“The human appetite for energy appears to be insatiable. There are good reasons for the continued growth of energy consumption in the future: the survival needs of the under privileged billions, increased adult life expectations   stemming from the population boom… and the desirable goal of improved quality of life for everyone. But there are equally good reasons for carefully examining what the consequences of energy growth will be after present consumption rates have quadrupled. When do we melt the polar icepacks? How much land can we afford to set aside for energy plants? How much photosynthetic smog can we  tolerate?”
Alfred M. Worden,
Proceedings of the 1st  World Energy Engineering Congress, 1978

Sustainability mind Maps :

 Reduse & Reuse & Recycle

Sustainability is meeting the needs of current and future generations
through an integration of environmental protection, social advancement
and economic prosperity

Image extracted 14 May 2007 from the http://genomics.energy.gov website from the U.S. Department of
Energy Genome Programs.

Lighting vs Sustainability

Lighting  technologies are  being  continuously improved. Enhancing the efficiency  of  lighting  systems begins with good design.  Natural  lighting can be made available in every space of a home or building. In existing spaces, daylighting can be optimized by using window treatments,  light shelves and  daylight-sensing controls that adjust artificial light levels. Window treatments, such as tinted films, double-hung horizontal blinds  (meaning they can be lowered from both the top and bottom), or the addition of sheer curtains, encourage occupants to take advantage of natural light. Light shelves are window features that are installed either on the inside or the outside of south-facing windows.

Located slightly above eyelevel, light shelves reflect natural light toward the interior ceiling and into the other parts of the room. This creates a more pleasant light throughout the room, while reducing glare and preventing overheating of interior spaces near windows.

Daylight - sensing  controls are  often used  with  commercial  and  institutional lighting systems to ensure that when natural light is available,  light  fixtures near windows are turned off or have reduced the artificial light levels, thus lowering electrical energy requirements.

Appropriate fixtures  and lamps are part of  the  lighting system efficiency solution.  Lighting systems today are more energy efficient than lighting sold in the past. Further improvements in lighting system  efficiency can  be expected  in the  future.  Commercial building codes that prescribe limits for the watts per unit area of floor space are setting aggressive standards for efficiency. It is important to investigate lighting options and install the best equipment available.

Fluorescent lighting systems are common for commercial spaces. New fluorescent lamps provide as much as 20% to 30% more light output per watt. Electronic ballasts  that are  available today  consume  less  electricity  than the  magnetic ballasts that were the previous standard and tube efficacy  (lumens per Watt) has also increased.

(Sustainable Development Handbook, p 153,154, Knovel)

Danson LEDs are  available  now in many  styles  to  replace  nearly  every  type of lamp,  including standard tungsten - filament incandescent lamps,  Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) , flood lights, and decorative lamps.

CFLs use 80 - 85%  less  power than  incandescent  lamps  to  provide equivalent light.  This technology has improved in recent years and past concerns about outdoor use, buzzing, and compatibility with solid state controls have been resolved.

High intensity discharge ( HID ) lighting is commonly  used outdoors and in spaces with high ceilings such as  warehouses, manufacturing facilities and sports facilities.  This  type of lighting  includes  metal  halides,  mercury  vapor and high and  low - pressure  sodium  fixtures.  HID lighting  has undergone  significant technological improvements, both in increased light output and in more efficient ballast technology.

One breakthrough is the commercialization of pulse-start metal halide lamps.  These lamps are 20% to 30% more  efficient than previous designs. Metal halide fixtures are also making inroads into the areas of decorative and track lighting,  using as much as 60% to 70% less energy  when  compared to incandescent or halogen lighting.

Now Industrial LED lamps are available now in many styles to replace nearly every type of HID lamps . LEDs are more energy efficient than HID lamps and future of the lighting. 

Danson is committed to invent new energy efficient light sources continuously  in a way to contribute to sustainable environment.