LEDs
Partnering savings with sustainability – without sacrifice
By Scott Williams (former editor of Lighting magazine) As facilities across Canada seek to lower energy costs, solid-state lighting can help give every building a sustainable future. Rising utility costs are becoming as commonplace as the continual rise of fuel prices at the pumps. The rapid development of LED technologies is accelerating this change. Architects and building owners strive for a balance of sustainable practices that allow aesthetics and functionality to live together, while ensuring the quality of light, energy savings and long service life provide the return they want. Furthermore, government regulation will soon mandate a number of incandescent light sources inefficient, such as the 60W and 100W. LED lighting is arguably the most profound change the lighting industry has witnessed since the invention of electric light itself. It is a fundamentally new kind of lighting, using new principles, materials and means of control. Whether as retrofits or new installations, LEDs are opening up new possibilities for how and where lighting can enhance the human experience. But buyers beware: not all LEDs are equal. Because of the opportunities this new technology represents, there has been an influx of LED suppliers into the marketplace. It’s important to do your research 16
Ops Talk • Spring 2012
to ensure your investment is a sound one. We recommend going with branded products from suppliers that are fully entrenched in the lighting industry to ensure your adoption of this new technology turns out to be a positive experience. LED Sustainability Mention LEDs in a conversation, and what first springs to mind is low energy use. But there are plenty of other benefits including less waste, less use of materials and resources and greater recyclability. LED lighting supports sustainable design in several ways. It uses less energy than most other types of lamps, lasts longer (which means less frequent replacement and therefore reduced waste), generates virtually no heat, is mercury-free, and can be housed in special luminaires designed for easy disassembly and recycling. In fact, in life cycle assessments, LED bulbs have less of an environmental footprint compared to incandescent or compact fluorescent technology. This is largely attributed to their energy savings, as the electrical consumption during the usage phase of a bulb is the most dominant environmental factor, representing nearly 95 percent of the entire
