Consideration of Alternative Methods of Energy Efficient Lighting - Assignment Example

Consideration of Alternative Methods of Energy Efficient Lighting Lighting is one of the most expensive costs of maintaining a building. It is an important factor since it contributes much to the physical and emotional well being of a structure’s occupants. It provides not only lighting, but is a major source of heat as well. According to a recent study, more than one-quarter of the electrical costs of buildings is the result of lighting. It is also important considering the increasing importance of our use of more energy efficient lighting systems that we consider not only the methods of electrical lighting, but maximizing the role of natural lighting as well. It is only in combing these efforts can we reduce our carbon footprint for the cost savings to ourselves as well as the effects on the environment. CONTENT Achieving a quality lighting environment is primarily a matter of choosing the right equipment that satisfies both of the needs above, that of balancing the design requirements of the building and rooms and limiting the actual number of fixture and light types in order to have reasonable impact on reducing carbon footprint. The selection of lighting types should ideally be based on Surname 2 the efficiency (lumens per watt), color temperatures, color rendering index, life and lumen as well as the lighting controls. It is important to remember, for example, that many of the lighting systems available today are excellent for the uses needed, but additional consideration must be made for building design in order to maximize those advantages (Advanced 2008). ABSTRACT This paper will examine the alternatives for high quality and energy efficient lighting methods that utilize both natural and electric sources as well as lighting controls that can provide a practical and comfortable, yet visually interesting environment for the occupants of a given building space. Recently developed energy efficient lighting equipment such as compact fluorescent lamps and "soft-start" electronic ballasts can be used to help cut lighting operational costs 30% to 60%, while enhancing lighting quality, reducing environmental impacts, and promoting health and work productivity. It should also be noted that manufacturers of lamps as well as fixtures have not ignored the design element of their products. In fact, the esthetics of lighting options are a major consideration today like never before. This is an obvious element in the products of Phillips, just as one example, which produce fluorescent lighting that not only works with new fixtures but also with retrofits, and still results in at least a 10 percent cost savings for users. INTRODUCTION Achieving a quality lighting environment is a delicate balance of performance and aesthetic requirements. On the one hand, there is lighting available today that dramatically reduces fatigue Surname 3 and eyestrain of occupants. Further, better lighting technology available today has resulted in equipment that performs at a higher level of operation and yet is very affordable and easy to use. THE MOST ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTING COMMONLY USED TODAY Fluorescent lighting is perhaps the most commonly used today. Fluorescent lighting is from three to five times as efficient as most incandescent lights have a life of from 10 to 20 times longer than incandescent lights. Fortunately, fluorescent lights also possess the capacity of being more flexible in terms of adaptability in building design and use. Compact fluorescent lamps are used frequently when the need is for lamps with a significantly longer life as well as greater energy efficiency. Compact fluorescent lights are also often used in retrofit situations. A disadvantage of compact fluorescent lighting is that they cannot be dimmed which, of course, will not allow them to be used in some situations. Fortunately, in other applications, compact fluorescent lighting is very appropriate for uses that call for down lighting and wall lighting. Low mercury fluorescent lamps are a good “green” alternative to many other lighting solutions. Primary among these reasons is the ability to recycle the used lights versus other types of lamps that must be disposed of by controlled methods. Inductive fluorescent lamps are another excellent choice for their energy efficiency and long life. Inductive fluorescent lamps have excellent color rendering and color temperature properties. Their life is more than 100,000 hours, far and above most other lighting types. Surname 4 dimming capability in inductive fluorescent lamps is also currently available in Europe, but will eventually be worldwide (Architectural Graphic 2005). ANALYSIS A generalized table followed by a detailed analysis of the applications of the lighting available is shown below (Architects Guide 2006): Type: Fluorescent—Example: Phillips Benefits: Long-lasting, dimming controllable, energy efficient Disadvantages: Sometimes too bright for direct views Applications: Can be used direct/indirect/wall or ceiling mount Type: Compact fluorescent—Example: Cree Benefits: Longer life, energy efficient Disadvantages: Difficult to dim Applications: Good choice for down lighting and wall lights Type: Low mercury fluorescent—Example: Phillips Benefits: Can be disposed of in certain areas Disadvantages: Contains small amounts of mercury Applications: Good environmental solution Surname 5 Type: Inductive fluorescent—Example: Everlast Benefits: Good color rendering, good color temperature, instant on/off, 50 percent more efficient than LED lighting. Disadvantages: Short fixed life length Applications: Often used in place of low and medium wattage environments The three cases for analysis in this project are for two offices (one with a window, another without) and an arts center. Considering the very different environments of these applications, it is surprising how similar the solutions could be. Office Lighting Lighting an office has traditionally been a simple matter of installing a large number of overhead fixtures with fluorescent lights, along with an occasional source of natural light (i.e., window, atrium, etc.). Unfortunately, office lighting of the past took few important factors into consideration, and the options of correcting these deficiencies were in short supply. These include light color, reflection, shadows, and glare. Fortunately, the options and their impact on building occupants have come a long way in recent years. Today, these factors and many more are taken into consideration when lighting types as well as their method of placement are selected (Architectural Graphic 2007). Although there are certainly appropriate uses of generalized lighting such as hallways and general purpose areas, even these can now be made more energy efficient with the appropriate use of “green” alternative lighting types. Workspace lighting is an entirely different matter, Surname 6 often entailing individual workspaces that need more focused lighting solutions. For example, with cubicle walls that are commonly used in offices today, overhead lights that might be appropriate for