Chapter 1- Introduction

“Energy saved is equivalent to energy produced”

So if we save energy today it means we are producing energy for our future. As
an Electrical Engineer my motto is to save electrical energy.

Electrical energy saving Tips

No matter what type of appliance you choose, you’ll be guaranteed to save energy if
you put into practice these common-sense tips

 Turn off appliance when you’re not using them.

 Take advantage of natural light from windows whenever possible.
 Don’t use more light than you need.
 Focus the light on where it is needed most.
 Regularly clean dust from light bulbs and fixtures to prevent dirt build-up.

Since lighting can account for up to 20 percent of home electricity use, it represents a
big area for potential savings. The primary objective of any lighting – indoor or outdoor – is
to provide the necessary lighting effect for the lowest installed load that is the highest
illumination at the lowest power consumption.

Here’s an amazing energy fact:

Only about 10 percent of the energy used by a regular incandescent light bulb goes
toward producing light. The rest of the power is wasted as heat!
Energy-efficient lights, on the other hand, produce more light than heat with the
electricity they use. As a result, they can provide the same amount of light as standard
bulbs, using much less energy.
CFLs v/s GLS (compact fluorescent lights v/s general lighting system
(Incandescent)
A 60 W bulb, replaced with a 15 W CFL gives the same light, and offers the
following saving .The higher cost of CFL is paid back within 6-7 months

Table 2: Savings from using CFLs in 60 W Bulb 15 W CFL Savings

place of incandescent bulbs
Parameter
Cost in Rs 10 150 -
Wattage (W) 60 15 45
Life (hours) 1,000 8,000 -
Annual Consumption (Units) 108 27 81
Annual running cost @ Rs. 3 per unit 324 81 243
Total cost over 5 yrs (CFL life) in Rs 1,620 405 1,215
Usually at least 10 CFL’s in a house 12150
So saving in 5 years will be

Incandescent tungsten filament lamps

These are the most common type of lamp and include general lighting service (GLS)
lamps. Decorative versions are available(e.g. candle-shaped lamps). ‘Incandescent’
literally means lightproduced from heating, and in these lamps the heat is created by an
electric current passing through a thin tungsten wire(filament). This filament is quite
delicate and burns out after about 1,000 hours. Some ‘double life’ lamps are available
but the gain in working life is made at the expense of light output (e.g. GLS lamps with a
2,000 hour life have approximately 10 per cent less light output).These lamps, which are
used in most homes, only have an efficacy of 8-15l/W.

Tungsten halogen lamps

These are tungsten filament lamps that contain a small quantity of halogen (iodine or
bromine). This prevents blackening of the glass which can lead to loss of light output
over the life of the lamp. Extra low voltage (ELV) versions are available in 6V, 12V and
24V ratings – with 12V being by far the most popular. Efficacy is typically 15 20l/W,
although new models offer around 28l/W. Life span can be up to five times that of a
tungsten filament lamp. The small filaments provide excellent beam control when used
with precisely contoured integral reflectors.
ELV lamps require transformers, but these are normally small lightweight electronic
units that can be dimmed (although this requires special phase control dimmers suitable
for inductive loads).
These lamps will save energy when used to replace tungsten filament lamps, but they
cannot be used to comply building regulations because the regulations require an
efficacy of 40 lumens per Watt .
Mains voltage tungsten halogen lamps offer 10-15 per cent more light and double the
working life of tungsten filament
lamps. Modern models are very compact – almost as small as ELV lamps. They can be
easily dimmed with conventional phase control dimmers designed for resistive
loads.Lamps from reputable manufacturers have integral fuses form safe end-of-life
failure. Poor quality lamps may have inadequatefuses – or no fuse at all – leading to
violent shattering and permanent damage to any dimmer in the circuit. Both types of
tungsten halogen lamp must only be used in the appropriate luminaires – for example,
mains voltage lamps must not be used in ELV fittings and vice versa.
Compact Fluorescents
Compact fluorescent lights offer the greatest potential for energy savings.
Though you may not notice a resemblance at first, they use the same
technology as the long, white tube lights you’re used to seeing in offices
and schools.

