista luminaire to provide the ambient lighting at the highest levels of energy efficiency.

The criteria for the light fitting were very demanding – sub-70mm of void, BREEAM levels of efficiency, air handling, an integrated ceiling tile detail and good aesthetics, wall and ceiling light ratios. The Clearvision Kallista LV, supplied with MTX lens and frosted white end caps, was chosen for its almost unique ability to match these parameters. The fittings are being supplied with dimmable ballasts in 4x14w T5 format with prewired connector leads for modular wiring.

March 2008

Clearvision design EcoHome lighting for Ideal Home Show

Clearvision Lighting has created a lighting design for the Eco Home, one of the centre piece displays at the 2008 Daily Mail Ideal Home Show at Earl’s Court. The design of the lighting had to look good, but also cope with the requirements of the modular build structure, be very quick to install and provide an educational element on energy saving.

For practical reasons there are no wall mounted fittings, but otherwise the lighting is intended to be practical for use in a typical home. Clearvision chose to use ceiling based downlights as the core of the scheme, because they are popular, look good, are easy to install and provide a good platform for educational messages on the relative effectiveness of halogen, compact florescent and LED lamps.

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March 2008

Terra Firma has Clearvision in London

One of the UK top private equity firms – Terra Firma Capital Partners (TFCP) – has taken extra space at More London. As with its existing space TFCP has placed great emphasis on the quality of its lit environment.

A variety of architectural fittings from Clearvision were supplied including Sky 2 artificial daylight units, Kallista modulars, Vega suspended fittings together with other architectural fittings, such products were used primarily for their ability to create the high visual acuity and concentration environment required by an organisation dealing in multi billion investment projects.

February 2008

Virtual Daylight® for Perse School

Clearvision Lighting has supplied many of the light fittings for new buildings at one of Britain’s top private schools – The Perse in Cambridge.

January 2008

Clearvision provides new 1200 x 600mm version of Kallista
to BSkyB

Clearvision Lighting has provided its latest variant of the Kallista Virtual Daylight fitting in 1200 x 600mm format to the new offices of BSkyB in West London. The Kallista has proved very popular in 600 x 600mm, but this was the first time that the larger 2x28w format had been used. The fittings were mixed in with standard versions to create an attractive and cost effective solution across three floors of Great West House in Brentford.

The Optika II curved lens Kallista variant provides good LG7 ratios at around 10w/m2, whilst also ensuring a comfortable low glare working environment. The daylight lamps provide the high circadian factor (CF) associated with supporting better attention characteristics for people at work.

March 2007

Clearvision expands in the North of England

Clearvision products can now be viewed at the Komfort Workspace showroom in Trafford Park, Manchester. Clearvision has developed a number of good business partners in the North and continues to increase its presence with specifiers in the region.

Janine Sehne, Northern Area Sales Director, commented; “ In the past we have done some nice projects up here and maintain some good relationships across the region, but we are now making a more sustained effort to develop our business amongst specifiers. The workspace showroom is a convenient place for customers to meet and see some of our new products.”

January 2007

Coloured walls complement SKY2 fitting for training rooms

Clearvision has introduced RGB coloured wall washers to complement the walls on its latest project for Flagship Training at Gosport. The training rooms are lit with 1200 x 1200mm SKY2 fittings with 8x54w daylight lamps on 1-10v dimmable HF ballasts. Walls have RGB 3x54w Washington fittings to provide mood changes for the different activities. Some areas have Kallista MTX 4x14w dimmable Daylight fittings. The whole scheme is controlled through a Mode Evolution dimming rack with scene control.

November 2006

Kallista joins Carbon Trust ETL list for ECA Eligibility

The new Kallista fitting has been added to The Carbon Trust list of the most energy efficient light fittings on the market. The Energy Technology List (ETL) requires fittings to have a very high Light Output Ratio – in fact one that is significantly greater than that required by Part L of the current Building Regulations.

