September 2011
ENERGY AND WATER
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are semi conductors so they are infinitely controllable and they are also available in different colour temperatures to compliment specific interior design. They provide a lot of colour rendering solutions for both indoor and outdoor and the choices will just get better and better. Martin: LEDs are more flexible, high quality versions they can do anything. There’s not really a down side to LEDs then except for cost. So, once that barrier came down a bit,
that was the turning point. With quality LEDs, you can do anything you can think and it won’t cost the world now. Vic: Now, there is even an ongoing development where transmissions of communication signals will be encompassed in the use of LEDs because you have a much broader band of the spectrum you can use it with. It’s really an outstanding 21st century technology. Martin: That’s why you also have to put caps on what you to with LEDs as with any light source because you can go over the top and become energy inefficient in the process. BGreen: With options available such as LEDs, some people argue compact fluorescents should be banned just because of the mercury. What do you think? Martin: There is a whole host of nothings that are not being said about compact fluorescents such as the various phosphors and dangerous chemicals. There is a mixture of things that are nasty in there!
And we can all agree that sustainable lighting today is no longer an option. It is an obligation!” lamp for certain things but there are better options at times. So, it’s a compromise situation. I’ve got kids and obviously I care about the future of our planet. It’s what we leave them. So obviously fluorescents concern me. We need to educate the general public about how to handle and dispose of old/used fluorescent lamps. This is imperative. Martin: There’s also the issue of proper waste disposal. Very few people will dispose of them effectively. Vic: Because no one has educated people. That’s why education is so crucial. For instance, there’s a mercury vapour lamp that people are still selling that is basically a time bomb. It’s not very efficient but it’s cheap and lasts a long time. So, people keep using it without taking into consideration the dangers because they are not aware of them. That’s our challenge today, to educate people to choose better options.
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Andrew: Education is key and always will be.
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Vic: It’s more about the handling aspect. Politicians are like electricity and follow the path of least resistance; hence they’ve instituted the use of CFL lamp without telling the general public the whole story. They contain a LOT of MERCURY and mercury is hazardous to the environment. It’s a great
Gabriel: And we can all agree that sustainable lighting today is no longer an option. It is an obligation! Martin: Lighting is young craft and there are no clear qualifications for being a light
designer. That’s why it’s important that people keep learning and updating their craft. Vic: Again it’s about education! And the best way to do that is from different independent sources. Anything a manufacturer tell you about their application of LED of other technology can be independently corroborated, so ask for or get this information before making any decisions in respect to your lighting systems. Go out there learn, explore and compare. Seek your own answers.
Ruud Lighting’s BetaLED five tips for a fair LED comparison 1. Compare Performance at the Application Level 2. Request Certified Photometric Data 3. Validate Lumen Depreciation 4. Apply the Appropriate Light Loss Factors 5. Evaluate Lifetime Luminaire Value