Stick T3 Mini Eco

Stick T3 Mini Eco
• 6,000 hours life
• Instant switch on
• Fast warm-up 20/23W,
standard warm up
9/11/15W
• E14 and E27 caps
• 9-23 wattages
• Warm colour
• Low mercury content
2mg
• ‘A’ energy class
 32W Spiral T4 CFL

• 10,000 hours life

• High light output 2100 lumen

• High wattage lamp, more energy saving

• Fast warm-up

• High Power Factor 0.95 for higher energy efficiency

• ‘A’ energy class

Dimmable Spiral T3 CFL

• 10,000 hours life

• 20W T3

• Fast warm-up

• Reduced mercury < 1.0 mg

• 15-100% continuous dimming

• Flicker-free operation

• Warm colour

• ‘A’ energy class

Manufacturers developed ways to shrink the energy benefits of fluorescent
lighting into products that fit into conventional light sockets—hence, the
name compact fluorescents.

These lights use about one-fourth as much electricity to produce the same
amount of light as a standard bulb. That means you can select a bulb with
a much smaller wattage requirement to get the light you need. They also
last up to ten times longer than incandescent bulbs(10,000 hours
compared to 1,000 hours).Compact fluorescents need a few minutes to
reach full power after they’re turned on, but once warmed up, the light
they emit is now similar to the warm glow of incandescent.

LED’s Light emitting diodes

Nowadays Led‘s find its great application in power saving. A LED lamp is
a light-emitting diode (LED) product that is assembled into a lamp for use
in lighting fixtures. LED lamps offer comparatively long life compared
to incandescent lamps and some fluorescent, although at a higher initial
expense.

Research into organic LEDs (OLED) and polymer light-emitting

diodes (PLED) is aimed at reducing the production cost of lighting products.
Lamps are made to be a directly compatible drop-in replacement for
incandescent or fluorescent lamps. An LED lamp packaging may show
the lumen output, power consumption in watts, color temperature and
sometimes an equivalent wattage of an incandescent lamp it will replace.

White LED lamps have achieved market dominance in applications where

high efficiency is important at low power levels. Some of these applications
include flashlights, solar-powered garden or walkway lights, and bicycle
lights. Monochromatic (colored) LED lamps are now commercially used for
traffic signal lamps, where the ability to emit bright monochromatic light is a
desired feature.

On an average, it is estimated that a family of four consumes about 200

unit electricity per month. Saving one unit per day requires as small effort
as:

1 Not using light in day time

2 Switching off light during when leaving rooms
3 Good housekeeping methods
4 Attitudinal change toward energy conservation.

Lamp and lamp ballasts

Let us start by considering lamps, which are the basic element of any
electric lighting installation. There are two main types of electric lamp –
those that emit light by heating a tungsten filament until it glows
(incandescent lamps)and those that operate through an electric gas
discharge (fluorescent lamps as well as those described as low and high
pressure discharge lamps). Ballast (control gear) All discharge lamps
require circuitry to start the discharge and to limit the current while the lamp
is operating these circuits consume energy, so consider using low loss,
high frequency and dimmable units.
In the case of linear and compact fluorescent lamps the light is generated
mostly by ultraviolet radiation from the gas discharge interacting with a
phosphor coating. All discharge lamps require an ancillary circuit called a
ballast for the lamp to start and operate correctly. Although there are only
two main types there is a wide range of different lamps available which
have different performances and hence different applications. It is important
to employ the best lamp for the particular use e.g. retail outlet, office or
factory. The considerations include the amount of light the lamp emits in
lumens as well as its power consumption in Watts. Other performance
considerations include the lamp’s colour characteristics, which includes its
colour appearance (i.e. whether the light appears warm or cool) and its
colour rendering accuracy. Other factors also include the lamp’s expected
life and operating characteristics such as whether the lamp takes some
time to reach full light output or takes time to switch on when it is hot.

Fluorescent lamps

Fluorescent lamps (other than incandescent lamps) do not have a filament, but a
gas filling which is excited to radiate by current passing through. This gas filling
consists of noble gases with added mercury. Electricity is applied to the cathodes
on both ends of the lamp tube, causing a discharge in the gas. The gas discharge
displays a band spectrum with the main radiation being 254nm UV-C light, which is
characteristic for mercury. Phosphors which are applied to the inner surface of the
glass tube are excited to shine by this UV-C radiation. The combination of these
phosphors (halophosphate, rare earths, etc.) determines the spectral properties of
visible light. Generally all fluorescent lamps must be run by additional electric
devises, the control gear. They contain a choke coil for metering the current, and,
among other things, a starter which provides for the correct ignition. Over the last
couple of years electronic control gears have been distributed to replace the coil
and starter system.
Compact fluorescent lamps are a sub-group of fluorescent lamps. The multiple
bends of their tube and a one-sided base allow for a squat shape. For years lamps
with a common GLS-like screw base have been very popular which have the
control ballast integrated into the bottom.
As compact fluorescent lamps cannot be run without an adequate control gear, an
overall ecological balance has to deal with both devises at once. (As a reference:
incandescent lamps do not require a control gear.)

