Ireland’s Minister of Communications, Natural resources and Energy switches on Ireland’s first dimmable LED bulb giving 90% energy savings.

Minister Ryan with ESI directors

One of the most exciting new products to be seen at this year’s Ideal Homes Show, RDS (Dublin) was on display at the Energy Sense Ireland (www.energysense.ie) stand. This latest innovation by Lemnis Lighting, the Pharox 300 LED dimmable lightbulb uses just 6 Watts and has the equivalent luminescence of the traditional 60 Watt incandescent bulb. It certainly grabbed the attention of the cost conscious consumers at the show and excited the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan who was at hand to switch on the first Pharox bulb in Ireland. (see photo).
Minister Eamon Ryan was quick to asses the impact on a national scale , remarking that ‘If every household changed 6 bulbs over to Pharox 300 LEDs, then 1.1 Billion kilowatt hours could be saved nationally, reducing our electricity bills by €180m and reducing our CO2 emissions by 708,000 tonnes annually. This is equivalent to removing 240,000 households from electricity usage and moves Ireland in the right direction to achieving our Kyoto climate change targets.’
The Pharox 300, currently the only dimmable LED 6w bulb in the world, fits a standard sized household light fixture (bayonet or screw). It’s made of recyclable material, and is the most energy efficient bulb with regard to light quality on the market today with a light output of 300 lumens and a warm white light colour (3000K).
A rather elegant patented heat sink keeps the bulb temperature low so it’s never too hot to touch. For the environmentally conscious it’s also the friendliest on the market since unlike CFL competitors it contains NO lead, mercury, or wolfram. This will make eventual disposal easy but that won’t be for a long time since it has a projected lifetime of approx 25 years, depending on usage.
Compared to incandescent bulbs, which have typical 1,000 hour lifespans, the Pharox 300 has a 35,000 hour lifespan. Now, according to Energy Sense Ireland Director Sean Cronin ‘if every Irish household switched just one 60W light bulb to a Pharox light, €30m in electricity costs and 190m kilowatt hours would be saved annually. This would equate to a carbon emissions reduction of 118,000 tonnes annually’. Offices and commercial premises would save even more since they use lighting for longer hours.
The retail price tag, at €25.99 may seem a little expensive at first glance in comparison with CFL, each bulb brings savings of €450 or more over its lifetime (assuming 5-6 hours daily usage) and in addition will eliminate the need for approx 25 incandescent or 6 CFL bulb replacements (another €20+ saving). ESI expect the price to go down as these bulbs reach mass market and production volumes grow. Given the tight budgets households, commercial offices, public buildings and shops now face, it may not be possible to switch out all light bulbs to the relatively expensive Pharox bulb, but switching out a few high usage bulbs (especially areas such as hallways, porches, toilets) is the best strategy to start saving money right away. Replacing older bulbs progressively as they blow may be the best alternative in terms of capex spend but investing in a full replacement all at once will give the biggest savings immediately.

pharox bulb packaging

Energy Sense Ireland (ESI) are the official distributors of the Pharox range of LED lights in Ireland. They offer a number of other energy savings solutions in Public and Hi Bay lighting and have recently launched another innovation in street & public lighting from Innolumis, which offers more sight for less light that is exciting local authorities nationally. (see www.energysense.ie for details).
For a full range of ESI products visit their website at www.energysense.ie
About Energy Sense Ireland.
Energy Sense Ireland Ltd (ESI) is a nationwide conservation consultancy firm with the mission to “Save Clients money by reducing their electrical consumption.” ESI provides companies with a full turnkey energy program, from Consultancy to sales and installation of the latest innovative energy saving products in the Lighting, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning sectors. Clients include large commercial enterprises, retailers, educational & healthcare institutions, the public service and governmental organizations.
Contact details : Web www.energysense.ie

The new ERA of LED street lights has begun.

For further evidence of a paradigm shift  in public lighting  look no further than cash strapped Los Angeles.

The City is embarking on an ambitious and very laudable campaign to reduce street light power consumption and improve their performance on Dark sky initiative and reduce Co2 emissions all at the same time. The novel feature is that they are funding it from future savings which will repay the loan. That’s a story every local authority around the world will be keen to hear. No cash  for capex does not mean no progress on climate change.

