 Lighting is an important component of the overall green story, accounting for 30% of electricity use in our residential and commercial buildings combined, and 22% of our nation's electricity use in total.
Below are some Green lighting options for you to consider and their attributes. LEDS -
A LED (light-emitting diode) converts electrical energy to light by means of a semiconductor, usually silicon, whose electrical conductivity when hot is as great as that of metals and very low when cold. LEDs were commonly referred to early in their history as solid-state lamps. The light produced by LEDs is known as electroluminescence, distinguishing it from incandescence, which is characteristic of light bulbs. Formerly limited to low-luminance and specialty applications, LEDs have progressed at rapid rates to now compete with conventional sources in wide-ranging uses. Today LED sources are already 5X more efficient than incandescent and halogen, and are on par with the efficiency of most fluorescent technologies. And most importantly, they will only continue to improve. Systems that utilize LED sources are eco-smart in other ways, too. They generally have much longer lifetimes than conventional sources, which translate to less replacement and less waste. The directional nature of LED sources allows for more efficient fixtures that project light exactly where it's needed - mitigating both wasteful light and light pollution. In short, LED lighting systems help lighting professionals make ecologically-sound design choices today, while promising to have even greater cumulative impact in the future. All LEDS are not alike though. Some companies do a much better job of protecting them from overheating. When overheating occurs the LED's life is greatly reduced. Another question to ask is how careful the manufacturer is about maintaining consistency between batches of LED's they purchase; this is called "binning". If a manufacturer is lackadaisical about color temperatures from fixture to fixture, it can create uneven light. Barbizon distributes many companies that make LED fixtures. Call your local representative and discuss your situation and application to get the right fixtures for you.  CDM & CST compression lamps -
If your architectural space needs theatrical lighting but energy concerns and access to the fixtures is an issue then CDM lamp technology might be worth considering. CDM's have a long-life 12,000-hour lamp, which means low maintenance, and less lamp change-out, and that's perfect for positions that can't be reached often or easily ? like tall museum ceilings or vaulted church areas. Using this lamp source in an ellipsoidal or par fixture gives you the level of performance of a 2,000-hour incandescent fixture but with 10,000 additional hours. The metal-halide fixture uses electronic ballast and needs to be on a switched outlet as it cannot be dimmed. If dimming is required explore a DMX controlled mechanical douser or a color-changing unit like the SeaChanger with a neutral density wheel. CDM 150w lamps are generally used in ellipsoidal and par fixtures and come in either tungsten (3000K) or cool white (4200K) color temperatures. Manufacturers like ETC, Selecon, Altman, as well as others employ this technology.
The Ceramic ST (CST 250) lamp systems are much brighter and much more efficient than their Halogen lamp counterparts and give substantial cost savings due to longer life time, much lower heat dissipation and the need of fewer fixtures to reach same illumination level in Studio / Theatre. The lamp brightness does sacrifice a life though, these lamps are limited to 3000 hours of life but they do pack a punch. Manufacturers using this tech include Arri, Selecon, and DeSisti.  Fluorescent Lighting instead of Tungsten or Incandescent? It is a possibility to consider -
By using fluorescents in your prime time lighting applications, you could SAVE on your overall operating costs! Benefits include getting more light without the added heat, spectacular images with a range of color balanced options, up to six years of uninterrupted lighting performance versus the industry four year standard. Other added benefits include minimize electricity consumption by 70-80% with no flicker or noise, broad selection and versatility to suit your video conferencing, small studio and worship needs. For more information about money saving fluorescents, call you local Barbizon representative at 866-502-2724.
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