Dr Kevin Kelly has started his new role as The Society of Light and Lighting's president on Tuesday and has pledged to promote more collaborative working and the benefits of Building Information Modelling (BIM).
During his inaugural speech?as SLL president on 28 May, Kelly, a senior academic in the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), championed the benefits of BIM as a more holistic approach to building design.
Kelly, who takes over the role from SLL's outgoing president Ian Macrae, said: "CIBSE focuses on developing low energy buildings and this can only be achieved through holistic design. The development of building information modelling (BIM) facilitates this holistic approach and is a new way of working together."
Referring to new lighting technologies, Kelly added: "Savings in light energy also reduce cooling load so holistic design also means that other members of the design team need to know more about lighting; and by the way, that it is not just about LEDs. Iain Macrae presented a paper at the recent lighting conference where he offered 15 ways to reduce lighting energy and only one was LED. How many of these other 14 methods do our architectural, building services and indeed some of our electrical services colleagues know about reducing light energy?"
Kelly, the head of electrical services engineering in DIT and a former chairman of CIBSE, also promised to make research into lighting another focus of his presidential year, in particular the dissemination of research findings to all. He highlighted the importance of evidence-based analysis and the role of practical case studies to inform lighting designers and other building professionals on how to drive better practice.
The SLL, part of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, celebrated Kelly's inauguration at the organisation's annual meeting on Tuesday.
During the meeting, Brendan Keely was appointed secretary in succession to Liz Peck. Keely leads BDP's Manchester lighting design studio. Keely was also regional representative for SLL in the North West.