The City`s plan includes retrofitting a total of 140,000 high-pressure sodium (HPS) luminaires to LED technology over the next five years. They reckon that  LED streetlights will reduce the City`s energy usage by 40 percent and  CO2 emissions by 40,500 tons per year . The City will save approximately $10 million annually from a combination of reduced energy usage and lower maintenance costs.

The green streetlight program, developed in collaboration with the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), is funded by a combination of energy rebates, the street lighting assessment fund and loans and will be repaid throughout a seven-year period using the savings gained from the retrofit. By the eighth year, the City will see an annual savings of $10 million.

Sample site in Holland with LED streetlights

 

Significant benefits of LED streetlights include:

• Lower Total Cost of Ownership. With reduced energy and maintenance costs. They deliver lower total cost of ownership, freeing up money for other budgetary or capital expenses.
•  Energy Cost Savings. Energy savings are typically 40-60 % compared to HPS systems.
• Reduces the Carbon Footprint. Due to  their energy efficiencyLED streetlights cut wasted energy (maintenence, disposal) and reduce the amount of energy used, thereby reducing the carbon footprint.
• AlmostMaintenance free. With lifetimes of approx 20 years, the significantly longer life ratings means no relamping and there large savings in maintanence visits, street disruption and labour costs .
• Safer, Cleaner Light. LEDs  produce a white light with much better color rendering and offering clearer visibility. (Companies like Innolumis have developed innovative LED light in the green spectrum to enhance vision under lower light levels, which offer better colour vision. These are installed throughout  Holland at present where major power savings initiatives have been launched to reduce the cost of running public and highway lights).  All light is directed downwards giving a  safer environment for vehicle and pedestrian traffic with less darkened gaps between light poles.
• No Hazardous Materials. LED streetlights are Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliant and contain no mercury or other hazardous substances compared to traditional sources . So they are easily and safely recyclable unlike current HPS technology which presents potentially hazardous disposal and environmental issues.
• Reduce Light Pollution. LED streetlights comply with
  International Dark Sky Association guidelines. Light is directed downwards in straight lines only into target areas, without spilling onto neighboring properties or into the night sky. The result is a clear and share difference between the lit area and the dark area.

Expect to see LED light zones popping up in your area in the not too distant future……

Energy savings tips from Cork City council

Energy savings through lighting upgrades - a bright idea

Recently noticed some energy savings tips from Cork City council and in these tough economic times they are worth considering afresh.
Most are a no cost action , just good energy practice that will yield dividends . Heres a quick list :

1. Give your office equipment a power break at night
Switch off computers, printers, photocopiers and other appliance when leaving. Everyone looks after their own workspace and last person to leave takes responsibility for lights. Savings : could be up to 50% of usage, depending on what equipment is involved.
2. Eliminate Standby energy use
Appliances still use energy even after being turned off. Disconnect completely when leaving.
Savings : Standby energy use can be up to 10% of total energy consumption.
3.Computers know how to save energy, so tell them.
Configure the power scheme in your computer for greenest option. Set up the monitor to turn off automatically if the computer has not been used for more than 5 minutes. Savings : 20-40% of the energy used
Also power down completely when finished for the day or get the IT dept to automatically shutdown machines after 8 pm for example.They did it at Dundalk IT and are reaping the rewards.
4. Invest in daylight savings!
On bright days ensure all blinds are open, on dull days close the blinds. Empty rooms should have blinds closed. Re-arrange desks to benefit from natural daylight where possible. Savings : lighting, heating, aircon.
5. Don’t waste energy in unoccupied rooms
Switch off the lights when you are not using the room. Likewise for heating and aircon. If justified install occupancy sensors, however beware that these have been shown to take a long time to recover costs. Cheaper option is simple manual procedure that people follow.
6. CFL lighting is better!
Use compact fluorescent lamps instead of traditional incandescent bulbs. They use 80% less energy and last up to 15 times longer. LEDs for spotlights are also the lowest power option although still a little costly , these will dominate lighting in the years to come as prices drop, payback times reduce and lighting output gets better.
7. Retrofit older Fluorsecent bulbs to latest technology.
Just because you have Fluorescent CFL bulbs doesent means you are winning on savings. The latest fluorescent retrofit products can further reduce T8,T12 lamps to the latest T5 effeciency levels by simple replacement of ballast and lamps while reusing existing light fittings . Savings: re-use existing fittings and gain 50%+ savings on lighting costs with lower maintenance. A good place to start is Energy Sense Ireland . Check it out.

