Fluorescent Efficiency From The Energy Superstore

Dimmable versions of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) allow adjustment of lighting levels to meet user requirements and increase occupant comfort. CFLs produce about 4 times as much light as an incandescent lamp of the same wattage and can last ten times longer. Dimmable CFLs can save additional energy. The use of dimmable CFLs is increasing due to improved product availability and reliability. The color rendition of many models is similar to an incandescent lamp.

A CFL works much like a standard fluorescent lamp. It consists of a short tube or globe filled with a gas that produces light when high voltage electricity from a ballast flows through it. The ballast is either magnetic or electronic and can be either permanently attached to the tube (integral), or can be removable (modular).

Dimmable CFLs are available for both integral and modular designs. Most useelectronic, rapid start ballasts. Dimming can be achieved gradually, without flicker,and without changes in color temperature. Some types of ballasts and controlsutilize low voltage wiring to regulate the dimming and some simply reduce the power to the ballast. It is important that the lamp and dimming system be compatible.

Dimmable CFLs can be used in new construction or to retrofit existingincandescent fixtures in office buildings, residential and institutional living facilities,and any other place where incandescent fixtures have been used in the past. Mostdramatic savings will be in applications with high annual operating hours. Comparedto incandescent lamps, CFLs reduce the heat load (a benefit in summertime and a detrimentin the heating season); thus, maximum benefit would result from installation in a climate with a long cooling season.

Performance/Costs: CFLs produce approximately four times more light output per watt than incandescent lamps. This means a 100- watt incandescent lamp can be replaced with about 25 watts of CFL. Simple paybacks are usually less than 3 years with lamps that operate more than 4,000 hours per year. Many CFLs have an expected operating life of 10,000 hours, which is 5 to 13 times longer than incandescent lamps. This can save a great deal on the maintenance labor for lamp replacement. Dimming increases savings even further. As with many energy efficiency measures, the exact reduction in energy use due to dimming varies widely with application and operation. However, a 30% reduction is reasonable to expect if building occupants receive some awareness training and encouragement to take advantage of the technology.

With proper controls, CFLs can be dimmed from 100% down to 10% light output. Dimming controls cost about $100 to $125 for a wall-mounted solid-state dimmer that can control up to a 20-amp circuit; for retrofit applications, a third control wire must be installed. A conventional dimmer designed for incandescent lighting may cost only $10 or less. However, as described under “Applications” above, such dimmers are generally not recommended. Solid state ballasts are also slightly more energy efficient.

In systems designed with hard-wired modular ballasts, up to three lamps can be connected to a single ballast. The incremental cost of CFL dimming over non-dimmable CFL fixtures will vary depending on number of lamps per ballast, but for a large installation the incremental difference might be as low as $10 per fixture. An integral dimmable lamp and ballast may cost $25-35, while a modular lamp and ballast may cost $45. However, the integral lamp and ballast must be replaced every 10,000 hours; with the modular equipment, the lamp can be replaced for about $5 every 10,000 hours, while the $40 ballast lasts 150,000 hours.

An important benefit of dimmable lighting in office and conference areas is greater occupant comfort and convenience. Office overhead Dimmable Compact Fluorescent Lamps Factsheet 3 lighting often causes glare and reflection on both computer and paper-based work tasks, and dimmer light may be more appropriate for these tasks and during presentations with projected images. Research by the Lighting Research Center concludes that employees who have lighting control available in the workplace feel a greater sense of empowerment and job satisfaction.

Led lighting saves electricity.

The lighting efficiency of the new high power led light bulbs is more than eight times that of incandescent lights, and twice as high as compact fluorescent lights. Led bulbs also emit a much higher percentage of light in the desired direction. This makes them even more efficient compared to either incandescent or fluorescent for task lighting, desk lamps, reading lights, spotlights, flood lights, and track lighting.

With colored led lights there is simply no comparison. All of the light output from led bulbs can be a specific color. With other light sources, much of the light produced consists of unwanted colors which are filtered out. This wastes energy. Led lights produce pure color (monochromatic light) which requires no filtering.

Led lights also generate very little unwanted heat. The energy savings may be doubled in air-conditioned environments where each watt of incandescent lighting can add another watt or more to the power needed for air conditioning.

The EPA encourages the use of innovative light source technologies such as led light bulbs.

Led lighting instantly acheives full brightness with no warm up time.

Fluorescent lights are dim when first turned on, and get brighter as they warm up. Depending on the temperature and the age of the lamp, they can take a long time to warm up. If it is cold enough they will not warm up at all. Led lights always start at full brightness.

Led lighting does not contain mercury.

Fluorescent lights contain mercury and must be treated as hazardous waste. Led lighting contains no mercury or other dangerous substances.

Led lighting does not produce any ultraviolet (UV) light.

Led lights emit no damaging ultraviolet light, so they will not cause fading and aging of artwork or other sensitive materials. Fluorescent and halogen lights can cause significant damage over time.

Led lighting saves on bulb replacement.

Led bulbs can operate for 30,000 hours or more. One led lightbulb can easily outlast 30 incandescent bulbs, or 6 compact fluorescents! Led bulbs cost less than the bulbs they replace. Operating 8 hours per day, led light bulbs can last 10 years or more!

Led light bulbs are less sensitive to shock, vibration, and the extreme temperature changes that can quickly ruin fragile incandescent bulbs. And unlike fluorescent bulbs which wear out much faster if they are frequently turned on and off, led bulbs are not affected by frequent on-off switching.

