Sustainable Lighting
Incandescent bulbs have been around since Thomas Edison and for over 130 years have done a fine job. They've recently run into problems as a result of the link between burning coal for electricity generation and global climate change. In January 2012 U.S. legislation will make our current incandescent bulbs obsolete. So, what does one do? Fortunately, there are options.Halogen incandescent bulbs are the easiest option. They physically look the same as our current incandescent bulbs but the light is slightly cooler. They are dimmable and last about as long as current incandescent bulbs. They are about 30 percent more efficient and therefore meet the new U.S. law. However, they also require careful handling as oil from our hands can cause damage.
CFLs are not a perfect solution but offer a larger step toward sustainability. This is because they use significantly less electricity than incandescent bulbs (standard or halogen). Unfortunately, some consider them ugly. They last a lot longer than incandescent bulbs - maybe 10 times longer - but contain mercury, a toxin. Some are dimmable and some are not. Some still take a minute to reach full brightness. CFLs also popularized different color temperatures - as the early versions were cool. Obviously, CFLs have positives and negatives.
Another option is LEDs, light-emitting diodes. LEDs can be more energy efficient than CFLs and do not contain mercury. They last longer than CFLs and produce a warm, incandescent-like light. This light, however, is very directional. LED bulbs do not glow and emit light in every direction like incandescent and CFL bulbs. Some are dimmable and some are not. Many are designed for a specific application or fixture.
About 75 percent of the electricity used by our current incandescent bulbs does not generate light, it generates heat. If your client switches to more energy efficient bulbs (halogen, CFLs or LEDs), the heat generated in that space inherently drops. As a result, less air conditioning will be required in the summer, saving money. Money will also be saved in winter because the heat generated by the bulbs (using electricity) is typically more expensive than heating with natural gas or propane.
Using more efficient bulbs has the indirect benefit of reducing mercury emissions. Mercury impairs neurological development and is released to the environment when coal is burned to generate electricity. It is also a necessary ingredient in CFLs, which is why they need proper disposal where the mercury can be reclaimed. Because CFLs are more efficient and last longer than incandescent bulbs, CFLs release less mercury to the environment.
By requiring improved efficiency, lighting in the U.S. just became more sustainable. Your challenge is to stay informed on the new options so you can specify the best choice for your client.
Go Green!
Craig Ressler, P.E.
Sustainability ResearcherEasy To Be Green
www.easytobegreen.com