Wind Energy Voice

We are constantly discovering more astonishing truths about the environmental repercussions of living wasteful lifestyles. The national perspective regarding waste, recycling and energy use is undergoing a drastic transformation as citizens come to the realization that we do not have unlimited resources to sustain future generations. The effort to reduce our collective ecological footprint on earth is a matter of each person taking responsibility for their own consumption, rather than only a few citizens making enormous changes. One simple action we can all take to contribute to a cleaner future is instituting energy efficient solutions for home lighting.

Standard incandescent light bulbs, while initially cheap, have high lifetime operation costs and produce excessive energy waste. Incandescent bulbs only use a small fraction of the energy they consume to produce light, and give off heat that wastes a majority of the consumed energy. The easiest and most affordable action you can take to save energy and money is replacing all incandescent bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs. Fluorescent tube lights have long been used for commercial and industrial applications, but their miniature counterparts are revolutionizing our ability to reap the benefits of energy efficient lighting in standard light fixtures. While initially priced higher than incandescent bulbs, CFLs consume only about a third of the electricity used by incandescent bulbs and can last up to ten times longer! New technology also gives us the option between a CFL in cool white, which appears like the fluorescent lighting to which we are accustomed, or in a warm white, which looks the same as the light produced by an incandescent bulb.

Installing light fixtures with dimming capability is a more involved way to conserve the energy your home uses for lighting. The ability to adjust the level of light in a room gives you the flexibility of using only necessary energy, thus reducing your negative contributions to the environment. Fluorescent lights are now available with three level dimming capabilities, so you can optimize your energy conservation by instituting both fluorescent lighting technology and light dimming elements into your home.

Using smart, energy efficient lighting in your home will save more than money. By consuming less energy, you will reduce the amount of harmful carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide and nuclear waste that you would otherwise contribute to the atmosphere. Regardless of the extent of modifications you undertake in your home, every small effort is a part of a vast paradigm shift that will enable us to leave behind a cleaner, safer environment for future generations.

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Statistics show that lighting products consume 24% of the electrical power generated in the U.S. and lighting products make up for approximately 25-45% of household and commercial energy costs. Statistics such as these are causing individuals take a closer look at their home lighting and make changes to adopt more energy efficient products.

This high demand has brought new energy saving devices that are now available to the consumer for both home and office. Many such devices are easy to replace and install. Your checkbook will thank you too, because the pay back period of implementing energy saving products can be as quick as 1 year with dollar savings being realized on the very next monthly utility bill. Many of the available products can be used in a variety of ways including exterior home lighting, outdoor lighting, and landscape lighting. Below are a few great energy efficient products that should be readily available at your local lighting or hardware store.

Dimmers – Table top, floor or in wall. Dimming devices can save up to 50% of the energy used simply by dialing down the light intensity. Dimmers also provide for a soft and relaxing mood.

Compact Fluorescent – There are many CFL lamps available today. It is best to choose those with the best color rendition and many with dimmable features.

LED – These lamps are the newest generation of lamp technology. However, LED’s have a lot of restrictions and guidelines. Choosing the best LED for the right application requires some knowledge of this technology and its capabilities. LED’s are the most efficient of all lamp sources (including fluorescent). I suspect the LED collection will be one of the fastest growing segments of the lighting industry in the near future.

Motion and Occupancy Sensors – These handy devices allow lighting to come on when movement is detected in a room or area. Using PIR (passive infra red) technology, these switching devices prevent lights from being left on for long periods of time.

Timing Devices – Timers allow specific lights to come on and off at required time periods. This provides easy control for light function. Timers can easily be set for lights to come on and off at multiple times. They can also be adjusted for vacation mode as a safety feature.

Photo Controls – Like timing devises, photo control allows the light to come on at dusk and off at dawn. Most photo controls are used for exterior lighting but they can also be useful in many indoor applications.

Solar – This technology is totally “carbon neutral” and off the electrical grid. Until today, most of the solar products were weak and could not hold a charge for very long. Today, with the advent of new “photo voltaic” technology, solar lighting can be very practical and a great solution to dark areas without electricity. Most of the solar products are built for exterior use but many can be used in sunny rooms, sheds and structures with some natural UV light. It is important to note however, that solar will not work with artificial light.

The bottom line is that besides the financial savings of using energy efficient products in the home or office, the goal of the U.S. to become more energy independent will happen more quickly as consumers begin making the effort of changing energy habits. This can be as easy as replacing a light bulb or turning on a switch.

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Lighting is a necessary and powerful part of any environment. A new homes lighting should be versatile and energy efficient. With the dimmers and fixtures of today it is possible to have optimal lighting and save energy at the same time. In this article I plan to hit on some of the best suited places to put today’s energy efficient lighting.

Lighting can be broken down in to three major types, ambient, task, and accent. Ambient lighting can be provided by many sources but for this article we will touch on two of the most common sources of general lighting in todays homes, the table lamp and the ceiling mount fixture. This is probably the easiest type of lighting to provide using energy efficient sources as the common retro-type fluorescent bulb can go in most any table lamp and flush mount fixture. In the past several years Verilux and Ottlite have created a niche market by offering lamps that take dedicated fluorescent bulbs that closely match daylight. While this can sometimes offer good general illumination in a room remember that these types of fixtures usually have a very white light that does not look good in most living areas.