1. Manufacture
It is only at first glance that producing a fluorescent lamp and an incandescent lamp
would seem to be comparable. Both lamps require a glass bulb with a specific gas
filling, a metal base, and small curled filament (the electrodes of the fluorescent
lamps). But in contrast to incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps additionally
contain a complex mixture of phosphors which are indispensable for the production
of light. They contain phosphor compounds, zinc beryllium silicates, cadmium
bromides, vanadium compounds, rare earths (europium, terbium, etc.) – depending
on the model. Sourcing these elements and chemically processing them requires
substantial technical facilities and according energy consumption. But it is the
indispensable control gear that makes a fluorescent lamp particularly adverse.
With every single lamp (respectively two lamps in Duo circuits) comes a set of
electric control devices for ignition, current limitation, stabilisation, assembled in the
so called control gear which is usually housed within the luminaires. There are
compact fluorescent lamps which house the control gear in their own lamp base;
with other models it comes as a separate device. Older models contain a starter
with bimetal electrodes, an ignition coil (partly with radioactive krypton 85), a choke
coil with an iron core and copper windings, and capacitors (often still containing
polychlorinated biphenyl). The more recent electronic control ballasts contain a
series of diodes, resistors, capacitors, a commentator, a chopper, a transformer
and a filter for radio-interference suppression .
Each of these components is being produced under high energy consumption. The
fabrication of the circuit boards alone requires a substantial amount of electricity.
And each further module has to go through a series of steps until the
semiconductors are ready, the insulation layers have the right shape, the contact
wires fit, etc.
Thus, producing a compact fluorescent lamp (with all its associated control parts)
involves a lot more than to fabricate an incandescent lamp – when considering the
use of materials and energy. Recently (in 1991) the German Electrical and Electronic
Manufacturers’ Association, ZVEI, published a calculation of the energy
consumption of lamp production . It states the energy consumption for the
production of one incandescent lamp to be 150 watt-hours, and 1400 watt-hours
for a compact fluorescent lamp – i.e. almost ten times as high. Probably these
figures need to be squared, as queries with lamp manufacturers have shown. The
following need to be considered: electricity and gas consumption for assembling
the prefabricated modules (glasses, electrodes, phosphors, bases, insulation,
mounting components, as well as all parts of the complicated control gears); but
also the share of energy for the prefabrication of all modules (capacitors, diodes,
choppers, electrodes, glass bulbs, etc.); energy for processing the actual materials
(glass, metal, noble gases, phosphor compounds, semiconductors, etc.); as well as
energy consumed by transportation and packaging of prefabricated materials. The
figures by ZVEI (150 and 1400 watt-hours) are also wrong in their relation to each
other . Producing compact fluorescent lamps – with all pre-fabrication steps
for the control gears taken into consideration – will require at least 40 times the
energy. This is why the compact fluorescent lamp deserves to be called “energy
wasting lamp”. To some limitation, this relation also reflects in the sales price:
Compact fluorescent lamps cost 25 DM to 40 DM, an incandescent lamp is
available for less than 2 DM. But didn’t the manufacturers promise you could save
when using these lamps?

2. Energy consumption during application

For years it has been promoted that these lamps would have up to eight times the
lifetime and would shine at least five times as bright. So you would save energy and
get away cheaper in the end although you have to spend about 20 times the
money as for incandescent lamps.
It is worth taking a closer look at this. What this alluring calculation is keeping secret
is the fact that incandescent lamps are much less affected by ambient factors than
fluorescent lamps. The most striking aspect is the influence of the ambient
temperature around the lamp.

a) Ambient temperature

Compact fluorescent lamps reach their full performance at and ambient

temperature of 20°C to 30°C; higher or lower temperatures cause the light output
to drop drastically. In cool interior spaces such as corridors or basements the
luminous efficacy remains way below the optimum
[x-axis: ambient temperature; y-axis: relative luminous flux; note on graph: hanging,
horizontal, standing]
Of course with exterior lighting installations the dependency of ambient temperature
carries even more weight. With exterior temperatures in the evening and in the night
hardly reaching 20°C even during the summer months, a cool evening with say 5
degrees Celsius causes the much-acclaimed luminous efficacy of the energy
wasting lamp to drop to less than 50 percent of its maximum value. For this reason
the power company RWE fundamentally dissuades from using these lamps for
exterior lighting 1). The lighting industry’s answer to this is that appropriate
envelopes, i.e. luminaires, would reduce the dependency of ambient temperature.
Measurements have shown though that those luminaires which provided a more
stable interior climate at the same time reduced the light output ratio.
Then again incandescent lamps shine no matter what the ambient temperature.
a) Lamp position

