New lamps for Old
7th August '08
Fact : We are into times when the cost of energy consumption is set to continue to rise to unprecendented levels.
Fact : Approximately two-thirds of all lighting currently installed in the EU is based on pre 1970 technology, when oil was 10 dollars a barrel.
Put these two facts together and it is clear that the disparity in not sustainable.
A 20% saving in energy globally would result in a saving of :
- 296 million tonnes of CO2
- 779 million barrels of oil
- The annual output of 265 medium sized power stations.
Habits die hard and when a light bulb pops it is easy to go to your pack of 60W bulbs under the stairs and replace it without much thought. They are cheap enough after all, despite the fact that you had probably changed one only a few weeks before.
Next time your supply runs out however, consider replacing your ordinary bulbs by ones that look very much the same but are packed with features that will help cut your energy consumption by up to half, give a better quality of light and have a considerably longer life.
The new Philips MASTERClassic is an incandescent halogen source, not fluorescent, and uses integral electronics to give improved lighting quality that is dimmable, uses 50% less energy for an equivalent light output and lasts three times longer. The initial purchase price is higher but reduced energy consumption and re-lamping costs mean attractive overall annual savings that will increase relative to the relentless rise in energy costs.
As part of the "Big Switch" initiative, the National Trust is committed to replacing all of its older energy inefficient lamps in its historic buildings. Keen to adopt the latest innovations the Philips MASTERClassic lamps were ideal for this first step in the National Trust's environmental journey. It offered energy saving while retaining the "sparkle" and dimming capabilities of the incandescent light source.
By making this switch the National Trust will already have saved a staggering 2223 tonnes of CO2 emissions
Osram have a similar product in their 'Energy Saver CLASSIC' range, again using a halogen source and providing a comparitive 30% energy saving with double the rated lamp life.
Both the award winning * MASTERClassic range and the Osram CLASSIC ranges are an eco-friendly and user-friendly alternative to the inevitable obsolescence of the standard GLS lamp. The government has announced that the ordinary light bulb will be phased out between 2008 and 2011.
* Winner of the iF Gold Award 2008
These and other energy saving lamps are featured in our new 'LAMPS' category.
