Green Talk® » lighting

EASI Reduces Energy Costs. Decreases Electrical Waste and Inefficiency

Anna@Green Talk — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:36:28 +0000

EASI"s EasiLiner Reduce Waste Loads and Electrical Consumption in Motors

Are you seeking to reduce energy in your company without replacing equipment? According to Energy Automation Systems, Inc. (EASI), simply installing their EasiLiner or other power quality performance technology products to your motors can save a company 10-25% in annual energy costs.

The EasiLiner is used with medium size load motors. However, the Company can treate different size motors such as single horse power to large load motors such as variable frequency drive motors. [Source: World Business Report Video.] Typically, EASI’s products are installed on air conditioning and heating systems and refrigeration motors, and/or lighting systems. The Company offers 15 types of technology to increase power quality to facilities .

EASI is not a new green kid on the block. CEO Joseph Merlo, started the company thirty years ago. He states in his interview on World Business Review that a third to one half of a company’s electrical costs are due to waste in loads and inefficiencies in the way companies use their electricity.

EASI’s customers includes General Electric, British Petroleum, ConAgra, Apollo Group, SABIC and Tyson Foods.

What Are the Issues with Power Quality?

Poor power quality has become a concern for facility managers since it causes damages to motors. Replacing motors decreases productivity, increases costs and downtime. In turn, unreliability results in losing sales.

Jack Klein indicates in his article, “The Costs of Power Quality,”

“Lighting systems consume 50% of the energy consumed in commercial and industrial buildings. Newer solid-state electronic ballasts that have largely replaced magnetic products incorporate an active switching device that introduces harmonic distortion to the line.

The harmonics manifest themselves by distorting the nice, smooth sine wave, which causes all kinds of problems in the grid. The harmonics cause stress in transformers in neutrals which normally see no current. Harmonic distortion on the line causes current on the neutral and creates stress on the system that causes transformers to overheat.

Variable-speed drives, which are becoming very common on industrial equipment, also include an active component. These devices reduce overall energy consumption, but they add distortion on the line.

Even ubiquitous personal computers add to the harmonic distortion problem, since they have switching power supplies. These are active components that can reflect back on the line.”

For a more technical overview of the effects of harmonic disruption see here.

The Proof is in the Demonstration

Is this technology too good to be true? I thought so until I saw the EasiLiner in action with my own eyes. Yoav Efron, founder of Toeprint Energy Group, an EASI affiliate, demonstrated how much less energy a motor uses when attached to an EasiLiner box Efron services the Northeast area of the US. (Note, the Company has hundreds of representatives all over the world.)

I urge you watch the below video interview or podcast as Efron explains how the EasiLiner works. At the end video, Efron demonstrates how an EasiLiner will save a company money. He showed me his amp meter readings before and after he attached the EasiLiner to a motor. Just a side note, Efron showed me this demonstration in person as well as on the video.

http://youtu.be/pA0tHw_UoR4

How Does the EasiLiner work?

According to the EASI,

“Motorized pieces of equipment are historically inefficient users of electricity. Unnecessarily high electrical bills and maintenance costs result from the conversion of the reactive current. The EasiLiner provides the benefits of reactive power correction while virtually eliminating the risks associated with traditional correction methods. Increased motor functionality means lower energy costs from reduced current draw.”

The Company further states that waste can comprise of 5% to 30% of total electricity demand. As noted above, typically, the add on box is used with lighting, air conditioning and heating equipment and refrigeration. However, one client of EASI, The Sports Barn, used the technology to improve efficiencies in its Jacuzzis, pool filters, and heating and air conditioning systems. A 30 month return on investment was anticipated.

For further information on how other clients’ testimonials or cost savings, see here.

According to the Company, generally return on investment can be 30 to 50% with a payback of two to three years.

How Do You Begin?

EASI has a ten step procedure. In a nutshell, an EASI affiliate like Efron, does an initial consultation of your facility and creates an initial plan using your electrical data. If you wish to proceed, a more definitive plan is prepared in which a nominal fee is incurred and a guarantee of savings is stated. The guarantee is backed by a policy underwritten by a “A” rated carrier. After installation, the Company monitors your system for one year. All products carry a limited three year warranty.

As a disclaimer, I have not installed one of these units in any of my clients but am very intrigued by the product. One of my clients is a hotel who has multiple refrigeration and HVAC systems. The promise of less wear and tear on the motors and better efficiency is quite appealing considering the cost of replacing motor can be expensive and labor intensive. In addition, in this economy with thin margins, energy reduction measures which do not require a huge outlay of capital are equally appealing.

Join the Conversation:

Would you consider this technology to increase efficiency at your company?
Have you employed any strategy similar to EASI’s in your facility?
Does your company have several motors so that it could benefit by this technology?
Would your state provide rebates for this type of technology?

As always, please share this article with your colleagues by tweeting it or sharing it on Linkedin and Facebook. (See the “Share This” symbols before and below the article.)