Another parameter is the orientation of the lamp. Lamps pointing upwards have a
completely different luminous efficacy than lamps hanging from the ceiling or facing
downwards within table lamps. However, the maximum performance does not
correlate with the usual room temperatures

[y-axis: relative luminous flux; y-axis: ambient temperature]

C)Lead time

Energy wasting lamps take substantial time to reach their individual optimum
luminous efficacy. They run specifically sparse and unstable during the first 15
minutes. It is only after 25 to 40 minutes of running time that they reach their
greatest brightness

[y-axis: relative luminous flux

b) Switching frequency

Frequent switching does not affect the lifetime of incandescent lamps. The contrary
is the case with energy wasting lamps: Their lifetime drops rapidly with more
frequent switching.
[Lifetime of fluorescent lamps in relation to switching frequency; x-axis: running time
per activation; y-axis: lifetime in h]

Lamps which run uninterruptedly most likely reach the 8000 hours of lifetime as
stated by the manufacturer. But if you would let it run for one hour in the morning
and another one hour in the late afternoon – e.g. at an office desk – the lifetime
drops to 5000 hours due to the “high” switching frequency. Or if it is repeatedly
being switched on and off in a corridor it gets into the area of incandescent lamps
(halogen lamps reach 2000 hours!).
Again these lamps are economical only in very constrained circumstances: that is if
they are run without a break.
2. e) Interim balance
Manufacturers argue on the base of running costs. They contain the following main
factors: lifetime, luminous efficacy (luminous flux per watt), lamp costs, and energy

costs. However, the manufacturers do not go by everyday conditions, but they

rigorously calculate with optimum values even though these only apply in specific
situations.
As an example, the LUMINOUS OUTPUT of a 15 watt compact fluorescent lamp
(with integral control gear) is supposed to be the equivalent of that of a 75 watt
incandescent lamp. It is alleged to shine five times as brightly. This is not normally
the case. For this calculation a compact fluorescent lamp was run under rare
optimum conditions while being compared to a specifically weak incandescent
lamp. Halogen incandescent lamps perform at up to 25 lumens per watt of
luminous efficacy. Compact fluorescent lamps deliver their optimum of 60 lumens
per watt at an upright orientation with an ambient temperature of 10 degrees
Celsius, and only approximately 30 minutes after switching them on. The typical
luminous efficacy is substantially below that; it may be at an average of half of that,
i.e. 30 lumens per watt – depending on the conditions.

Regarding the LIFETIME similar measures are being applied. Incandescent lamps
are said to last for 1000 hours, whereas compact fluorescent lamps would reach
6000 to 8000 hours. Firstly, halogen incandescent lamps have a lifetime of 2000
hours; with a cool beam mirror they even reach 3000 hours. And there are
incandescent lamps (Merkur Extra) with a lifetime of 5000 hours. Secondly,
compact fluorescent lamps only reach this age if they are left to run permanently.
Once the average running time is approximately 45 minutes they only last for 4000
hours. At least still four times as long as conventional incandescent lamps! But the
retail price – the third factor in the running costs – of 40.00 DM is twenty times that
of a simple incandescent lamp (which is 2.00 DM; the long lasting Merkur lamp also
costs only 1.95 DM).
Thus: double the luminous efficacy and four times the lifetime at twenty times
the price!

The power companies have examined this “lighting calculation” on the basis of their
own test series and came up with the following significant results:
“Compact fluorescent lamps are twice as economical as incandescent lamps at a
low switching frequency. At a running time of less than 45 minutes per activation it
is more costly to run compact fluorescent lamps than incandescent lamps.”
This interim balance only takes the material costs into account. In order to achieve
an overall comparison it is not enough to look at the expenses of production, but
also the visual properties, the load of non-visual radiation, and the problems of
disposal.

