What is the current state of the emergency lighting market in the UK, and where does amBX fit?
We all know that emergency lighting is a vital component in buildings, but it is all too often fitted and forgotten about, leading to non-compliance and unsafe buildings.
So, what is the true picture of emergency lighting in the UK? And what needs to be done to improve safety and compliance?
In the year ending June 2022, there were 275 fire-related deaths in England (Gov 2022), and a 2020 report from Hilclare found that 44% of English firms ‘don’t have the correct’ emergency lighting (The FPA 2022). A 2018 report also highlighted that ‘over a third’ of the country’s social housing tower blocks have ‘inadequate’ emergency lighting’. ‘A survey of 1,584 blocks found - 40% of the country’s entire social housing stock – saw 402 blocks, or 25%, admit there were ‘missing or broken’ emergency lighting on resident escape routes’ (The FPA 2022).
The penalties for not complying are getting more severe, with large fines and prison sentences ‘a real consequence of poor emergency lighting practice’ (The FPA 2022).
The emergency lighting market size was valued at $5.48 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $10.73 billion by 2030 (Allied Market Research). The market comprises of hardware, software and services, with software projected to be one of the most lucrative segments. This is due to the rise of automated emergency lighting control and testing, wireless communication, predictive maintenance, cloud connectivity and remote management.
However, we know that cost is often a limiting factor, and quality emergency lighting is often value-engineered out of projects or in building upgrades; emergency lighting is seen as a less desirable service to spend money on when improving the building. But as Anthony Martindale (Field Product Manager for lighting) and Chris Walker (Fire Safety Consultant and Chairman of the British Standard committee responsible for BS 5266-1: 2016) at Eaton state: ‘Until that short-term mindset evolves into a longer-term view which prioritises safety and considers total cost of ownership rather than just the initial price tag, we will continue to see substandard equipment installed, a lack of appropriate maintenance and, sadly, peoples’ lives needlessly put at risk’ (The FPA 2022).
It is predicted that lighting will gain a more prominent role in the building infrastructure with lighting data as well as presence, temperature, Co2 and humidity data all being transported via the lighting network. As emergency lighting is a mandatory requirement, it makes sense to utilise it as a backbone to connect smart devices, unifying data streams across the building and creating more of a cohesive solution.
Evolving traditional emergency lighting solutions will improve safety for all building occupants. Connected solutions provide a constant data feedback loop, and managers can be alerted if there are any issues or if a component is reaching end of life, allowing it to be replaced before failure occurs. This reduces many of the laborious, time-consuming tasks that have room for human error.
Where does amBX fit?
Our flexible, open architecture allows for seamless connectivity and data convergence. Data and information are presented in a user-friendly dashboard that can be customised to your client’s needs or can form part of a wider solution and be integrated into an existing platform.
We work with a range of emergency lighting partners - Lighting OEMs, Lighting Control companies and Smart Building Platforms, providing them with additional functionality through our unique software and user interface.
At amBX, we have purposely priced our solution at a low price point because we believe safety through emergency lighting is one of the basic foundations of a building that must be prioritised, and automated solutions should be seen as an attractive option for building owners and facility managers. Hence, we are more cost-effective than the leading wired and wireless emergency lighting system solutions.
Our software solution improves the audit process and control is improved. The system allows managers to view faults, untested, overdue, completed and scheduled activities, creating a more efficient method that saves time and costs. The system can automatically schedule tests and flag when there is a fault. Reports can be quickly and easily exported, providing full transparency.
We have partnered with lighting hardware companies to create end-to-end solutions, we can also white-label our UI to allow others to purchase, or we can work with stakeholders from an integration perspective allowing emergency lighting systems to connect and interact with the rest of the building systems, creating a workplace solution.
Discover more about our solution here.