Photo via World Business Review Video

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LED Expert Gives his Two Cents About LED Use for Home and Biz

Anna@Green Talk — Fri, 13 May 2011 03:14:21 +0000

LED Parking lot lights at Walmart Puerto Rico

During this week, I have been shedding some light on LEDs especially given the amount of false claims made by manufacturers. The LED industry is suffering from the same thing the green industry suffers from but in this case, it is called LEDwashing or lightwashing. Pick your favorite name.

Just to give you some background, over on Practically Green, I wrote about the advantages and disadvantages of LEDs. Then I followed it up with the fact versus the fiction by obtaining the opinions of three industry lighting experts. I highly recommended reading this article since my experts provide me with sound practical advice. Lastly, I Lynn Schwartz of LPS Lighting since I really liked his practical tips. We explored both residential and commercial applications.

Instead of giving you a narrative of our conversation, I decided to try something new. I broke down the video into segments so you can listen to what you want. I urge you to listen to the full hour since Lynn did a great job explaining both residential and commercial LED markets.

Video Breakdown

Residential LED discussion:

How to help a consumer pick a LED: 1:37- 5:22
How do you know which type of LED bulb will be the direct replacement for your incandescent or CFL? 5:22-9:30
What is light spotting? 9:30-11:30
How LED can create a better lighting situation: 11:30-14:10
How to pick the right bulb: 14:10-16:28
Discussion about the Lighting Facts on some LED packaging: 16:28-19:54
Discussion about the longevity of the bulbs. How does a consumer know? 19:54-23:14
Discussion about dimming LEDs. Do you need to change your switches? 23:14-26:42
What is the government doing about the marketing claims? 26:42-28:14

Commercial LED Discussion:

How does a Facility Manager make the right decision in choosing a LED lighting system? 28:14-32:41
What’s Lynn advises his commercial clients to use. What is the best bang for the buck. 32:41-39:17
T-8 bulb vs LED tube. Thoughts about where you would use the LED tubes. 39:17-43:43
Aspect of Recycling fluorescent bulbs: 43:43-45:10
Discussion about turning one and off LEDs. Does it shorten its life like a fluorescent bulb? 43:43-47:48
Discussion about testing of the LEDs and some further questions that facility managers can ask 47:48-53:19
High bay and parking lot applications: 53:19-58:41
Discussion about what Lynn’s company does. When would he advise the use of LED. 58:41-63
How would someone find a LED lighting designer: 63-67:07

I know the video/podcast is long but Lynn did a great job of explaining how to tame the LED wild west.

Join the Conversation:

What myth are you seeing in the commercial or residential markets
What products have you had success with
Are LEDs ready for commercial and residential use?
Add to Lynn’s discussion with your own thoughts.

Photo by Walmart Stores

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LED Buying: Road Map to Get Beyond the Marketing Hype

Anna@Green Talk — Tue, 10 May 2011 18:13:33 +0000

Lighting Science EcoSmart LED Bulb

The other day I read a NY Times story about an interesting LED product. Given that the story was in the NY Times, I took notice. It has to be good, I reasoned. But something about the story was too good to be true. I copied the link and sent it to two of my lighting experts. Their responses were similar. Lousy product but great marketing. But to be honest, their reaction scared me. Although I have been writing about LEDs since 2007, I too can get sucked into the marketing hype.

I can imagine how the average Joe feels when trying to figure out the LED fact or fiction. They aren’t lucky like me with lighting expert friends who pour water over my head when I get too giddy about a product. In this vein, I decided to call upon three lighting expert to provide me with a road map on selecting the right LED for my home or business.

Why Do I love LEDs?

In a previous article that I wrote for Practically Green, I explained the advantages and disadvantages to LEDs. Without going through my 1300 word explanation, basically LEDs are efficient, have a long life, do not contain mercury, instant on, great for high unreachable places, yadda, yadda, yadda. I could go on for days why I love LEDs. (OMG, here comes the bucket of water!)

But as much as I love LEDs, there are issues. They are expensive but believe me, the prices have fallen since my first puppy love crush on Cree’s LR6 downlight. I hope they continue to fall without sacrificing quality. In addition, not all LEDs are alike. Some have terrible color, some don’t dim, others wear out quicker than expected, and some don’t give you the type and/or the amount of light you love. Shopping for LEDs is like shopping for cars. You have to do your homework and figure out what you can live with or without for the price.

So How do you decide which LED to Buy?

As I mentioned above, with all the LED marketing hype, I enlisted three lighting experts to provide consumer tips to buying LEDs. Thanks to Haro, a free journalist resource, I spoke to the following experts in person or via email: Lynn Schwartz of LPS Lighting, a LED lighting consultancy/manufacturer’s representative firm, Ira Krepchin, Director of Research at E Source, a research and advisory firm that assists utilities and large energy users with technology and energy assessment, efficiencies, and related topics, and Eric Hansel, Vice President-New Project Development of Midwest Illumination Inc, an energy savings company. In Part 2 of this article, Lynn Schwartz walked me through more detailed tips and showed me some lights via video and podcast.

