Ultraviolet from lighting

According to the Energy efficient lighting – guidance for installers and specifiers (2006 edition), it is true that lamps used for general lighting will emit some UV. However, this is at a much lower level than would be experienced just by being outdoors. Under typical indoor lighting, the UV radiation from bare fluorescent lamps would be less than 1 per cent of that received in average daylight (see LIF Technical Statement No.8, www.lif.co.uk) ten filament lamps hardly emit any UV because the UV is absorbed by the glass envelope. Most tungsten halogen lamps are now made with UV-filter quartz and this removes the need for additional filters in most applications. Further information is available from lamp manufacturers.

Very important TED talk on Climate Change

For all who have not heard a good talk on climate change

http://www.ted.com/talks/james_hansen_why_i_must_speak_out_about_climate_change.html

LED certifications

LED Certifications
The electrical performance of the fixture will need to be specified in terms of parameters such
as power factor and leakage current, often arising as a result of local regulations. Whereas
certain certifications may be mandatory, such as RoHS compliance or CE compliance, others
may be the industry norm, for example it may be usual for the product to have a UL listing. It
is incumbent on the end user to be aware of all certifications that are relevant and to ensure at
an early stage that the manufacturer is capable of delivering compliant products. A specialised
fixture manufacturer will be able to work with the end user to ensure that the end product is
properly certified.

Certifications are obtained as a result of product testing by relevant, independent and competent
bodies. The purpose of formal certifications is to ensure that the product meets certain minimum
agreed standards appropriate for the product and its working environment. These standards
cover such things as safety, electrical interference and environmental impact.


It is vital that the fixture manufacturer is aware of what standards and directives must be
met in order to achieve the regulatory compliance. For example, for CE certification the EU
Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive would apply to digital lighting whereas, say, the EU
Pressure Vessel Directive clearly would not. Furthermore, if a particular directive applies to a
product, it must be further established what standards within that directive are appropriate
and what specific tests must be carried out. The certifications required for a given product
are subject to local laws and ultimately it is incumbent on the end user to be aware of all
certifications that are relevant and to ensure at an early stage that the manufacturer is capable
of delivering compliant products.

Other certifications are not legally required, but there may be an industry norm, for example
it may be usual for the product to have a UL listing in a particular category. Again, the fixture
manufacturer will be able to draw on its experience in the field to provide advice on this and
be able to supply the correct product with best practice certifications.

http://www.nualight.com/images/Downloads/Nualight-White-Paper.aspx

Energy and efficacy of LED lighting

One of the fundamental specifications to consider when evaluating any lighting system is the
power consumption, as it forms a basis of its economic viability. Since there will generally be
some form of power converter (sometimes known as a ballast) between the mains input and
the lighting fixture, the end user must be clear in specifying that wattage will be measured at
the wallplug and not at the fixture. Furthermore, there may be local regulations regarding the
luminous efficacy of the installed system that stipulates a minimum lumens per watt value. In this
case, the end user must be careful in specifying the lumen output of each fixture to confirm that
the standard is met. Simply accepting the figure advertised by the lighting fixture manufacturer
on a datasheet is not advisable and it has been shown that manufacturers commonly exaggerate
the lumen output2. This misrepresentation is not always wilful but can arise through ignorance
of the technology. Typically an errant manufacturer will simply take the LED manufacturer’s
data for a single LED and multiply it by the total number of LEDs to arrive at the lumen output
figure, failing to take into account losses due to lenses, covers, reflectors, side walls, etc. These
can easily cause a 30 to 40% loss in lumen output. Luminous efficacy is dependent on lumen
maintenance, so as the output degrades over time so does the efficacy.

http://www.nualight.com/images/Downloads/Nualight-White-Paper.aspx

Refrigerant for Cars

The European Union (EU) Directive 2006/40/EC (1) prohibits refrigerants with Global Warming Potentials (GWP) greater than 150, starting from 2011

Current automotive refrigerant HFC-134a (GWP = 1,430) will be banned

•          in all “new type” vehicle models sold in the EU starting January 1st, 2011

•          in all new vehicles sold in the EU after January 1st, 2017

Why the Global Warming Skeptics Are Wrong

March 22, 2012

William D. Nordhaus

Suppose we were thinking about two policies. Policy A has a small investment in abatement of CO2 emissions. It costs relatively little (say $1 billion) but has substantial benefits (say $10 billion), for a net benefit of $9 billion. Now compare this with a very effective and larger investment, Policy B. This second investment costs more (say $10 billion) but has substantial benefits (say $50 billion), for a net benefit of $40 billion. B is preferable because it has higher net benefits ($40 billion for B as compared with $9 for A), but A has a higher benefit-cost ratio (a ratio of 10 for A as compared with 5 for B). This example shows why we should, in designing the most effective policies, look at benefits minus costs, not benefits divided by costs.

CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing – an average of 4 milligrams (mg). By comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams of mercury – an amount equal to the mercury in 125 CFLs. Mercury is an essential part of CFLs; it allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. No mercury is released when the bulbs are intact (not broken) or in use.  Most makers of light bulbs have reduced mercury in their fluorescent lighting products. Thanks to technology advances and a commitment from members of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, the average mercury content in CFLs has dropped at least 20 percent or more in the past several years. Some manufacturers have even made further reductions, dropping mercury content to 1 mg per light bulb.

What are mercury emissions caused by humans? EPA estimates the U.S. is responsible for the release of 103 metric tons of mercury emissions each year. More than half of these emissions come from coal-fired electrical power. Mercury released into the air is the main way that mercury gets into water and bio-accumulates in fish. (Eating fish contaminated with mercury is the main way for humans to be exposed.)  Most mercury vapor inside fluorescent light bulbs becomes bound to the inside of the light bulb as it is used. EPA estimates that the rest of the mercury within a CFL – about 11 percent – is released into air or water when it is sent to a landfill, assuming the light bulb is broken. Therefore, if all 272 million CFLs sold in 2009 were sent to a landfill (versus recycled, as a worst case) – they would add 0.12 metric tons, or 0.12 percent, to U.S. mercury
emissions caused by humans
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf