Winners lighting up South Africa

The primary goal of the competition was to demonstrate that efficient lighting technologies, such as fluorescent technology and LEDs could be used in ultramodern and attractive luminaires for residential lighting. It was also intended to encourage the design of creative and cost-effective luminaires, while promoting the use of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and LEDs in the residential sector.

Winners

Category A: Energy Efficient Residential Lighting Design (student)

• First prize of R30,000: Ashley Adami, 2nd year student in Industrial Design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) with Nimbus
  
• Second prize of R20,000: Minette Maritz, 2nd year student in Industrial Design at CPUT with Bamboozled Light
  
• Third prize of R10,000: Holly Hamlyn, 2nd year student at Cape Time Design Time School of Design with Eternity Light
  
• Educational institution winner of R10,000: Cape Peninsula University of Technology
  
• The six top finalists each received a Lenovo 7" Android tablet (wifi and 3G enabled).

Category B: Energy Efficient Residential Lighting Design (professional)

• First prize of R40,000 and the Lighting in Design trophy: Stephen Pikus of Johannesburg with Bright Spark
  
• The six top finalists each received R5,000.

Category C: Promising Young Energy Efficient Lighting Design: learners from secondary schools

• First prize of R10,000: Megan Laughton, Gr 12 learner at Stellenberg High School in Bellville, with Shredded Lantern
  
• Educational institution winner of R10,000: Stellenberg High School in Bellville
  
• The six top finalists each received a Lenovo 7" Android tablet (wifi and 3G enabled).

Category D: Special Award: Most Promising PDI Designer (Individual)

The Most Promising PDI designer who won R10,000: Esther Shaidi from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University with Ubuntu Lamp.

Theme

The theme of this year's competition was 'Celebrate 20 years of democracy!' Many designers used natural fibres, coarse textures and beads in luminaires with an ethnic or environmental theme, while others have opted for high tech lamps using wire, metal, granite and glass. Other forms of material include tiles, bottle caps, polystyrene, seashells and wood. Some bold designs incorporated energy efficient lighting as part of a decorative item, such as part of a painting.

Designers used CFLs in their designs, making full use of the versatility offered by a variety of shapes, colours, sizes and warmth of CFLs as well as LEDs. In addition to designing and building the working prototype, entrants had to prepare a budget, submit a sketch and a photograph for each entry and had to comply with strict safety and quality standards.

Judges and supporters

During the first round of on-line judging, a panel of top judges faced the difficult task of selecting the finalists based on criteria such as aesthetics, innovation, uniqueness, cost-effectiveness, manufacturing, marketing, job creation potential and overall energy efficiency.

These judges were Elsie Coetzee (National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMiSA), Rob Henderson (Eskom), Enock Zikalala (Beka-Schreder), David Krynauw (previous professional EELDC winner) and Karen Grant (editor: Lighting in Design). Chris Gryffenberg (Gauteng Department of Education) and Leon Buchner (Western Cape Department of Education) assisted with judging of entries in the schools category.

The final judging of participants took place at Radiant Lighting in Johannesburg on 28 October 2014 where semi-finalists had to present their lamps to a panel of judges. These judges were Sindile Ngonyama (South African Institute of Architects), Annemarie Meintjes (Visi Magazine), Pierre van Helden (LED Lighting South Africa), Andrew Wex (Eurolux), Enock Zikalala (Beka-Schreder), Rob Henderson (Eskom), Lauren Smith (Sanedi), Rohan Persadh (Radiant Lighting) and Elsie Coetzee (NMiSA).

The competition is supported by the National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMiSA), the Illuminating Engineering Society of South Africa (IESSA), the South African National Energy Development Institute (Sanedi), Voltex, Eskom eta Awards and 49M campaign, the SABS, Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), Gauteng Department of Education, Cape Town and KZN Science Centres, Eurolux, the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers, LED Lighting South Africa, Radiant Lighting, ARB Electrical Wholesalers and Beka Schreder.

The competition is organised under the auspices of a steering committee consisting of Latetia Venter (Eskom), Barry Bredenkamp and Lauren Smith (Sanedi), Elsie Coetzee (NMiSA), Enock Zikalala (Beka-Schreder) and Robert Henderson (Eskom).