3. The visual properties

Over millions of years, the biogenetic evolution of the whole human visual
perceptive system, the hormone system, the skin, as well as of all properties of the
organism happened under the conditions of the alternation of natural daylight and
night. It is understood that this allows assuming that the genetic endowment of
man is adapted to the properties of sky light.
The healthy functioning of a livingorganism is not guaranteed though if permanently
exposed to artificial light whichdoes not match natural daylight. The most important
criteria for the quality ofartificial light are not efficacy of lifetime, but its similarity to
natural light. Lightingbiologists in the whole world agree on this 7). Any plant breeder or
stock farmerknows of the strong influences of types of artificial light on growth, fertility,
productivity, and mortality of living creatures. Today also a vast number of studies
give detailed proof that variances of the quality of natural light impair ones health 2).
Daylight can be characterised by a number of properties: continuous radiation,
colour spectrum containing UV and infra-red, spatiality, brightness, and variability.
Artificial light shares only very few of these aspects.
In contrast to daylight, compact fluorescent lamps do not produce a continuous
spectrum but only emit strong brightness at specific wavelengths, whereas other
spectral areas are reduced or not represented there at all. It is fatal that the bare
eye cannot distinguish light with such a “band spectrum” from light with a
continuous spectrum because visual perception can be tricked. Band spectra make
the lamp appear brighter, but cause stress to the visual process. This becomes
apparent when you consider that the lens of the eye causes different refraction to
different colours of light so that blue rays are mapped in front of the retina, and red
rays behind. If the complete spectrum of daylight is given, the eye can continuously
overlay the level of imaging. However, the band spectrum of a fluorescent lamp
causes several discrete retina images behind one another, which makes it very
demanding for the eye to focus, thus resulting in vegetative disorders such as
headaches.

The parts of the spectrum which are missing in between the given intense bands
are by no means of less importance to the organism. A whole series of
physiological processes rely on light of very different wavelength, causing ideal
performance of the corresponding biochemical processes. If those wavelengths are
missing in the prevailing light, these processes are limited or even inhibited.
Whatever ultraviolet light would be contained in normal daylight is almost
completely missing in fluorescent light. But these parts are especially important for
human health. While there is no doubt that short wavelengths of UV light (UV-C:
100 – 280 nanometres) are deleterious for humans and can usually not be found in
daylight, longer wavelengths of UV light (280 – 380 nanometres = UV-A + UV-B)
have various positive effects on the organism as long as the dose is adequate.
Several systematic studies have compared the effect of everyday lighting at a
reduced band spectrum and at a full spectrum. Repeatedly the influence on
tenseness and tiredness as well as general health have been proven

4. Non-visual load of radiation

Compact fluorescent lamps produce electromagnetic disturbances of various

frequencies which lie outside the visual spectrum. Experiments on plants have
demonstrated that this radiation impaired the regular growth. These lamps create
radio wave emissions over the length of the discharge arc. This is supplemented by
the effects of the high voltage for ignition and the magnetic effects of the choke coil
in the control gear. Radio frequencies are being emitted by all fluorescent lamps,
and they are known to cause imprecise displays with very sensitive devises, e.g.
scanners in hospitals, or some computers. A Russian article has it that an EEG
recorded not only human brain waves, but also radio frequencies of fluorescent
tubes .The effect of technical noise fields have only been examined properly over the
lastcouple of years. Several studies showed noise fields to cause an increase of
specific types of cancer, e.g. leukaemia, as well as an increased percentage of
malformations of newborn. But probably they also affect human health in an
unspecific way, causing cells.
The hazardousness of radioactive radiation has been common currency for a long
time. But it was not until 1990 that radioactive substances in “eco lamps” were
discovered. In order to reduce flickering at start-up, the starters of some types
contain radioactive substances such as krypton, promethium, tritium, and thorium,
which, according to measurements by the Munich Environmental Institute, amount
to as much as 1100 Becquerel .

5. Problematical disposal of the lamps

Energy “saving” lamps are highly poisonous. The gas filling contains mercury
vapour, the phosphor mix consists of a number of hazardous substances, the
starter and control modules contain all the usual pollutants of “electronic scrap”.
According to the Waste Bill of 1986 fluorescent lamps are to be treated as “special
waste”. Still, there is no regulation for the control gears, which are at least equally
poisonous. So far these lamps are not apt for recycling because of the combination
of lighting elements with circuit boards, the components of which are subject to
wearing. Burt-out compact fluorescent lamps – currently ten million of them per
year – thus impose a great burden to the environment. These of all lamps, which
everyone thought to be ecologically sensible.
Almost the only source of information on what these pollutants actually are is the
industry. Various sources state that the lamps contain at least mercury, yttrium,
vanadium, arsenic, antimony, and the radioactive elements thorium, krypton,
promethium, and tritium. On top of this, the control gears contain asbestos,
cadmium, lead, and halogenated compounds. Mostly the amounts per lamp (e.g.
approximately 10mg of mercury) are small, but when summed up to 10 million
lamps per year this is an unjustifiable imposition on the environment.
The industry claims that apart from the mercury all poisonous substances were
bound to the glass surface or the electrodes and thus barely soluble in water 9).
After 24 hours of agitation in CO2 they were merely soluble in seepage water and
thus not relevant for the environment! A strange logic, which apparently points
towards landfill, accepting the immense growth of garbage dumps without the
shadow of a doubt.

