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that business is increasingly being forced to take
stock of its energy use – and then there’s the fact
of steeply rising energy prices which seem
Impact on Energy
unlikely to fall again. While legislation may not yet
categorically enforce the use of the installation
Jo Reeves, Environmental writer, advises on the impact of energy efficient lighting, the Government’s
strict emission targets ensure that they will do
energy efficient lighting has on reducing the carbon footprint
all they can to encourage the use of this kind
of buildings.
of technology.”
mproved energy efficiency in buildings is The Government is encouraging this substitution Case Study - Westfield Community College
a vital part of Europe’s drive towards as part of its pledge to cut carbon emissions by One example of a successful Save it Easy
significant energy usage reduction. 20% by 2020. installation is at Westfield Community Technology
The Government aim, as set out in the The problem is that to ensure correct College in Hertfordshire. The County Council’s
Iconsultation paper ‘Building a Greener installation of these new lamps and maximise on Property Department chose ECSL to convert all
Future’ is to achieve a 25% improvement from the the energy efficiency opportunities offered by the linear fluorescent lighting fittings to high
2006 buildings ‘standard’ by 2010. Although more modern technology, they are being frequency operation.
there are no explicit proposals as to how this manufactured in a different size – now being The school has a swimming pool and sports
might be achieved, it is widely acknowledged that shorter in length. Also, the new lamps require a hall on site and is used extensively by the local
within commercial and industrial buildings lighting high frequency ballast, different from that installed community in the evenings, weekends and during
contributes to a large percentage of energy usage in current fittings. This means, in theory, that in school holidays, so maximum usage is made of
and has the potential to enable huge energy and order to use the new lamps the ceiling battens its lights.
financial savings. (luminaires) also need to be replaced – a huge All fittings had been designed to accept T12
As new buildings become better insulated, investment for those with multiple fittings such as type lamps but, to reduce energy consumption,
lighting becomes an increasingly significant schools, hospitals and businesses. a number of switch start units had been fitted
component of C02 emissions – meaning that Customers’ reluctance to write off their with more energy efficient T8 type lamps.
enhanced usage of energy efficient lighting significant current investment and fund a ‘Save-it Easy’ units were selected for the
now offers a substantial opportunity to reduce wholesale luminaire replacement programme has conversion after a number of other
carbon output. been the key factor preventing wider take-up of manufacturers’ components had been
Today, commercial buildings are open for the newer high frequency lamps. considered, because ECSL could provide a
longer hours than ever before. We have 24 hour However, a retrofit solution, seven years in solution for all lamp sizes represented on the site
supermarkets, leisure centres with extended development, has been designed to combat this and for both switch start and quick start
opening times and schools that are used for huge outlay – a unit that connects the shorter fluorescent ballasts.
community education at evenings and weekends. lamp to the longer luminaire without The total installation comprised some 1,000
This requires increased use of heating and compromising its efficiency in any way. lamp ways and the total connected load of the
lighting facilities and means that choosing energy A UK supplier stresses that there are ranges Westfield College’s lighting installation, before
efficient options has ever more impact on energy which units are able to convert every size of conversion, was in the order of 70kW.
usage and bills. commonly encountered luminaire, including 2ft After conversion the lighting load was reduced by
There are currently around 68 million T8 and 8ft T12 units. approximately 40%.
fluorescent tubes in the UK, all of which are Combined circuit and lamp energy savings The resulting 42kW connected load gives an
inefficient in terms of energy usage and labour range from 26% to 56% depending on annual reduction in electricity consumption
demands. Advances in technology mean that application and the simplicity of plug-in installation estimated at not less than 84,000 kWh and CO2
there are now new, energy efficient triphosphor reduces down time, relinquishing the need for savings of 36 tonnes annually.
tubes available which last longer and cost a highly-qualified electricians and avoiding all the In addition, combining high frequency ballasts
fraction of the price to run. problems of new attachments, including the with new high efficiency triphosphor tubes is
So the quickest and most obvious way for the issue of asbestos ceiling materials encountered in expected roughly to more than double tube life,
huge numbers of installations already in existence older buildings. adding significant economies in both lamp
to achieve such savings would be to switch from Kevin Cox, Managing Director of ECSL explains purchase and maintenance to the already
conventional electromagnetically ballasted lamps the motives behind the development in new substantial energy savings.
214
to the new generation of high frequency ballasted lighting technology: “The drivers towards energy
and more energy efficient triphosphor tubes. efficiency put in place by UK government mean
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