Practical Eco

Induction Street Lighting Evolved

I posted an item a few weeks ago about induction lighting with a video that explains the technology.  Click here to see that post.

Everlast Lighting now has its newest generation of Cobra Head fixtures (the ones you often see on street lights) which is exciting on many levels.

Energy savings are incredible at about 50-70 percent lower than the typical metal halide bulbs.

Lamp life is the next big benefit. At 100,000 hours you're looking at 5 times the life of a metal halide - or more. So, if it runs for 12 hours per day, every day, it will last for 23 years before someone has to get the bucket truck out to go up and replace the bulb.

Light quality is also a major benefit. They bulbs put out a light at 5000 Kelvin and 85 CRI,  which is much whiter than other street lights and enables clearer vision, rendering colors more like natural sunlight does.

Some of the major improvements in this new type III fixture include a lightweight polycarbonate housing for better durability, a specular reflector optimized for induction lamp geometry, an integrated heat sink system for extended life, an acrylic lens with Type III, medium throw prescription and an electronic ballast with flicker free instant re-strike.   

It also includes a ballast that can dim to 50% power for greater energy savings.

So while LED lights at street level are making headlines everywhere for now, their inherent weaknesses like low usable light output, overstated longevity, pin-point bright spots, sensitivity to heat and high cost will surely impede their wider implementation. Meanwhile, the recent improvements in Induction lighting like their superior longevity, incredible lumen/watt efficiency and outstanding value will mean they start outshining LEDs, HIDs and all other types of lights for a wide range of applications.

See the full spec on the new Everlast cobra head lights here.

Induction Lighting Explained

Everlast Induction lights offer incredible return on investment, energy savings and a superior light source for almost any application. The bulbs last an incredible 100,000 hours while using 50-55% less energy than a comparable Metal Halide bulb. The light emitted is also a "full spectrum" light which means the color of the light is more similar to sunlight.

I'm now representing Everlast in North Carolina and and the surrounding states so would be delighted to talk to anyone with commercial, university or municipal lighting requirements.

HID Retrofit with LEDs

I'm representing LED retrofit kits now that replace Metal Halide and other HID lights, saving 75% of the energy cost and lasting 3 or more time longer.
This video shows how easy they are to install.

New NC Museum of Art Building aims for LEED Gold

The North Carolina Museum of Art’s new building is aiming for LEED gold standards when it opens in 2010. 

The new expansion is designed to allow more natural light to control energy costs but will still protect artwork from sunlight's damaging rays. It will do this with ultraviolet filers, louvers and curtains. And if direct sunlight threatens artworks, blackout shades will be deployed by sensors. Dan Gottlieb, the museum’s director of planning and design, said, “We have spent about as much money keeping light out as we have letting light in.”

The design will save water by using a 90,000-gallon cistern to hold roof water runoff and air conditioning condensation. The water will be used to irrigate the gardens that make up much of the museum’s new look. The building will also feature five courtyards and three reflecting pools.

The museum will close this September 6th to move its 800 artworks to the new, 127,000-square foot building, which is scheduled to open the following April.

Concentrating solar for home lighting and heat

Practical Solar is a computer controlled heliostat (mirrors) system that directs the sun's rays from your lawn or garden into your home. A single heliostat directed through a window or skylight can deliver the equivalent of 40 100-watt incandescent bulbs.  Two systems can directly heat a room with 600 watts of thermal energy.

The system comes with software that runs on a standard pc and can individually control up to 200 heliostats with unique targets and timer settings for each one.

It's a very intriguing and novel idea. I have to commend the designers on coming up with such a simple way to harness solar energy for practical uses. On the other hand, it looks like it will take up a fair bit of lawn space with not particularly handsome equipment. And I have to wonder what it's like to look out your window at mirrors that are focusing the sun right back at you.

HID Retrofits replace Metal Halide bulbs for up to 75% savings

Mercury Vapor, Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium bulbs have been the standards of commercial and municipal lighting for many years. But the cost of energy and regular maintenance are steep. With more and more businesses and towns scrutinizing their budgets, particularly for energy, LED lighting is looking like an obvious choice. Savings of up to 75% on lighting energy bills virtually sell themselves.