a worker in one cubicle might cast unwanted shadows on another. For this reason, it is important to use not only evenly spaced generic lights for every few feet of ceiling, these should be considered only ancillary lighting, while more focused lights that are customizable to individual work areas should be provided for work spaces. Lighting used throughout a workspace should no longer be uniform, but it should fit the individual needs of the workers using it and the work being performed. Individual lights can use light fixtures, spotlights and lamps in workspaces. Lamps are especially useful for work areas that are frequently moved or reconfigured such as with cubicles since they can be easily moved. In addition, individual lighting of workspaces can save considerable amounts of money since workers will (hopefully) only use what they need and turn them off when they leave the work area (Gordon, 2003). Today, since most modern office workers use computers or terminals, placement of lights to avoid the glare from screens is a critical factor. Using shielded lamps without reflectors and indirect lighting are some of the best ways to prevent desk glare (TB 1, TB 2 2003, TB 3 2005). Modern offices are not only making use of natural light through windows, but are designing spaces with skylights. This would be the case in the second office lighting scenario. Natural light not only improves the mood of workers in an office, but is more inexpensive. Placing skylights and windows can reduce the number of fixtures that must be on during the daytime, dramatically reducing energy bills and maintenance costs such as replacement light bulbs, and preserving natural resources (Egan 2001). Surname 7 In an effort to control energy usage and thus costs, many workplaces are using timers or sensors to control when lights are used. Rather than relying on employees to manually turn lights on or off, timers can automatically shut systems down at timed intervals. Some offices use motion sensors to turn lights on so that only areas with people actively working stay lit and unused areas stay dim. These are especially useful in areas like conference rooms which commonly stay empty, but lit when in use. Good lighting has been shown to improve workplace efficiency and worker morale, so lighting design can enhance more than just the aesthetics of the office. In our two office scenarios, one office measuring 5 meter x 5 meter, without a window, and furnished with one table, and the second measuring 5 meter x 5 meter, with a window and two tables, one near the window and the other not. In the case of the first office, the lighting should illuminate the room without the cost of installing additional power or cooling capabilities. By using Phillips’ SchoolVision product, the lighting dynamics can be changed to accommodate the time of day as well as the needs of the individual tailored to the project at hand. The TL5 lamps can further be controlled to compensate for the lack of a window, especially considering a table in the room. With the second office scenario there is a difference of a window and the need to illuminate two tables instead of one. In this case again, the best solution would be the installation of overhead light sources that would allow the lighting to be adjusted to compensate for a variety of factors, including the varying levels of light provided by the window. Depending on the work Surname 8 being done in this office, the overhead lighting could be augmented with tabletop lighting to accommodate work done on the tables. Arts Center Lighting An arts center is a unique challenge for lighting since it is not only larger than a standard office space, but must also be used for a wide variety of activities, ranging from static shows to large, extravagant performances. Regardless of the activity, the lighting needs would be very different. For this reason, the overall lighting pattern must be flexible, from portability to strength (Rensselaer 2000). The flexibility of lighting for an arts center would require lighting that can be moved as the need presents itself. Sky hooks, for example, could be used to support lights that have been mounted or are a part of an existing structure. As needs differ, lighting can be moved to reflect each need. The method of hanging lights, their focus, and color can also be changed as the need changes (Boubekri 2008). Generalized house lighting with controls from wall panels as well as a central theatrical console placed anywhere in the room. The use of halogen lighting would result in significant savings of energy as well as longer life of the lamps. Osram Sylvania produces such a lamps that promises a 30 percent cost savings as well as a 4,000 hour life. Dimming is an important consideration for an arts center since performances, for example, would require different lighting levels but from the same fixtures (Trilighting 2000). Surname 9 CONCLUSION Whereas in the past a more generalized approach would have been the most feasible due to the limited lighting options available, regardless of the application, today not only are the available lights themselves more varied, but the construction technology that can make different lighting solutions effective is much better than in the past. It is for this reason that not only is a knowledge of the lighting type capabilities important, but it is also critical that those who examine the options available to them also be thoroughly versed in the particulars of the building to be equipped. Of course, an entirely different set of options are available when the situation under consideration includes a building yet to be constructed. Regardless, the option of considering natural lighting as an element of the overall lighting plan is important. Whether the lighting is artificial or natural, both can have their place in the design when a comprehensive and adequate lighting plan is implemented (Gordon, 2003). Overall, by using the suggested scenarios above, the result will be a better quality of light that is appropriate to the situations involved. Further, according to the information I have gathered, the cost savings can be estimated to be between 30 and 40 percent over other lighting types. Furthermore, with the lighting types I have recommended, additional savings will be increased due to the additional life of the lamps used. Surname 10 REFERENCES Advanced Lighting Guidelines 2008 Architectural Graphic Standards 2005 Architects Guide to Energy Conserving Products 2006 Architectural Graphic Standards, 2007. 11th Edition, John Wiley & Sons Inc. Boubekri, Mohamed, 2008. Daylighting, Architecture and Health Architectural Press Ciliang, Chen, 2008. Lighting Modern Offices Page One Publications Egan, M. Daniel & Olgay, 2001. Architectural Lighting. 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill. Gordon, Gary 2003. Interior Lighting for Designers,4th ed. John Wiley & Sons Inc. Public Interest Energy Research, TB-1 Classroom Lighting 2003 TB 2 Up With CFL Downgrade 2003 TB 3 Hybrid Lighting Fixtures 2005 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, May 2000. Lighting Research Center Publications T1 Lighting Design May 2000 Read More