Canberra’s National Science and Technology Centre Questacon has become the first Australian institution to invest in Philips Selecon’s fully tunable high output LED PL1 luminaires.
The centre – which attracts more than 420,000 visitors each year – has purchased 20 of the PL1s, which draw on Philips’ pioneering technology to meet the everyday challenges of illuminating the world’s museums, art galleries and stages.
“As an interactive Science Centre our requirement for lighting is based on more of a theatrical approach than traditional museum lighting,” says Christine Hendry, Creative Manager at Questacon. “We use a combination of focused light and colour washing luminaires and needed to have an integrated approach to our gallery lighting with a plan for implementation over several years. The PL1s were seen as the perfect solution for us.
“Our main criteria were the capability for individual luminaire adjustment, pre-programmed lighting scenes, which could be controlled from one point, the ability to colour change walls/floors to create different environments, to reduce maintenance costs associated with replacement lamps and labour, and the ability to achieve colour in a variety of ambient lighting levels. We were also looking for a product that could be integrated into our existing infrastructure with minimal cost.”
The first 20 PL1s supplied in Australia were used to great effect as Questacon launched its permanent exhibition ‘H2O – Soak Up the Science’ – an interactive display exploring the behavior of water, how it shapes our world and how we use this precious resource.
“The Selecon PL1s are performing perfectly,” continues Hendry. “We are able to change the lighting environment to suit the needs of the various exhibitions in our space, and have had a marked improvement in maintenance cost savings as we haven’t needed to change any lamps in the galleries with the PL1s.”
As an educational institution, Questacon says it’s important to lead by example not only by showcasing new technologies through exhibitions but to be seen as a leader in adopting sustainable practices throughout its buildings.
“The PL1s were designed to provide a much-needed breakthrough in display lighting, and they are indeed that – the PL1 is the first light source that delivers full control of the beam colour composition regardless of intensity,” says Philips Marketing Manager Pete Borchetta. “The resulting luminaire is a fully tunable high output LED light engine supporting colour temperatures from 3000K to 5600K and full colour mixing with a maximum output similar to that of a 70 watt metal halide powered luminaire.”
In addition to the H2O exhibition, Questacon has gone on to complete the Excite@Q gallery, which utilises the Philips Selecon PL1s and also the Philips Selecon Accent Display luminaire.
“We are so pleased with the results that we achieved with the PL1s and the flexibility the fittings provided that we have started a replacement program throughout our other galleries,” Hendry concludes.
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