LEDs for lighting solutions are gaining increasing importance in the shipping industry, especially for passenger ship. Based on their energy-saving potential and long service life, LED is more economical for giant passenger ship. But the application places stringent demands on the quality of LED lighting.

In modern cruise ships, lighting systems use up to 25% of the total energy consumption which is not used for propulsion. Therefore, any reduction in power consumption for lighting brings a positive cost efficiency on the ship’s operating costs, and at the same time reduces the environmental impact. Many lighting providers are already working with leading shipyards throughout Europe to develop efficient LED lighting solutions for cruise ships.

When it comes to lighting, the shipping industries require strict and demanding conditions for their ships. The requirements include color rendering index (CRI) values of at least 80, light/color homogeneity, efficacy of at least 60 lm/W, warm white light of 3000K or less, and of course, a long service life. Lighting with excellent Weather resistance is also required, particularly for outdoor lighting. In addition, easy assembly and replaceability are required as well as standard sizing, in order to meet relevant standards and regulations.

Lighting with high color homogeneity is extremely important, particularly for the illumination of long axes of vision, for example along railings, or to illuminate large rooms with several thousand built-in lights. A deviation of only a few Kelvin can be perceived by the human eye as a color difference which is not acceptable, particularly in area or strip lighting.

To achieve the requirements of such shipping business, light quality and efficiency are the key point. For customers, high CRI values together with high efficiency and a warm color temperature are fundamental criteria for the selection of LEDs. The long service life of LEDs is also an important part for customers, and is influenced heavily by the operating and ambient temperatures. Optimum heat management for LED lights can save costs by drastically extending the service intervals for difficult-to-access lighting solutions. In giant passenger cruise ships, the use of LEDs for lighting enables weight savings of up to 30%, which means the overall weight can be reduced by up to eight tonnes. With the service life of 50,000 hours, further savings are possible due to lower maintenance costs.