The recommendations for disposal by the industry (e.g. ZVEI: “Entladungslampen

und Umwelt” – “Discharge Lamps and the Environment”, Bonn 1990) does not
touch the disposal of the corresponding control gears at all, although there is
150,000 tons of new electronic scrap every year , meaning that landfill as special
waste has almost become impossible.

If compared to the disposal of incandescent lamps it becomes clear that energy

wasting lamps create a much larger garbage problem. Incandescent lamps do not
require electric and electronic waste of a control gear to be disposed of. The lamp
base, the insulation mass, the glass bulb and the filament are dumped. Strictly
speaking, the filament consists of hazardous heavy metals, and a closer look
reveals that this is also not quite harmless garbage. But compared to a compact
fluorescent lamp with all its control gear and poisonous components the
incandescent lamp is environmentally by far more compatible.
6. Balance

The evaluation of compact fluorescent lamps under ecological criteria clearly shows
negative results.The production of the lamps and its corresponding control gears
requires largeamounts of energy and material. In practice they show a high dependency
on external factors such as ambient temperature, position, frequency of switching, etc.
Their efficiency (brightness in relation to the energy consumed, lifetime and initial
cost) is significantly lower than claimed in the campaigns. If switched often they are
even more expensive to run than incandescent lamps. The emitted light is based on
a very incomplete spectrum. From a physiological point of view it is the worst of all
artificial light sources commonly used for residential purposes. Additionally, these
lamps emit various kinds of non-visual radiation (radioactivity, UHF radiation, etc.),
the negative effects of which on the human body have repeatedly been described.
Once burnt out, the lamps and their control gears become a substantial burden for
the environment as they contain highly hazardous substances. So far, the lamps
cannot be recycled and must be treated as special waste. Once again it is valid that
the way to solve the garbage problem is to avoid garbage in the first place.
Thus the use of compact fluorescent lamps, which have become popular as “eco
lamps”, should be discouraged from.

What is actually ecological about the “eco lamps”?

It is true that in certain situations compact fluorescent lamps consume less energy
than incandescent lamps. But it is wrong to assume that buying these lamps
means you are doing something good for the environment or the energy balance. It
is verifiable that this is wrong!
An ecological evaluation of these lamps must start with an overall look at the effort
of manufacture, the running properties, and the consequences for waste disposal,
as well as the effects these lamps have on living beings. This evaluation is
particularly difficult because the main source of information on these highly
complicated technical lamps is the manufacturers. Despite this hitch, sufficient
details are known for coming to an overall evaluation.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs)

LEDs are extremely small semi-conductors that emit coloured light when energised by a
low-voltage DC current. The light is in single, unmixed colours, i.e. red, orange, yellow,
green or blue. If white light is required, it has to be produced either by combining red,
green and blue LEDs or by using phosphortechnology to convert ultra violet or ‘blue’
light to white.
LEDs are generally too small to be used singly, and so are supplied in arrays or
modules of differing shapes and sizes. They have very long life and fast improving
efficacy (most white light LEDs are currently around 20 – 30l/W but the new generations
are about 60 – 70l/W). They are highly suitable for decorative lighting,particularly
outdoors, and in emergency signage.

A LED lamp is a light-emitting diode (LED) product that is assembled into

a lamp (or light bulb) for use in lighting fixtures. LED lamps offer comparatively long life
compared to incandescent lamps and some fluorescent, although at a higher initial
expense. Degradation of LED die and packaging materials reduces output over time.

Research into organic LEDs (OLED) and polymer light-emitting diodes (PLED) is aimed
at reducing the production cost of lighting products. Diode technology currently
improves at an exponential rate.
Some LED lamps are made to be a directly compatible drop-in replacement for
incandescent or fluorescent lamps. An LED lamp packaging may show
the lumen output, power consumption in watts, color temperature and sometimes an
equivalent wattage of an incandescent lamp it will replace.

