Want fewer power plants? Make outdoor lighting more efficient
Published Wednesday, 4th November 2009
New standards for outdoor lighting efficiency could help the US reduce its energy use by the equivalent of the output of three to six new 1,000-megawatt power plants.
The proposed changes were agreed to this week by lighting manufacturers and several other organisations.
“This agreement marks a breakthrough in our approach to outdoor lighting that will save money, cut pollution and reduce our electricity use,” said Lane Burt, manager of building energy policy at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Increasing lighting efficiency will help cut down on costs on lighting our parking lots, highways and even local roads — everywhere people drive and park their cars. Now it’s time for Congress to finalise the legislation and for the Department of Energy to begin working to improve our outdoor lighting standards throughout the country.”
The proposed changes will phase out the least efficient outdoor lighting products by the end of 2012, transitioning to new lighting products that are better for the environment and less costly to run. For example, new outdoor lights will be required to have a sensor that will turn them off during daylight hours, putting an end to wasteful streetlight operation during the day. New parking lot lights must be capable of being dimmed, which can cut their energy use in half.
The agreement also directs the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop even better standards by 2013.
If enacted by Congress as new legislation, the new standards would reduce US energy use for lighting by about 24 billion to 42 billion kilowatt-hours a year.
The proposed new standards have been agreed to by the National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association (NEMA), Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) and several energy efficiency organisations, including the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Alliance to Save Energy, and the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP).
“This agreement establishes modest initial standards for outdoor lighting equipment, but paves the way for big savings if DOE does a good job when setting revised efficiency standards,” stated Steven Nadel, executive director of the ACEEE. “Only a minority of fixtures on the market today is affected by the initial standards; much larger savings will occur if the revised DOE standards move the average fixture to performance levels met by the better fixtures now on the market.”
“The agreement will also improve lighting quality from outdoor fixtures, since the most stringent standards apply to fixtures with high glare and light trespass,” added Jennifer Amann, the director of the ACEEE’s buildings programme. “Standards are less stringent for fixtures with better glare and trespass control.”
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The Green Spider Is Latest Innovation in Energy Efficient Lighting
Lighting Pole Device Saves Money, Electricity and Pays for Itself in About Four Months
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (May 1, 2010) – In today’s economy where many businesses/municipalities are looking to save money and operate in environmentally friendly ways, a new product promises to achieve both in places few consider: Parking lots and Roadways. A new, first-of-its-kind energy-efficient lighting system called The Green Spider launched this month will soon become common in parking lots and roadways across America. By controlling a lighting poles individual fixtures during off-peak hours, the innovative product reduces lighting energy consumption and costs by about 30 percent, extends the life of existing lighting equipment, and pays for itself in as little as four months.
“An open-access parking lot that is fully illuminated at 1 a.m. wastes money and energy, but a dark parking lot isn’t ideal either because it may compromise safety, security and potentially violate local minimum lighting codes,” “The Green Spider is the solution.”
How it works:
The Green Spider is designed to work in conjunction with existing lighting pole controllers, such as a photo-cell, time clock or remote energy management systems. It installs on any multiple fixture lighting pole in minutes. Once installed in a parking lot or on a roadway pole, The Green Spider automatically allows all fixtures to operate normally during heavy twilight and evening traffic hours. At a predetermined interval, the Green Spider turns off three to four individual 1,000-watt fixtures and leaves the remaining fixtures illuminated for both local lighting codes and security. At dawn, The Green Spider resets itself for the next day’s lighting cycle.
During its test phase, The Green Spider was installed at a shopping center in Miami, Fla., on only seven three-headed light poles. Prior to The Green Spider’s installation, the center’s average monthly electric bill was $1,225. After installation, the electric bill was reduced by 25% to $925. “The savings were immediate,” said Tony Massa, co-founder of Green Spider Energy, LLC. “The Green Spider will revolutionize the way commercial property managers illuminate common access parking lots around the country.”
The Green Spider is currently used in parking lots throughout Florida, and the company is rolling out the patent-pending product nationally in 2010. Manufactured in the U.S., The Green Spider’s MSRP is $350 per unit and comes with a complete satisfaction guarantee.
To learn more about The Green Spider, see the technology work, and calculate your potential electricity savings, please visit http://www.GreenSpiderEnergy.com.