The second type of lighting used to light a space is task lighting. Task lighting is needed anywhere tasks will be performed, the most common areas in a home being the kitchen, the office, and the laundry room. In the kitchen the way to be energy conscious is with fluorescent or LED under cabinet lighting. Many companies offer both types including Lithonia, Kichler, and National Specialty Lighting. It is important to mention that regardless of the type of energy efficient lighting you decide to use under cabinets for task lighting be sure that the Kelvin Temperature is close to that of the other fixtures in the room.

Finally accent lighting can also be achieved with energy efficient lighting. Flourescent bulbs and fixtures are not well suited to accent lighting due the large source of light from fluorescent tubes. Today’s energy efficient accent lighting is provided with LED. There are now very good retro fit LED bulbs available in MR16 and PAR types but they can still be expensive. Putting dimmers on Halogen accent lighting is also can also be an energy conscious choice when designed properly.

This is just a quick overview of ways to remember the environment when designing and specifying the lighting for today’s homes. Any space can be lit wisely and efficiently with the tools available today. For further questions or a consultation for the next space you will be lighting come by Village Lighting at 1616 North State Street inBellingham, WA. Village Lighting is a fully stocked showroom with knowledgeable staff that’s now available online at www.villagelightinginc.com

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As the public sector becomes much more concerned about the cost and sustainability of energy in general, energy efficient lighting has a major point of focus in our industry. Since much of this technology is still very new and continually evolving (as in the case with LED and Induction), explaining the technical dynamics of new luminaires to your clients may not be the best way to sell them on the idea of an upgrade. Since engineers are constantly coming up with new ways to conserve power and extend lamp life, and since new ways of producing light itself are still emerging, it is best to talk about the general benefits that an upgrade will bring to organizations regardless of the actual fixtures and lamps ultimately chosen for the new system. The following summary represents the top five benefits that clients can expect from energy efficient lighting.

Energy efficient lighting uses less electricity.

This is probably the first benefit that comes to everyone’s mind when they consider upgrading to energy efficient lighting. Rising fuel costs have had an effect on the cost of power in general, and reducing expenditures even by a marginal amount helps buffer any organization against the problematics of an unstable economy. Now is the best time to take stock of all indoor and outdoor luminaires and make a qualitative assessment of their long term value. If more energy efficient lights can be substituted in their place, then savings on power bills will pay for the fixtures in a few short years.

Energy efficient lighting minimizes replacement costs.

Light fixtures eventually wear out because of thermal stress on the components. The less electricity a fixture uses, the less heat it will generate during use. This works to prolong the life of the bulb and minimize replacement costs. When you encounter clients that know they need to upgrade to energy efficient lights, but fear the budgetary hit the expenditure may cause, remind them that this is not something they will need to do again for a considerable amount of time. The money saved on continual maintenance and/or replacement is yet another revenue stream that brings ROI on the equipment investment.

Energy efficient light fixtures are more environmentally friendly.

It has been estimated that buildings with inefficient lighting systems contribute 40% of the world’s greenhouse gases. A great deal of this pollution is the result of outdated incandescent technology that has already been banned in some places like California. Replacing all incandescent luminaires with energy efficient equivalents significantly contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions. Imagine the positive impact that a nationwide retrofit would have on the global environment. Companies should consider the many advantages that a more sustainable and environmentally friendly public image will bring to their branding and marketing efforts.

Energy efficient lighting is essential to LEED certification.

Companies are starting to take LEED certification very seriously. Power conservation is becoming a top priority for new building construction, and is much easier to accomplish when designing the building with LEED certification in mind. Companies in existing buildings, however, may be facing more of a challenge. Older architectural styles, wiring systems, and incandescent lighting were intended for today’s power management demands. Remodeling such a facility can represent an enormous expense. Energy efficient lights may not provide all the necessary points for a LEED certificate in such places, but they will greatly improve the organizations budget and possibly help pay for further remodeling down the line.

Energy efficient lighting helps avoid conflict with lighting regulatory codes.

Lighting regulations vary from city to city throughout the United States. Currently, most codes are focused on dark sky conditions and light pollution reduction. The safety hazards caused by excessive glare are also something that lighting codes often address. In some parts of the country, energy efficient lighting is required under regulatory codes as part of a more comprehensive community push toward sustainability. In other places such as California, state legislation has now stepped in to make power conservation and environmental sustainability a top priority.

While there is currently no nationwide standard for regulating energy efficient lighting, we have reason to believe one may be created in the near future with increasing public demand for a comprehensive, national energy policy.

When that day comes, your client will already be equipped with the best possible technology for conservation of resources and funding.

We offer consultative lighting design services to clients and photometric analysis of any facility you wish to have scientifically analyzed prior to drafting your proposal.

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