White LED lamps have achieved market dominance in applications where high
efficiency is important at low power levels. Some of these applications
include flashlights, solar-powered garden or walkway lights, and bicycle lights.
Monochromatic (colored) LED lamps are now commercially used for traffic signal lamps,
where the ability to emit bright monochromatic light is a desired feature, and in strings of
holiday lights

Efficacy of LED devices continues to improve, with some chips able to emit more than
100 lumens per watt. LEDs do not emit light in all directions, and their directional
characteristics affect the design of lamps. The efficacy of LED lamps is generally
significantly higher than that of incandescent lamps, thus for the same level of power in,
they emit more light than incandescent lamps. The light output of traditional LEDs is
small compared to incandescent and compact fluorescent lamps and in most
applications multiple LEDs are needed to form a lamp, although high-power versions
(see below) are quickly overcoming this limitation.

Merits of LED lamps & demerits of filament lamps

• Demerits of Conventionally filament lamps are as follows:

 High energy consumption (15 watt/lamp).

 Failure of lamps is high (operating life less than 1,000 hours).
 Very sensitive to the voltage fluctuations.
 • Merits of the LED lamps over Conventionally filament lamps are as follows:

 Lesser power consumption (0.5-0.8 watt/lamp).

 Longer operating life (more than 1,00,000 hours).
 Withstand high voltage fluctuation in the power supply.

Why should people use CFLs?

• Switching from traditional light bulbs (called incandescent ) to CFLs will help to
use less electricity at home and prevent greenhouse gas emissions that lead to
global climate change.
• Lighting accounts for close to 20 % of the average home’s electric bill.
• CFLs, last upto 10 times longer, cost little up front

Do CFLs contain mercury?

• CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing - an
average of 4 milligrams .By comparison the older thermometers contain about
500 milligram of mercury – an amount equal to mercury in 125 CFLs .
• Mercury is an essential part of CFLs; it allows the bulb to be essential part of light
source.
• No mercury is released when bulbs are intact or in use .Most makers of light bulb
have reduced mercury in their fluorescent lighting products.
• Thanks to technology advances the average mercury content in CFLs has
dropped at least 20 % in the past year. Some manufacturers have even made
further reductions, dropping mercury content to 1.4-2.5milligrams per light bulb.
 What precaution should take when using CFLs in home?

 CFLs are made of glass and can break if dropped or roughly handled. Be careful
when removing the bulb from packaging, installing it, or replacing it. Always
screw or unscrew the light bulb by its base (not the glass ), and never forcefully
twist the CFL into light socket .If a CFL breaks in your home follow the clean up
recommendations given by Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

Key Product Features of CFLs

 Low electrical consumption as compared to conventional

lighting products

 About 80% energy saving over incandescent bulbs.

 Long life up to 10,000 hours.
 It can operate within 130-280 V range.
 Low cost of maintenance.
 High luminous efficiency.
 Available in different colors to create desired ambience.
 Lamps designed for power factor higher than 0.85.
 Mercury content within the CFLs (Maximum Limit being less than 5mg).
Changing Scenario of Lamps

Lighting Tips – use Efficient Lighting Systems


Switch to CFLs. The normal incandescent bulbs are not energy-efficient. CFLs use
about 25 percent of the energy used by an incandescent bulb and can last 10 times
as long. They often fit in the same fixtures and are available in most building and
lighting supply stores.

Switch off unnecessary lighting. Get into the habit of switching off the light every time
you leave a room for more than a few minutes. For CFLs, turn them off only if you will
be away for more than 15 minutes. This prolongs the life of the fixtures.
Avoid idle running of any light/equipment.
Use outdoor motion detectors and timers. Instead of leaving outdoor lights on all night
while you sleep, let these handy devices turn them on only when they detect motion.
 Of course, that means they will come on for passing cars, waving flags and swaying
branches, so positions them

carefully.
With motion detectors, use the lowest wattage incandescent bulb that will do the job.
If security is a concern, leave a low-wattage porch light on all night. For maximum
security, use a
high-pressure sodium bulb on a timer or light sensor. Set the time to come on at
bedtime and go dawn. High – pressure sodium bulbs perform best when they are on for
long periods of
off at time.

Use low-wattage bulbs where applicable. Unless you frequently read in your closets
and hallways, bright lights really are not necessary in these areas. Switch to low-
wattage bulbs and save some energy.
Clean light bulbs and increase light and life. Dirty, greasy, smoky light bulbs can
reduce light output by as much as 10-20 percent. Clean your light bulbs regularly.
(Make sure they are cool before touching them.) You will avoid the tendency of
switching to a stronger bulb, which will use more energy.
Remove unnecessary lighting and position correctly. Especially in track and recessed
lighting use only the number of bulbs needed to light an area. Three bulbs can
usually do the same job as four if they are positioned accurately.
Use natural light/resources: use light from windows. Natural light is more efficient than
electric, not to mention free. When you are not frolicking in your pajamas, leave the
curtains open.
Paint and decorate in light colors. Dark colors absorb light. Light colors reflect light.
The lighter the colors you use, the less artificial lighting is required to illuminate the
area.
Use timers when vacation. Not only will it save energy when lights are on timers,
but burglars and prowlers too will have no idea that you are in the Bahamas basking
 in the sun. Set your timer to turn lights on and off at different times on different days.
Your home looks more lived in this way.

