Electric lighting burns up to 25% of the average home energy budget, and more in commercial premises. The electricity wasted by standard incandescent lightbulbs is stagering. A single 60W incandescent bulb produces 197lbs of CO2 per year, at a running cost of £13.14, a replacement 11W Compact Flourescent generates just 36lbs of CO2 at a running cost of £2.41 per annum. Replacing just one 60W Incandescent bulb for an 11W CFL saves 161lbs of CO2 and £10.73 annual running costs.* That's just one bulb!
LED's are far more efficient still.
We have a wealth of experience in the design and installation of energy efficient lighting schemes in Commercial, Retail and Industrial environments, as well as the domestic arena. Whether your priority is simple functionality, or a WOW design, all with energy efficiency in mind, we are happy to come and give you a free consultation and quote.
Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs have revolutionised energy efficient lighting.
CFLs are simply miniature versions of full-sized fluorescents. They screw into standard lamp sockets, and give off light that looks just like the common incandescent bulbs, rather than the harsh lighting associate with school and factories. CFL’s are easily installed and can make significant savings, as shown above.
LEDs are small, solid light bulbs which are extremely energy-efficient. New LED bulbs are grouped in clusters with diffuser lenses which have broadened the applications for LED use in the home and office. There have been significant reductions in the price of LED’s, and in the colours, variety and applications of use. LED's can be used as standard replacements, but can also be quite stunning when incorporated into any interior design.
Movement Sensors - Occupancy sensors are switching devices that respond to the presence and absence of people in the sensor's field of view. The system consists of a motion detector, an electronic control unit, and a controllable switch (relay). The motion detector senses motion and sends the appropriate signal to the control unit. This then either switches on, or off, the lighting for that room. We have a range of over 50 sensors for use in different locations and for different applications. This technology can also be used for air conditioning, making significant savings and Carbon reductions.
High Frequency Lighting - Common electronic ballasts convert 60-Hz line voltage into a much higher frequency; 20 - 120 KHz. With the advent of highly efficient electronic ballast, the fluorescent lighting industry is rapidly progressing toward high-frequency operation of fluorescent lamps. The primary advantage of high-frequency fluorescent lighting is the improvement of efficacy relative to lighting systems with 60Hz magnetic ballast. High-frequency operation also reduces the possibility of perceptible lamp flicker that is sometimes associated with low-frequency ballast, as the lamp phosphors are refreshed more often. Dimmable ballasts save energy, and so money, due to decreasing power consumption during the dimming operation. Microcontrollers help to perform the dim function in a lamp with no extra components, thus cost.
*Assume 42 hours of use of the light per week (6 hours per day) - 2190 hours per year.
Assume cost of electricity of 10 pence per KWH
1.5 pounds of CO2 per KWH of electricity