Project Spotlight: The First Fruits: When "Already on LED" Still Isn't Bright Enough

Secrene Neo
Jun 9
3 min read

"You don't know you're living in a cave until the lights (from Brite) turn on."

That is a direct quote from the team at The First Fruits, and it is one of the most honest things anyone has ever said to us about a lighting upgrade. Because they already had LED lighting. The problem wasn't that they hadn't upgraded. The problem was that the LED tubes they had weren't doing the job.

And the best part? 70% co-funded by the government's Energy Efficiency Grant.

The Problem: Already on LED, Still Not Bright Enough

The First Fruits operates out of a combined warehouse and office space. They had already made the switch to LED tubes previously, which is the right first step. But the specification wasn't right for the space.

Not all LED tubes are the same. Two tubes can both be labelled "LED T8" and differ significantly in lumen output, colour temperature, and lux delivery at workplane height. A tube that works adequately in a low-ceiling retail space may be chronically underspecified for a warehouse with racking and a higher ceiling, even if it technically replaces a fluorescent tube of the same wattage.

The result is what the team at The First Fruits experienced: lights that are technically on, but a space that still feels dim.

What We Did: A Full LED Tube Replacement, Properly Specified

BRITE replaced the existing LED tubes across the entire warehouse and office with BRITE LED Tube Light (Premium), which produces 2340lm with just 18W consumption and the outcome was transformative:

Lux levels across the workspace increased significantly, increasing productivity and visual comfort for work
Colour rendering improved, making the space feel cleaner and more functional
The team noticed the difference immediately — not as a minor improvement, but as a fundamental change to how the space felt to work in

How the EEG Grant Made It Happen

The First Fruits funded this project through Singapore's Energy Efficiency Grant (EEG), administered by Enterprise Singapore. As an SME, they qualified for up to 70% co-funding on the LED lighting equipment.

The EEG Base Tier provides up to S$5,000 in co-funding for pre-approved energy-efficient equipment LED lighting upgrades. For SMEs, the government covers up to 70% of the equipment cost.

As of April 2026, the grant has been expanded to all sectors and extended to 31 March 2028. So if your business has been waiting for a reason to upgrade, this is it.

BRITE assists clients through the EEG application process, from confirming product eligibility to guiding you through the required documentation. The grant is applied before any purchase is made, so the process needs to start before the project does.

The Lesson: LED Is Not a Single Standard for Brightness

The First Fruits' experience is more common than most business owners realise. Many companies made the switch to LED years ago when the primary message was simply "LED saves energy!" The question of whether the LED is bright enough for their space often wasn't asked.

If your team is working under LED lighting that feels dim, harsh, or uneven, or if you find yourself supplementing with desk lamps, the issue is almost certainly specification, not the technology. The fix is not necessarily to add more fixtures. It is to ensure the lighting you have are the right ones.

What The First Fruits Had to Say

"Shout out to the Brite team, I should have reached out to them earlier. You don't know you're living in a cave until the lights turn on. Glad to have gone with them for our entire office lighting."

That is the kind of feedback that stays with us and remind us of the impact we create. Not because it is flattering, but because it captures exactly what proper lighting specification actually does for a workspace — it changes the experience of being in it.

If your workspace lighting doesn't feel right even if you're already on LED, let us BRITE-n the space for you. BRITE assesses your existing setup, recommends the right solution, and can help you access EEG co-funding of up to 70% for eligible SMEs.

Experience The Brite Difference Today 💡🍃

Contact BRITE Team

Find out more about the Energy Efficiency Grant