As a nation we spend about one-quarter of our electricity on lighting, at a cost of more than $37 billion annually, according to the US Department of Energy.
Lighting accounts for the single largest portion of the electric bills for commercial users, (30%) which means that lighting can be a big contributor to reducing energy costs.
The US Energy Information Administration projects that through 2020, lighting will remain the most important individual end use in the commercial sector.
Much of this expense is unnecessary. Lamp and ballast manufacturers have, over the past decade, brought products to market that can help cut lighting costs 30% to 60% while enhancing lighting quality, maintaining appropriate light levels in the workplace, and reducing environmental impacts.
Installing energy efficient lighting is one of the best things a building owner can do for the environment, and for business. Energy efficient lighting reduces not only energy consumption – it reduces emissions from power plants and it improves the business owner’s bottom line. Reduced energy usage means reduced utility emissions, which means less air pollution and related human health effects.
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Some of the most efficient fluorescent lighting systems use T8 lamps and electronic ballasts. These T8 lamps, such as SYLVANIA’s OCTRON ECOLOGIC family, have excellent color rendering properties, come in a variety of color appearances to meet the owner’s needs, and save energy when compared with older T12 systems. When used with high-quality luminaires (lighting fixtures), these lamps and ballasts deliver light efficiently and beautifully to the work environment.
At OSRAM SYLVANIA we have long been the energy-efficient product innovators. We were first with high performance T8 fluorescent lamps in North America. In 1981 we introduced the SYLVANIA OCTRONâ family of fluorescent lamps, ushering in a new era of lighting efficiency.
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Quality lighting does not have to mean expensive lighting. Perhaps the most important thing to consider is that lighting must be evaluated in the long-term. Ultimately the major cost of a lighting system is its operation – the electric bill. |
When business owners consider the total cost of owning a lighting system, it pays to invest in high-quality energy-efficient products that consistently maintain their performance. |
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Sixty three percent (63%) of the 7 billion lamps in the United States are incandescent, which only produce 10% of their energy as light. The remaining 90% is given off as heat. ECOLOGIC High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps offer more light output while using one-fifth the wattage and lasting ten times as long as incandescent lamps.
The US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy joined forces in 1996 to add compact fluorescent lamps to the ENERGY STAR family of products, launching a new era for the CFL. More than 40% of the US population recognizes the ENERGY STAR logo as the symbol for energy efficiency, and utility rebate programs throughout the country have helped boost the sales of these lamps that are up to 75% more energy-efficient than their incandescent counterparts.
In 2004 alone, SYLVANIA compact fluorescent lamps bearing the ENERGY STAR label sold through utility rebate programs saved consumers close to $11 million and prevented air pollution equivalent to that of almost 9,500 cars each year.
By choosing SYLVANIA lamps with the ECOLOGIC designation and the ENERGY STAR label, you can reduce your energy consumption, while reducing your electric bill and the associated power plant emissions.