The long life of led light bulbs reduce the time, effort and cost of replacement.

Led lighting increases safety and security.

The high reliability of led lights increases safety and security. There is no waiting for led light bulbs to warm up. Led bulbs light up instantly at full brightness, even in the coldest weather.

Led lights are safer.

Led bulbs operate at much lower temperatures. Halogen and incandescent lights are hot enough to cause fire, and they frequently do.

And finally…

Led is much easier to spell than either incandescent or fluorescent.

LEDs have several advantages over conventional incandescent lamps. For one thing, they don’t have a filament that will burn out, so they last much longer. Additionally, their small plastic bulb makes them a lot more durable. They also fit more easily into modern electronic circuits.

But the main advantage is efficiency. In conventional incandescent bulbs, the light-production process involves generating a lot of heat (the filament must be warmed). This is completely wasted energy, unless you’re using the lamp as a heater, because a huge portion of the available electricity isn’t going toward producing visible light. LEDs generate very little heat, relatively speaking. A much higher percentage of the electrical power is going directly to generating light, which cuts down on the electricity demands considerably.

Up until recently, LEDs were too expensive to use for most lighting applications because they’re built around advanced semiconductor material. The price of semiconductor devices has plummeted over the past decade, however, making LEDs a more cost-effective lighting option for a wide range of situations. While they may be more expensive than incandescent lights up front, their lower cost in the long run can make them a better buy. In the future, they will play an even bigger role in the world of technology.

The Specific Benefits of LED Light
Energy efficiency – The light bulbs burn very cool, while incandescent bulbs emit 98 percent of their energy as heat! Much more bang for the buck.

Gas Prices

Gas prices have recently dropped with our slowing economy. At roughly $1.70 a gallon, it has been a minor relief for our pocket books. Yet OPEC recently cut production, which will cause prices to rise in the near term.

OPEC’s price targets will matter less as production itself becomes challenged, no matter how much they want to produce.

Yields Are Still Declining

The world’s mature oil fields that produce most of the world’s oil face production declines, with the prime fields showing a declining yield. Although oil exploration has been a priority, new infrastructure will be a long time coming before it can reach more recent finds like the Tupi field off Brazil’s coast.

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Biofuel Conversion

When it comes to biofuels, the current economic crisis should be the siren song to the most plausible and profitable bio-matter available for manufacturing.

Unfortunately, the most common bio-matter tends to be corn-based or sugarcane-based. Though plentiful, these fuels will not be able to sustain a large portion of the fuel market for a variety of reasons.

We will examine the pros and cons of such biofuel sources as corn, sugar, cellulose, cooking oil, and algae; and of such processes as gasification and bioengineering.

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Palm Trees

We have been asked on several occasions to follow up on our previous discussion about using palm oil for biofuel, as a sustainable alternative energy resource. We didn’t like it then, and we don’t much like it now. So without further ado, here is a second perspective on palm oil as a biofuel.

What is Palm Oil?

Palm oil is an edible plant oil derived from the fruit of the Arecaceae Elaeis oil palm. It is the world’s second most widely produced vegetable oil, after soybean oil. Apart from consumption, it has also found a new use as a biofuel, a greener alternative to energy sources.

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Nuclear Power Plant

Energy bill H.R.6 was passed and signed into law by president Bush in December 2007. The bill seeks to establish a comprehensive energy plan for the United States. The bill is aimed at addressing multiple problems facing the country.

• The dependence on foreign sources for our energy needs which puts the country in a vulnerable position where national security is concerned.
• The global problem of climate change, of which the United States is one of the largest contributors.
• The depletion of world energy resources.
• The U.S. consumes approximately 25% of the worlds oil production yet estimates are that only 2 to 4 percent of the remaining oil reserves are located within the United States.
• The bill also addresses green job creation.

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Wind Turbine

Currently, 1.5% of UK power is provided by wind and it is estimated that by the year 2010, that will have increased to 8%. Current provisions for this new capacity are both on and off shore power sites (off shore sites are extremely useful in generating power as they have unlimited waves & tidal energy).

February 2007 allowed for the opening of the Braes O’Doune wind farm with a capacity of 2GW of power. In fact, in the last 7 years, wind has been the fastest growing energy source. At this time there are approximately 269 farms providing enough power for 4,759,898 households.

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Indoor Wood Stove

Wood stoves are specially designed stoves that use wood as the source of fuel for combustion and heating. Many varieties of wood stoves are available on the market. Each stove differs in its mode of operation, type of fuel used, brand, the heating capacity, and the type of materials used in their manufacture.

Standard Wood Stove Accessories

A standard wood stove can have a lot of accessories that can be purchased separately and are normally not supplied by the manufacturer with the product. With these accessories, you can create a custom wood stove with your own personal look and feel.

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Energy Bill H.R. 6

Energy Bill H.R. 6, The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, is an energy bill that was passed to help the United States break away from relying on other countries for energy.

This bill was supposed to accomplish several goals:

• to help the United States develop internal resources for providing energy by increasing production of fuels that are clean and renewable
• to increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles by promoting research on greenhouse gas capture and storage options
• and to improve the Federal Government’s energy performance

Representative Nick Rahall of West Virginia sponsored the bill, and it was made law on December 19, 2007, almost one year ago. Let’s see how much of an impact this bill has made so far.

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