Category Archives: Bank Energy

Energy Efficient Lighting

Modern Solutions to Save on Electricity Bills With Energy Efficient Lighting

As times are demanding quite a substantial amount of energy to be consumed in every level it is extremely important that there is a conscious effort on the part of each individual to save as much energy as possible whether at home, office or any other place where lighting solutions are required regularly. The domestic sector requires quite a considerable amount of energy due to each household having quite a lot of lights fixed at various places in the household. Most homes require lights to be switched on even during the daytime, thus the need to switch to modern energy saving lighting solutions is extremely important.

Due to the amazing development in science and technology there has been quite an extraordinary jump in the development of energy efficient lighting solutions too. Experts have brought about some of the most impressive solutions for saving on energy with invention of lightning solutions called LED, Halogens, Compact Fluorescents, Strip lights, luminaires and CFLS.

Of course, the age old lamps or the traditional lamps with tungsten filament are now becoming quite unpopular due to the vast amount of energy that these lamps use up with comparative low emission of light. Very soon, these old technology lamps with the yellowish light emissions are going to become obsolete, mainly due to the low efficiency of it to save on energy consumption. It is important to understand that the Halogen lamps are more or less like the traditional lamps,but these are far more efficient in emitting of light than the traditional lamps since these are capable of emission of light at higher temperatures so lower powered halogen bulbs can be used.

The CFL or Compact Fluorescent Lamps are extremely innovative and technologically far more developed lighting solutions that help in saving a considerable amount of energy. These lamps run smoothly with very little electricity consumed thereby making the lamps far more efficient than the traditional lamps. These last for very long periods of time due to the modern technology incorporated in manufacture. The LED or Light Emitting Diodes are extremely high energy efficient lighting solutions that are capable of high light emissions with minimum energy or electricity consumption. Since these are mostly available in tiny bulb forms it is often seen that LED lights are used in small clusters to bring about maximum light with maximum energy efficiency. Strip lights are more energy efficient strips or tubes that are mostly useful in commercial sectors. Luminaires or modern lamp shades can also be optimised to save a lot on energy consumption. Transparent and maximum light filtration through these modern shades enables a considerable amount of energy to be saved in homes.

The need to cut down drastically on electricity bills at the domestic sector has certainly brought about great changes in the way lighting is initiated in the domestic as well as the commercial sector. These days, the use of energy efficient lighting such as LED and CFL is growing by the day. Most of these solutions in energy saving lighting are helpful to a large extent in bringing about a control in the electricity consumed thereby helping in controlled electricity bills. Thus, saving in quite a substantial amount of money is also enabled by the use of these modern lamps and bulbs.

Energy-Efficient Lighting - Light Bulbs

Energy-Efficient Lighting – Light Bulbs

Energy-efficiency is very much a buzzword these days, and rightly so. While the technology exists to make home and businesses not only more eco-friendly but also more cost effective, many are still using outdated appliances and lighting that consume high amounts of both electricity and money.

With the recent ban on 75w bulbs coming into force this month, it is important to know the reasons they are being faded out and what effect this will have on the planet.

The Government hopes to completely phase out all incandescent light bulbs by 2012 to meet with the EU’s current climate change targets.

By replacing the old fashioned bulbs with newer more efficient bulbs it could reduce domestic energy consumption by 60 per cent which is the equivalent to saving 30 million tons of C02 pollution each year.

Why are ‘normal’ light bulbs inefficient?

Normal incandescent light bulbs work by passing electricity through a thin filament. As the electricity passes through it meets resistance, and this generates heat within the filament. This heat causes the filament inside the light bulb to glow white hot, thus providing light.

However this method is highly inefficient, due to the fact that much of the electrical input is wasted on creating a significant heat output, something unnecessary for the purpose of a light bulb. So, over the past couple of decades there have been significant moves towards creating lighting which is far more energy efficient, and these are now widely available on the market, from manufacturers such as Thorn Lighting.

As standard incandescent light bulbs are gradually phased out it is becoming necessary to upgrade to more energy efficient forms of lighting.

Types of energy-efficient light bulbs

LED lights – Unlike traditional incandescent lights, LED’s (light emitting diodes) do not use a filament to produce light. LED’s have been in use for decades in clocks, watches, electronic games, remote controls and even televisions, but it is only comparatively recently that their potential for providing homes and businesses has been realised. While incandescent bulbs waste a substantial amount of energy in the form of unnecessary heat production, LEDs produce light directly from electricity, making them a far more efficient option. Newlec’s range of super-bright LED lamps use as little as 0.8w of electricity, and because LED lights do not contain a fragile filament, they are more durable and longer lasting.

Energy-saving halogen bulbs – Halogen bulbs have a filament like conventional light bulbs, but they are smaller and produce more light at a lower energy cost. Due to a unique chemical reaction between the halogen gas contained within the bulb and the tungsten filament, a recycling process takes place which extends the lifetime of the filament inside. The latest energy-saving halogen bulbs are up to 30% more efficient than older models.