For the full list of tips visit Cork City Council website .

If you have some good advice feel free to submit it as a comment.

Energy savings tips – no cost and low cost.

Recently noticed some energy savings tips from Cork City council and in these tough economic times they are worth considering afresh.
Most are a no cost action , just good energy practice that will yield dividends .

Heres a quick list :

1. Give your office equipment a power break at night
Switch off computers, printers, photocopiers and other appliance when leaving. Everyone looks after their own workspace and last person to leave takes responsibility for lights. Savings : could be up to 50% of usage, depending on what equipment is involved.
2. Eliminate Standby energy use
Appliances still use energy even after being turned off. Disconnect completely when leaving.
Savings : Standby energy use can be up to 10% of total energy consumption.
3.Computers know how to save energy, so tell them.
Configure the power scheme in your computer for greenest option. Set up the monitor to turn off automatically if the computer has not been used for more than 5 minutes. Savings : 20-40% of the energy used
Also power down completely when finished for the day or get the IT dept to automatically shutdown machines after 8 pm for example.They did it at Dundalk IT and are reaping the rewards.
4. Invest in daylight savings!
On bright days ensure all blinds are open, on dull days close the blinds. Empty rooms should have blinds closed. Re-arrange desks to benefit from natural daylight where possible. Savings : lighting, heating, aircon.
5. Don’t waste energy in unoccupied rooms
Switch off the lights when you are not using the room. Likewise for heating and aircon. If justified install occupancy sensors, however beware that these have been shown to take a long time to recover costs. Cheaper option is simple manual procedure that people follow.
6. CFL lighting is better!
Use compact fluorescent lamps instead of traditional incandescent bulbs. They use 80% less energy and last up to 15 times longer. LEDs for spotlights are also the lowest power option although still a little costly , these will dominate lighting in the years to come as prices drop, payback times reduce and lighting output gets better.
7. Retrofit older Fluorsecent bulbs to latest technology.
Just because you have Fluorescent CFL bulbs doesent means you are winning on savings. The latest fluorescent retrofit products can further reduce T8,T12 lamps to the latest T5 effeciency levels by simple replacement of ballast and lamps while reusing existing light fittings . Savings: re-use existing fittings and gain 50%+ savings on lighting costs with lower maintenance. A good place to start is Energy Sense Ireland . Check it out.

For the full list of tips visit Cork City Council website .

If you have some good advice feel free to submit it as a comment.

Calling time on wasted energy costs for Publicans

Calling Time On Waste

A new booklet is available from the EPA to help publicans cut costs and improve their environmental performance. The publican’s handbook to a leaner, greener cost base, is the result of a collaboration between the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland, Monaghan County Council and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and will be distributed to VFI members throughout the country.
Some significant savings can be made especially by the easy option of lighting replacements and retrofits to high frequency ,lower energy units.

Examples of case studies by Monaghan County council include:

• One pub changed all existing light bulbs to energy efficient CFLs resulting in a saving of €1,400, the equivalent to over 8000 kWh of electricity.
• One bar saved €800 on its bi-monthly bills by installing energy efficient lighting and timers on fridges.
• By turning off fridges in the “back room” during the week a publican saved €300 per annum.
• By installing timers on their beer cooling system another pub saved €400 per annum on operating costs.
• By installing a night meter a publican saved €600 per annum on his electricity charges.

Energy Sense Ireland is actively engaged with similar clients and commercial buildings throughout Ireland to drive down energy costs and save CO2 emissions. We applaud the EPA initiative and look to see further sectoral guides to reduce Irelands Inc’s cost base .
Let’s hope these savings translate to cheaper beverages. Now, that’s something we can all drink to.
Cheers !
Download a copy of the guide here