Posts Tagged ‘Save’

Save Energy And Get Funky!

Fluorescent lights no longer provide just a dull flicker. Yes they are the environmental alternative to incandescent light bulbs, but they can also be funky and are a favourite of modern designers. So why are they a good environmental choice, and what’s so cool about them?
Any electrician will tell you that fluorescent lights tend to last four to ten times as long as incandescent (filament) light bulbs and use approximately 20% of the energy. The trouble with incandescent light bulbs is that 95% of the energy they use is lost through heat and only 5% is actually used to light up a room.
While fluorescent bulbs are more expensive to buy initially, they will save you money in the long run, usually paying for themselves in under a year. And they fit in most existing light fittings, so you won’t even need an electrician to change your fixtures.
Another direct environmental benefit is that because the light bulbs last so much longer they create less waste for landfill as fewer are being thrown away each year. And once you’re fitting them and doing your bit, you may even feel so green and environmentally aware that you take your responsibilities further and turn lights off when they’re not being used.
When you do need to throw away fluorescent light bulbs then try and do so responsibly. Unlike filament light bulbs, they contain a small amount of mercury which is environmentally damaging if they are binned, so ask your local council about recycling facilities for light bulbs and do your bit to keep them out of landfill.
Now for the fun bit! Fluorescent lights are great if you want to create a colour wash on the wall or against curtains. They can be recessed so that the light seems to come magically from a hidden source and if the light shines against a reflective surface, you can create a really dramatic effect. You can also talk to your electrician about installing more than one fluorescent tube so that you have a choice of colours at your fingertips.
Fluorescent lights of course come in white but also four basic colours – red, yellow, green and blue. If none of these suit your scheme, you could put a white light behind a coloured filter of your choice or even get coloured theatrical lighting gel which can be applied to the bulb to achieve the effect you’re after. There are even companies that sell bulbs already coated, offering a range of colours if you can’t face doing it yourself.
If you’re putting together a lighting design bear in mind that fluorescent white light tends to look cool rather than warm. Fluorescent bulbs can be incorporated into a dimmer system when of course they become less bright, but they won’t produce a warm glow like a filament bulb. As well as being put onto dimmers your electrician could go one step further and incorporate them into a system of pre-set scenes to create several mood choices for your room.
The fact is that in 2007 the UK Government announced that filament light bulbs are to be banned by 2011, which should help save around 5 million tonnes of CO2 by UK domestic users alone. So it makes sense to get ready now for this new era in lighting. Light bulbs in the UK are now graded A-G for environmental efficiency, so it’s easy to pick ones that do less damage and that will save you money in the mid and long term. And it doesn’t mean living in gloom – fluorescent lights have come a long way since their flickering beginnings.

Save Our Planet With Led Lighting Systems

Considering the pace at which our planet is being robbed of its precious resources, that day is not far when the entire world population will be engulfed by the heat of depletion. Saving energy is on everybody’s mind but very few steps were being taken to save our planet from dying a slow, painful death.

Of course, the scenario is beginning to change. Until a few decades ago, nobody really cared about carbon emission, ozone depletion or global warming. But the pronounced impact of energy depletion on the life of every individual has changed the mindset of the public for the better. A good percentage of the population is genuinely concerned about saving earth and are willing to do what it that takes to make our planet a better place to live for the next generation.

The arrival of LED lighting systems and their increasing popularity as an energy efficient solution is the revolutionary initiative of the 21st century. LEDs first made their appearance in 1920 but their use was limited due to the high cost involved. Technological breakthroughs however, helped lower the cost of LEDs, making the technology affordable for everything from traffic lights and billboards to home lighting and halogen lamps.

Lighting is responsible for one-fourth of all energy consumptions around the world. By using energy efficient LED lighting systems for just one-twentieth of all the homes in the United States, the government can definitely, avoid the need for 13 new medium-sized (300MW) power plants every year. At the same time, the total associated greenhouse gas emissions can be lowered by up to 160 million metric tons annually, thus saving our planet from further depletion of natural resources.

LEDs offer double the efficiency of CFLs or Compact Fluorescent light bulbs that are commonly used as a green alternative in most buildings. The total absence of toxic mercury, incredibly long lifespan and faster turn-on times are other green features that make LEDs more appealing than other lighting solutions. It has been estimated by the Department of Energy that by the year 2025, LEDs could reduce national energy consumption for lighting by 29 percent, saving $125 billion on the electric bills of U.S. households.

As part of the “Save our Planet” campaign, many American cities have begun to replace street lights and parking structures with LEDs. Once this transition has been fully implemented at each and every U.S city, in less than 20 years, our planet will reveal a healthier, greener façade.

Even the car industry is switching over to LED lighting systems, especially for indicator lights on the dashboard and rear lights. A recent study suggested that if LED lights are used instead of conventional car lights, power consumption can be reduced by 90 percent for the same intensity of light. While standard halogen lights use 0.8 percent of the car’s fuel consumption, LEDs use merely 0.1 percent.

LED lighting systems are making it increasingly convenient and affordable to make our planet greener by reducing the environmental impacts that have been depleting the earth’s natural resources beyond recognition.