Compact fluorescent lamps

– Fluorescent bulbs are at least four times more efficient than standard incandescent bulbs. Rather than utilising a filament to produce light, they rely on a series of chemical reactions within the fluorescent tube, with the end result being that the phosphor coating inside the bulb lights up.

Fluorescent lighting is the most popular form of energy saving light bulb due to its relatively low cost and high efficient rating. Thorn Lighting makes a wide range of fluorescent lighting solutions including the Arrowslim Thorn Fluorescent Batten in a variety of sizes. The Thorn Switchstart Fluorescent Batten is coated with special highly reflective paint to increase energy efficiency even further.

Upgrading to energy efficient lighting solutions can produce significant financial savings over time, as well as protecting the environment and conserving limited natural resources.

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Reduce Your Utility Bills With Energy Efficient Lighting Design

Thanks in part to the green movement, energy efficiency has gone from being mostly associated with pollution reduction to also being known for its dramatic ability to reduce annual utility cost, making it a cost cutting measure that many companies now prefer to layoffs, cancellation of services, and outsourcing. But if you hope to achieve the biggest savings at the least cost, you shouldn’t just replace your building’s current technology with more efficient technology. You should target your building’s biggest problem areas first, hiring an energy consultant to perform an energy audit of your entire building. With the results in hand, the consultant can target solutions that most reduce your energy expense and meet additional project goals.

Energy Efficient Lighting Design is a Top Concern for Most Buildings

Because lighting technology tends to last for decades, many buildings are stuck in the past concerning lighting efficiency. Consequently, energy efficient lighting design is one of the most recommended efficiency measures for commercial buildings, especially considering interior lighting accounts for roughly 60% of a commercial building’s annual electrical expense. In most cases, the goal is to reduce annual lighting expense by at least 50%, a percentage that’s easily achievable when companies implement the right efficiency measures, which vary according to a building’s unique needs.

Four Conservation Strategies that Cut Annual Lighting Cost

The most well known measures in energy efficiency lighting projects are the replacement of old fluorescent ballasts with more efficient ballasts, and the replacement of incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent lamps and/or high intensity discharge lamps. But conservation strategies can be just as important to reducing lighting expense as implementing efficient technology. Three conservation strategies that often attend the implementation of efficient lighting are as follows:

1. Improved Light Control

After implementing efficient lighting, many companies need help controlling its use. For example, a single switch might control multiple lights, and general lighting probably remains lit until someone turns it off, regardless or workspace occupancy or time of day. In response to these problems, light switches can be rewired to let switches control less lights, and general illumination can be connected to automatic controls that regulate light levels according to movement, work schedules, the presence of natural light, time of day, etc.

2. De-lamping

De-lamping involves the removing of unnecessary lamps, which can be many considering that efficient lighting often raises interior light levels by 30%. When de-lamping, all lamps are considered for possible removal, from exterior floodlights to small nightlights and lights within vending machines.

3. Improved Light Settings

Sometimes enhancing the presence of existing illumination solves the need for more lamps. To provide more lighting without implementing more lamps, energy consultants often recommend implementing special lenses to light fixtures to focus light, implementing reflectors that spread light, and painting walls a lighter color.

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Energy Efficient Lighting

Energy efficient lighting has two major benefits – it reduces the impact of our homes and businesses on the environment, and reduces our home energy costs.

Lighting is a big source of energy consumption and in many homes, lighting makes up about 10-15% of the electricity bills. The carbon dioxide created by the generation of this electricity is harmful to the planet so by switching to energy efficient light bulbs, the carbon emission is reduced along with the electricity bills.

The incandescent light bulb traditionally used to provide light in homes and offices are very inefficient and on average convert only 5% of the energy they receive into light. Similarly, fluorescent tubes used in commercial buildings tend to be inefficient also.

Various options exist for energy efficient lighting, including Compact Fluorescent Lights or CFLs. These are mini versions of the full-sized fluorescents and fit standard sockets in the home, giving off lighting that resembles that of incandescent light bulbs. Far more efficient and long-lasting compared to traditional bulbs, CFLs reduce lighting costs too.

LED, or Light Emitting Diode, light bulbs are gaining in popularity because of their small size and durable nature combined with efficiency. LEDs can replace both halogen and traditional bulbs, and manufacturers now “cluster” the small bulbs and include diffuser lenses giving a better spread of light. These energy efficient light bulbs fit most household lighting fixtures and last up to 10 times as long as CFLs and significantly longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. LEDs are solid too, making them less susceptible to knocks and breakages; and they remain cool with no heat build-up.

As energy efficient light bulbs use less energy and are a lot more efficient, energy bills for the home and office can be reduced by as much as 80%. A good investment, LED bulbs last a long time and do not need to be replaced often, saving money for the individual and also maintenance costs for companies as the bulbs need to be changed less frequently.