Lamps, Lighting and light fittings represent 17% of the total UK energy consumption. When people are endeavoring to use energy saving light fittings, the principle that delivers a similar outcome with less energy is being applied and the energy consumption is significantly reduced. The need to save the energy and to reduce the CO2 emissions has become an important factor for all the manufacturers and wholesalers involved in contemporary lighting. The intelligent use of the technological development, the design and the planning are some of the elements that can help to make a difference in this respect.
Some proposed ideas for saving the energy:
- Design the lighting scheme in your house creatively to reduce light levels. Do not overlight or over-illuminate your house/office/bedroom.
- Look for and use the most energy efficient light sources, the ones that have high luminous efficacy. Some examples of this kind of energy efficient/saving light sources/lamps are: # The T5 fluorescent lamps (buy online T5 lamps); # The compact fluorescent (buy online compact fluorescent lamps); # The ceramic metal halide; # The high output LEDs (buy online high output LEDs). There is a new generation of low voltage tungsten halogen lamps (like the Osram Energy Saver and the Philips MASTERLine) which offers substantial energy saving solutions. Up to 30% reduction in energy, with the same lighting output, is achieved with the new 35W lamps.
- You can consider using the long-life lamps such as the LEDs and the long-life fluorescents which have a life duration of up to 50,000 hours(this period of time represents a 10-12 year average installation and usage life).
- Select the light fittings with high LORs. The light fittings with contemporary electronic control gear will not only reduce power consumption but will also extend the lamp-life by two to three times, and they can compensate for the lumen depreciation over the rated lamp-life.
- Use your lighting control systems in conjunction/association with a dimmable electronic control gear that allows both the switching and the dimming of lighting installations. This is an obvious and practical way of saving the energy. Using the daylight sensing system and the daylight compensation system can also make a significant contribution.
- You can also implement a systematic maintenance regime which involves the re-lamping and the cleaning of the fixtures on a scheduled basis, in order to maintain the designed performance of the lighting installation(and to check it practically from time to time).