As one of a very few non-louvre fittings to achieve the ETL threshold the Kallista is almost unique in also producing wall illuminance in line with CIBSE LG7 office lighting design guidance.

The Kallista has a set of 4 standard interchangeable lenses – each suited to different types of space and appearance. Clearvision sees this as an ideal way to combine the need to reduce energy consumption with the critical demand for ergonomic lighting.

Clearvision is also keen to stress that it has produced its latest luminaires with the environment in mind – considering material content, component longevity and recycling as well as energy use in the design criteria.

For more information contact nperry@virtualdaylight.com

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October 2006

Sir Crispin Tickell opens The Pines Calyx

17th October 2006 sees Sir Crispin Tickell, President of the South-East Climate Change Partnership open the innovative and sustainable Pines Calyx conference centre near Dover.

Clearvision Calyx fittings were chosen and named after the centre for their natural type light and interesting appearance. The fitting was developed from and original concept by Mary Rushton-Beals of The Lighting Design House whose team was responsible for the lighting design of the centre. The fittings have Philips’ RGB T5 fluorescent lamps on individual DALI ballasts. The lens is a curved Optika II and the end caps are formed from locally harvested pine.

The Pines Calyx centre uses daylighting, innovative vaulting and walling techniques to create a minimal carbon footprint. For more information please go to www.pinescalyx.co.uk

The lighting concept and design of the Calyx fitting was developed from an original concept by Mary Rushton-Beals of the Lighting Design House whose team was responsible for the lighting design of the Calyx centre.

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Photos by www.awkwardbrothers.com

August 2006

New Kallista has curved air

Clearvision has introduced an exciting new product to its range of recessed modular fittings.

The new Kallista fitting has the first curved Optika polarising lens. Clearvision's Optika lens is already the market leading polarising lens in the UK, but has always previously been flat.

However the Kallista has even more to offer. The lens has aluminium side rails and formed end caps making it a self contained structure that is completely removable form the fitting by any unskilled person. The Optika is thus interchangeable with three other lenses - Q45, MTX and Grid - to create a product with variable performance and appearance.

The Kallista does not slavishly follow the current fashion for hanging out of the ceiling, but uses it curved optics to achieve very high wall illuminance.

From a sustainability standpoint the body is designed to maximise recycling and refurbishment in the future with removable reflector wings and HF geartray as well optics.

"I think it's the nicest looking recessed fitting we have made - simple and very crisp" says Paul Stephenson, Managing Director of Clearvision.

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August 2006

New Lenses for Clearvision fittings

Clearvision Lighting has introduced some new high performance lenses to sit alongside its existing Optika polarising lenses.

Q4 series

The Q4 series of lenses use a multilayer construction and have a fisheye appearance. The Q42 lens is nearly transparent and makes a feature of the distortion of the lamp image caused by the concave prism structure. The Q45 variant has a diffuse layer, which creates a more 3D appearance not dissimilar to a glass block.

MTX series

The MTX lens series is manufactured using a multilayer construction, including layers of linear microprismatic copolymer. The material has considerable advantages against some of the traditional materials used in lens – fire, transmission and longevity are all good – and the microprism creates an attractive material.

July 2006

Clearvision Colour at The Calyx

Colour at the Calyx

Virtual Daylight® has been selected for one of Britain's most sustainable buildings - the new Calyx conference centre in St. Margaret's Bay, Kent. The new RGB fitting with curved lens will be named after its first home - Calyx. The Calyx centre has a host of innovative construction techniques that minimise its environmental impact, whilst maximising its use of local materials.

Calyx for Calyx

The new Calyx suspended fitting is the first with a curved Optika lens and is also being supplied with a DALI RGB T5 lamp arrangement.

The fitting is designed to provide good all round light distribution whilst at the same time being visually attractive and distinctive. The end sections will be from wood for the Calyx, but will be aluminium standard. On the Calyx project the wood will be drawn from local sources in keeping with the project principles of locally sourced materials.

The lighting concept and design at The Calyx is by Mary Rushton-Beales, IALD of Lighting Design House.

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