Inefficient lighting accounts for around 12 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions from the residential sector and around 25 per cent from the commercial sector. To say the least, the move to phase out inefficient lighting is being met with massive approval from the green lobby. Four million tonnes of greenhouse gases a year — the equivalent of taking one million cars off the road — is expected to be saved.
Lighting costs the community over $2 billion in electricity each year and it is predicted that converting to low energy lighting will save Australians 66 per cent off their household lighting bills, or $1.3 billion per year. Exactly how these incandescent lamps are to be phased out is yet to be announced by the government.
According to Glen Robinson, purchasing manager for Beacon Lighting, it is most likely the government will commence the phase-out process by banning standard GLS globes in October 2008. “This will be the first stage in embracing new technology that will substantially increase efficiency. Then, as energy efficient alternatives become available for other light globes, the government will ban the inefficient equivalent,” he says. Robinson believes there will be no ban on any globe format until there is a direct replacement that is tested, proven and widely available to all consumers.
Once incandescents are phased out, compact fluorescent (CFL), halogen or LED bulbs will become the alternative choices. An important replacement light source, the CFL unfortunately has issues limiting its use, says Bryan Douglas, chief executive of the Lighting Council Australia. He says that most CFLs cannot be dimmed and most do not operate well when used in conjunction with motion sensors or timers. There are also many existing light fittings which will not accommodate a CFL. “These issues are being addressed by manufacturers though. Dimmable CFLs are now available, albeit at a significantly higher cost than conventional products.”
Some say that LED lamps provide the most cost-effective alternative as they use 75 per cent less energy than a halogen and 50 per cent less energy than the fluorescent. Douglas says although CFLs and halogens remain the main replacements for incandescents, companies are undertaking considerable research into LED technology. “It is reasonable to assume that in time, LEDS could largely supplant CFLs and halogens,” he says.
Mark Dowsett, operations manager for lighting supplier LedFX, says: “LEDs outperform incandescent bulbs in all areas. Using LEDs as an alternative to incandescent bulbs will give you a huge 90 per cent saving in power use. They are also rated to 50,000 hours plus continuous use, giving years of maintenance-free lighting. In addition, they emit almost no heat, so are perfect for use in settings such as ceilings and enclosed spaces. In any case, LED lights are more robust and smaller than old technology and can be used anywhere the designer wants to specify indoors or out.”
Danin Khan, founder and owner of Sydney lighting supplier Todae, confirms the market is seeing a predominant push towards alternative LED lighting. “Despite being a relatively expensive new technology, it is certainly becoming more cost effective, plus these bulbs can last up to 50 times as long as the standard incandescent halogen ones.”
Fittings will also be affected by changes in lighting standards, particularly in commercial environments, says Khan. “For example, if halogen downlighters are replaced with CFLs, then the fittings will probably need to be changed. But if people go from halogen to LED downlighters they would probably not need to change the fittings.” Light fittings using LEDs can also be smaller and much safer, with cables and power cords being much thinner due to the bulbs using only 12 volt power.
The costs incurred as a result of the latest legislation are debatable due to the offset costs of using less energy. “At the moment, LED lights are more expensive in the short-term, but as more people integrate them into their lives, manufacturing costs will drop,” says Dowsett. “Apart from their power saving, LEDs never need to be replaced like incandescent bulbs so the initial outlay is recouped in the long-term.”
Khan says we should realise that prices may be a little more expensive but that energy prices are also on the rise. “Energy prices, as many know, are expected to increase dramatically over the next two to three years and accordingly, any lights that can prove more cost effective should be considered.”
Jeremy Davies, director of Neco, says: “Tradesmen are in a unique position to make a huge difference to Australia’s future by recommending and installing safer, longer-lasting and greener bulbs. Helping companies and home-owners dump inefficient lighting in favour of more efficient bulbs is likely to have a huge impact on the country’s future.”