Install dimmers. In areas where dimmed lighting makes sense, such as the dining
room and bedroom, dimmers save an equal percentage of energy as they are
dimmed (dimmed 15 % reduces energy consumption up to 15%).

Check your lamp shades. Many shades are decorative but absorb light or reflect in
the wrong direction. You may want to consider switching to a more efficient shade in
a lighter color.

Use task lighting. Light up areas where you are working; switch off or dim lights in
the other areas.

on when people enter the room and off after they leave. Lighting accounts for 40
percent of energy used in office buildings.
Best of lights. Remove excess lights. Many older office and warehouse buildings have
more lighting than needed. In many areas, half the light may be sufficient to light the
area. When removing excess fluorescent tubes, remember to disconnect the ballasts
that serve them. Separate switch for different applications: In large buildings, dozens
of lights are controlled by a single switch, and not all of them need to be on. These
lights can be rewired into smaller groups of lights on independent switches. This way
only those that are needed can be turned on.
Use thermostat controls: Keep the heating and cooling to a minimum. Heating and
cooling for half of the total energy use in office buildings. If you have individual
0 0
thermostat controls, keep the heat set at 65 F (18 C) and the air-conditioning at 76
0F (24 0C). A programmable thermostat can set
back the temperature at night.
Shut computer off at night. A single computer can use over 100 W of power, and most
desks have one. Same with printers. When replacing computers, purchase the new
enrgy-efficient types that use up to 90 percent less energy.
Use computers equipped with Auto Power Off Fax and copy only when really
necessary. Sometimes we take advantage of these common
luxuries, but there was a day when we did not have them. If you must make copies,
make all you need in one batch, then turn the machine off if you know it will not be
needed again soon.
Keep heating vents unobstructed and air flow across the room. In offices, this
includes furniture placed over floor events. In warehouse, this could be bo
warehouse buildings where one vent supplies a large area, be sure nothing obstructs
the airflow. The air should be able to move
Open freight doors only when needed. When trucks are being loaded or unloaded,
leave the doors open. As soon as the job is done, close the doors .

A change in attitude and positive approach to energy
you do it?” to “you can do it”. The fastest growing source of energy is “efficiency”.
Scheme for Promoting Energy Efficiency in India :
Bachat Lamp Yojana

The 'Bachat Lamp Yojana' aims at the large scale replacement of

incandescent bulbs in households by CFLs. It seeks to provide CFLs to
households at the price similar to that of incandescent bulbs and plans to
utilize the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol to
recover the cost differential between the market price of the CFLs and the
price at which they are sold to households.

The Bachat Lamp Yojana is designed as a public-private partnership

between the Government of India, private sector CFL suppliers and State
level Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOMs). The CFL suppliers
would sell high quality CFLs to households at a price of Rs. 15 per CFL
within a designated project area in a DISCOM region of operation. The CFL
supplier will be chosen by the DISCOM through a due diligence process
from a list of CFL suppliers empanelled by BEE(Bureau of Energy Efficiency).
Under the scheme, 40 watt, 60 Watt and 100 Watt incandescent lamps will
be replaced with 9-11 Watt, 13-15 Watt and 20-23 Watt CFLs respectively
Conclusion
India is facing significant growth in electricity demand and could benefit greatly by
using energy efficient lighting systems. The need of the hour for the country is
secured, affordable and environmentally sustainable energy to meet the ambitious
National Programme of “Power to all by 2015”.

Lighting is the most visible form of electricity consumption and lighting load in our
country is very high about 17-18% of total load. By increasing the efficiency of
lighting system, there can be significant energy saving and reduction in peak load.
There is a scope for reducing about 30 to 35 % of the morning and evening peak

demand.

Use of energy efficient lamps like CFL, LED, T-5 fluorescent lamp, etc lead to enormous
amount of energy savings which is estimated as 50 to 80%.

 Electronic gears of conservation of energy like electronic ballast saves

energy within the range of 10 to 20%.

 Solar lighting systems such as Lanterns, Street Lights, Home Lights, etc.
can be effectively used, especially in areas of where lighting is required for
shorter duration. This will not only lead to energy conservation but also
encourage use of non-conventional and environmental friendly energy
system.