Eight areas - including the Neptune Lounge main entertainment space and adjacent Morning Light pub as well as the vessel's engine room - have now been switched over from energy-hungry tungsten and fluorescent lights to cleaner, greener and hugely more cost efficient lighting sources which has also vastly improved the quality of the lighting for all aboard - guests and staff - to enjoy.
EW Production Services' operations manager Paul Byrne has a long-standing relationship with Penn whose Nigel Howse and Razvan Vasiliu co-ordinated the supply. The process started with a comprehensive site survey that included a detailed ROI schedule showing the payback period and the resultant savings to be made in electricity consumption.
One of the key parameters - given the scale of the project - was that the new lighting scheme had to utilize the existing wiring infrastructure and be quick, practical and straightforward to install.
Braemar is the youngest ship in the current Norwegian owned UK based Fred Olsen Cruise Lines' fleet, which dates back to 1848, and is still a family-run business.
The LED lights supplied by Penn are a mixture of Comus 2ft and 4ft tubes along with single or twin IP battens, Integral LED panels and Osram E27, E14, GU10 lamps plus LED Flex with the appropriate dimmable drivers.
The Neptune Lounge on deck 5 at the front of the ship with its cabaret stage featuring live music dance and comedy performances is at the hub of the on-board entertainment schedule.
The general lighting in this area has been replaced with a selection of dimmable LED lamps installed in the ceiling and wall luminaires, with LED flex now highlighting the two circular ceiling coves which replaced the old 2ft fluorescent tubes.
E14 LED Candle bulbs now graze up the pillars, and being dimmable allows the new and added adaptability of being able to change the mood of the environment.
The fluorescent tubes used in the Coral Lounge for ambient lighting have also been replaced with LED flex tape - a practical and robust solution which creates a far superior effect.
The deco lamps in this area have been replaced with E14 LED candle bulbs, and the lighting is now all dimmable. The pillar lights are fitted with E27 LED bulbs and the MR16s in the false celling were swapped out with equivalent GU10 LEDs, allowing the removal of all the pre-existing transformers.
In the Morning Light pub, the 40w halogen candle lamps have been switched to Osram candle lamps, with GU10 LEDs in the ceiling.
More lights have been replaced in the main reception area and the Palms Café which has nearly 200 x LEDs.
Penn's team recommended Osram LED floods for the main engine room while Integral LED panels and Comus LED tubes (both 2 and 4ft) have been fitted throughout the engine control room (ECR) and the management offices.
Outside, around 30 dimmable marine grade submersible GU10 housings were fabricated to hold GU10 lamps that are up-lighting glass panels on Decks 8 and 6. Sixteen warm white down-lighters in custom marine grade housings on Deck 6 highlight the outdoor Grill restaurant.
(Jim Evans)
