Energy Saving Lightbulbs and Lamps

Posts Tagged ‘Lighting’

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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

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.

Setting up a good green home starts with energy efficiency. Traditional incandescent light globes lose almost 90 per cent of their energy in generating heat – only 10 per cent of the electricity used is actually going into lighting your room. And because of their various filaments and parts, incandescent bulbs generally have a much shorter life span than their more energy efficient counter parts.

Installing energy efficient globes is one of the most cost effective and easiest options available for a good green home. Some companies had even traditionally given out energy and water saving “packs” for people to try out. Nowadays, these energy saving globes are available everywhere – so the question becomes, which light fitting is right for you?

Eco Home Tip # 36 – The lowdown on CFL – Compact Fluorescent (CFLs) are the most common energy saving fitting. CFLs use just about 20 percent of the energy required for the same amount of light from an incandescent globe and last 10 times as as long. All in all, a CFL will help reduce the cost of lighting your home by as much as 60 %.

Eco Home Tip # 37 – Keep your CFLs close, if shaded – a British study last year revealed that CFLs produced a small amount of UV radiation when used unshaded and in close proximity. Open globes were of note, which “encapsulated” globes were considered safe. So if you’re using a work lamp with a CFL, keep it shaded of opt for an encapsulated globe instead.

Eco Home Tip # 38 – Recycling your CFLs – The typical CFL contains a minute 4 mg of mercury sealed in its glass tubing. Some manufacturers have lowered its CFL mercury content to as little as 1 – 2.5 mg. Handle your CFLs with care and take advantage of recycling programs for CFLs to keep mercury from ending up in landfill.

Eco Home Tip # 39 – Leading by example with LEDs – Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are another popular energy efficient lighting option, especially to replace halogen globes and downlights in your home. The small cluster of diodes can be arranged in a number of configurations and sizes to suit your home. LEDs have been traditionally found in electronics including clocks, and have a variety of uses in terms of producing a broad spectrum of bright coloured light. LEDs are the perfect substitute to the more heat intensive halogen globes and last for over 50,000 – 60,000 hours and uses 70 percent less energy than standard halogen globes. LEDs are also mercury free.

Lighting a home can account for as much as 20 percent of a home’s energy use. Energy saving lights are simply a bright idea for your green home.

Looking for more eco home tips and ideas? Visit the Green Pages directory for more great eco home tips and ideas!

There are very few purchases one can make that truly make a difference in the environment. Hybrid vehicles immediately come to mind, as well as anything made from recycled products – paper and plastic goods especially. Well, there are also major appliances and even lighting fixtures that can make a positive impact on our planet; all you have to do is look for the little blue and white sticker that says “Energy Star.”

The Energy Star program was created in 1992 by the EPA as a means to promote energy efficient consumer products in an attempt to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by power plants. Energy efficient computer products were the first to be labeled, with major appliances, office equipment, home electronics, and the topic of this article – lighting – soon to follow.

Energy Star qualified light fixtures, when used with compact fluorescent bulbs, use about 75% less energy than standard light fixtures. This translates into two things – a positive impact on the environment and a lower energy bill to pay each month. To maximize both the energy and money savings, consider replacing the five most used lighting fixtures in your home, or, at the very least, replacing any standard incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. In most homes the light fixtures with the highest usage are kitchen ceiling lights, living room (family room) table and floor lamps, and outdoor porch lights. If every American home did this, we would save close to $8 billion in energy costs each year while preventing the greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 million cars.

Putting Energy Star lighting in your home used to mean sacrificing style for the energy savings. Not anymore. More lighting manufacturers have started producing Energy Star qualified fixtures in a wide variety of styles and designs as the demand for these energy efficient lights has increased. You can now find Energy Star pendant lights, sconces, chandeliers, and lamps. For a wide variety of Energy Star qualified and solar light fixtures, check out Eco-Lights.com today.

Light up the night with the latest in energy-saving technology. Better shows you how.

Built-In or remote presence detection using eye sensor technology. Retro fit for T8 and T12. Suitable for: Stockrooms, Plant rooms, Warehousing, Food Preperation areas, Manufacturing Plants, Cold S…

Unitrac Energy Management is the foremost authority on energy efficient lighting upgrades, retrofits and systems. See how Unitrac can help your business save energy, money, and reduce your carbon f…

http://www.LVDInductionLamp… – Energy Saving Induction Lighting

LEDs are solid-state semiconductor devices that convert electrical energy directly into light.
Thermal sources of light such as flames and incandescent filaments emit light when heated, either by chemical reaction (flames) or electrical heating (filament lamps). LED “cold” generation of light leads to high efficacy because most of the energy radiates within the visible spectrum.
Other common high efficiency light sources, such as fluorescent lamps and electro luminescent devices, also produce light without much thermal radiation outside the visible spectrum.
Because LEDs are solid-state devices, they can be extremely small and durable; they also provide longer lamp life than other sources.

Light is generated inside the chip, a solid crystal material, when current flows across the junctions of different material compositions.

An LED consists of two elements of processed material called P-type semiconductors and N-type semiconductors. These two elements are placed in direct contact, forming a region called the P-N junction. The composition of the different materials determines the wavelength and therefore the colour of light generated.

LED resembles most other diode types, but there are important differences. The LED has a transparent package, allowing visible or IR energy to pass through. Also, the LED has a large PN-junction area whose shape is tailored to the application. The device shown in Figure 1 is an AlGaInP LED because the semiconductor layers are aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In), and phosphate (P).

Main LED materials

The main semiconductor materials used to manufacture LEDs are:

*Indium gallium nitride (InGaN): blue, green and ultraviolet high-brightness LEDs
*Aluminum gallium indium phosphide (AlGaInP): yellow, orange and red high-brightness LEDs
*Aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs): red and infrared LEDs
*Gallium phosphide (GaP): yellow and green LEDs