This document discusses the energy efficient benefits of fluorescent lighting. It notes that lighting accounts for about 14% of Europe's total electricity consumption, and fluorescent lighting makes up about 80% of commercial lighting worldwide. The document explores how fluorescent lighting technologies have improved in efficacy, lamp life, and color performance over recent decades. It also disputes the myth that fluorescent lighting is unsuitable for homes, noting the energy and cost savings of compact fluorescent bulbs.

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Burst of energy
Gemma Emslie delves into the fluorescent
market, and explores the energy efficient
benefits of using it.
Speirs and Major Associates specified EncapSulite’s MT50 waterproof fluorescents for the Coventry Phoenix Initiative.
‘It’s a myth that fluorescent
lighting is unsuitable for
the home.’
fluorescent lighting technologies, all without loss of according to Thorn Lighting, despite the promotion of cost
lighting conditions.’ and quality benefits of high frequency control gear over the
Thorn Lighting, now part of the Zumtobel Group, has a past 26 years, the take up is still only about 40 per cent of
clear mission to ‘improve the quality of life by providing the sales. ‘This is purely due to short term cost savings and
best quality, energy efficient lighting for people and places’. ignorance,’ says King.
The company competes in more than 100 markets around While fluorescent lighting is primarily used in commercial
the world and is fast developing a presence in the Far East. applications, the compact fluorescent lamp means that
Fluorescent lighting constitutes a significant part of the households are also able to reap the benefits of reliability
company’s overall product portfolio, which according to and economical power consumption. ‘It’s a myth that
King, mirrors the fact that this type of lighting accounts fluorescent lighting is unsuitable for the home,’ says Scott
In today’s day and age it is nigh on impossible to talk total electricity consumption. ‘In domestic and industrial for about 80 per cent of the world’s professional lighting. Allen, PR and marketing executive at Fagerhult. Although a
interior design without considering environmental impact – premises, lighting does not represent a large proportion Over recent years the company’s objectives of developments compact fluorescent lamp may cost up to three times the
are the materials from sustainable resources? What mode of the electrical energy consumption, but in commercial have been to improve efficacy, lengthen lamp life, and initial cost of a GLS lamp, it is guaranteed to have a much
of transport is used to transfer the products and what is its premises, which include offices and public buildings that improve colour performance, optical control and control longer life – as much as 10,000 hours in total according to
carbon footprint? Similarly, it is difficult to talk about are almost entirely lit by fluorescents, it accounts for 43 gear. ‘Roughly, we provide twice as much light to a space Thorn. Speaking from a more commercial point of view,
fluorescent lighting without, in the same breath, mentioning per cent,’ says Hugh King, PR manager at Thorn Lighting. for less than half the electric power used in the 1970s,’ King adds: ‘Nobody in their right mind would use GLS these
energy efficiency. The two seem to go hand in hand. ‘We estimate that most lighting (65 per cent) in Europe claims King. days, due to running costs, maintenance fees, let alone
According to statistics given by Thorn Lighting, lighting in today is energy inefficient and feel that 50 per cent savings In the last few decades the dimming and control systems complying with the building regulations.’ In addition to a long
Europe accounts for some 14 per cent of the continent’s can be made by use of currently available energy efficient for fluorescent lamps have advanced enormously. Yet, life span, advances in colour rendering for different shades
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