Technological advances in LED lighting have been rapid and today many cities are making the decision to replace street lighting, sports lighting etc. with LED fixtures where possible.  Perhaps one of the most important advances in LED technology, has been in output. Now there are units available that can directly replace the High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps that have been so expensive to operate and maintain.

One reason many have not yet made the leap has been the cost to replace an entire fixture. With EcoSmart's HID Retrofit LED Lighting units you can get the savings with less outlay by not needing to replace the fixture. This retrofit kit replaces wasteful Metal Halide and Mercury Vapor Lighting for Parking Lots, Garages, and Service Stations with efficient and long lasting LED Solid State Lighting. They are available now in 250W, 400W and very soon 1000W equivalents. And a qualified electrician can install one in around 15 minutes.

For towns and businesses, a key advantage of LED lighting is its long lifespan. This can save significant costs incurred replacing bulbs at regular intervals. Plus, they do not attract insects the way other lights do. And LED light being more directional avoids some of the light pollution and glare issues associated with today's typical fixtures.

Businesses can also earn a tax deduction of up to $0.60 per square foot of a building provided the retrofit reduces the lighting power density by at least 25% below the ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1 standard of watts per square foot.

Virtually any commercial or industrial HID light fixture can be converted quickly and efficiently to energy efficient solid state lighting (LEDs).  And the reasons to do so are compelling.

LED lights are here and practical

We've been hearing for a couple years that LEDs would someday replace incandescent and fluorescent lights with their dramatically lower energy needs and longer lifespan. That day is here. Already you can get light fixtures for all the typical domestic needs including candlabra and globe lights, even dimmable light and rope lights.

And a wide range of commercial requirements are catered to. In fact it's the commercial side where the greatest uptake is being seen. Partly that's because they can see the economic sense of spending more today to save big over several years. Plus, commercial clients see the savings in the longer bulb lifespans.

The City of Ann Arbor MI has begun trying out LED street lights. Downtown globe lights with LED lights have received positive feedback from citizens. Now the city hopes to cut its $1.39 million street lighting budget in half by switching to LEDs. And that's just the energy savings, not the maintenance crew savings, which should be substantial and allow crews to focus on more important projects.

Another benefit of LED lighting for commercial applications is the range of colors that can be achieved though software controls. The managers of the Empire State Building are considering a proposal to light the tower with LEDs now for that reason. It will enable them to change the colors remotely, more easily, and they'll have a palette of millions of colors to work with.

A further example of what can be created with LEDs is a Hybrid solar street light we now offer. It comes with a solar PV collector and batteries to store daylight energy in the day. Plus is can be fitted with 120 volt power that it will automatically switch over to if the battery runs down.

We now carry a full range of retrofit bulbs for medium bases including high lumen dimmable bulbs and a variety of floods as well as T8 strip lights to replace fluorescent tubes. We've even got LED pool lights and rope lights for architectural accents. All use minimal energy, produce negligible heat and offer excellent light quality.

Fiber optic daylighting - a revolutionary technology

Sunlight Direct, a company in Tennessee,  has created a way of capturing sunlight and piping it indoors exactly to where it's needed. They even integrate sensors into light fixtures that dim bring on electric lighting as skies darken and therefore provide a constant light level for the indoor spaces.

A solar tracking mirror collects the light and concentrates it. Light is then carried via 127 1/8th inch plastic fiberoptic lines. Two lines offers the equivalent of a 50 watt bulb. 

At the ends of the fiber optic lines are hybrid luminaires that integrate the natural light with either fluorescent or incandescent lighting.  A sensor maintains a constant amount of combined illumination regardless of sky conditions.

The complete system can save building operators considerable money and energy.  Not only are there direct savings in electricity and indirect savings due to less heat output from the lights but there is a considerable advantage to having more natural daylight as it dramatically improves occupant moral and health.  For retail customers this system can improve sales - according to this study conducted by the California Board for Energy Efficiency.