Look at the Label

Krepchin and Hansel felt it was paramount that the bulbs were independently third party tested. Krephchin told me that one should look for the Department of Energy’s Lighting Facts’ label and the ENERGY STAR® logo on the lighting package. The DOE instituted a voluntary program for manufactures to include on their label a “lighting facts” which indicated light output, watts, and other lighting information.

Ira Krepchin

On the other hand, Energy Star required that a product must pass a variety of tests to prove that the product will display various characteristics such as constant light output, excellent color quality, and brightness equal to or greater than existing lighting technologies.

In addition, Krepchin suggested the DOE’s CALiPER Program as a good source of information. Periodically, the DOE publishes detailed test results of non-LED and LED products. (See here to download the CALiPER Benchmark Reports.)

Hansel explained that a product should contain the UL logo. Underwriters Laboratories® offers ENERGY STAR® qualification testing through a strategic partnership with Luminaire Testing Laboratory, Inc., as well as photo-biological safety testing “to protect the user from potentially harmful effects on health of the optical radiation produced by solid-state lighting devices”.

Schwartz added that bulbs should have more than a one year warranty. The longer the warranty, the better. In addition, all three experts explained that the LED label should state that its wattage is “equal to” or “equivalent to” not “similar to” a comparable incandescent wattage . Otherwise, you will be disappointed in the light output.

Heat Sink, Heat Sink, Heat Sink

I am sure you have heard the phrase, “location, location, location” in terms of when people talk about real estate. Well for LEDs , heat sink is a very important part of an LED. Only 20% of an LED’s energy is used to create light. The balance is heat must dissipated otherwise, it will shorten the life of the bulb. Excessive heat to an LED is like Kryptonite to Superman.

Krepchin further advised me there is no agreed upon procedure on how to measure the life term of a bulb. According to the DOE, testing a 50,000 rated LED would not be fruitful. By the time, they finished testing the light bulb, the technology would be obsolete.

Lynn Schwartz

Schwartz’s answer to this dilemma is to buy a bulb that you can return and test it. Screw it in for 30 minutes, and then unscrew it. It should feel like how a car feels when the motor is running. Hot to the touch but not burning hot. If it is burning hot, the bulb will never last. If it is too cool, you will never get the lighting output you desire.

Schwartz further advised to examine the fins around the bulbs. They should be made of aluminum not plastic. If the fins look cheap, then you will be unhappy since the bulb will never last.

What about the Big Box Stores?

Hansel and Schwartz were unimpressed with the Big Box LEDs since they felt their quality is usually diminished to meet a price point. Schwartz suggested buying from lighting design stores. In this same vein, Hansel felt that consumers should buy from larger well known companies such as GE, Phillips, and Sylvania

Make Sure You Know What Your Lighting Needs

Do you want a warm or cool light? Do you want a narrow direct beam or a wider beam? How much lighting output do you want? Schwartz stated in his emailed response

“[c]heck the light color…warm light is between 2700K and 3000K on the package. Look for beam angle degrees, not just spot or flood. LEDs by nature are spots so a flood can be between 40 degrees and 80 degrees. That’s a big difference”

On the other hand, when I asked Krepchin how to make sure you were buying the same lighting color, he stated that you should find your replacement light at a store. Then, compare the information on your old light and the LED packages. The color renderings should be the same. However, he did note that a cooler temperature color might look preceptively brighter than the warmer tones you previously had.

Do I need to Replace My Dimmer?

Eric Hansel

I noticed when I tried Lighting Science’s EcoSmart bulb that my dimmer acted a little funny. Some LED bulbs flicker. Schwartz told me that it could be your dimmer is incompatible with a certain LED bulb. Lutron has a new dimmer available that is more compatible with dimmable fluorescents and LEDs. (See here which bulbs are compatible with this new dimmer.) Hansel has not noticed any problems with LEDs dimming.

Which Lighting Recommendations?

Schwartz felt the MR 16 is the best bang for your buck along with all other PAR lamps (spots and flood lights.) Additionally, he likes LED lighting for parking lots due to the LED lighting quality. He reasoned the lighting makes people feel safer. Hansel liked Phillips Color Kinetics lighting and Cree’s CR6 downlight.

On the other hand, Krepchin felt that LED linear tubes are not ready for general illumination.

Any last Advice?

Schwartz summed up how to buy an LED. Treat it like buying stereo equipment. You wouldn’t buy stereo equipment with lousy sound? Both Krepchin and Hansel advises me to do your homework by reading the pros and cons of LED technology.

The best advice? Always make sure you can return the light bulb if you are unhappy.

Join in the Conversation:

What advice do you have in choose a LED bulb?
Do you have any LED lighting in your home? If so, which brand do you like and why?
Has your company switched to LED lighting?

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EcoSmart LED Reveal and Giveaway. Move that Bus!

Anna@Green Talk — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 04:05:09 +0000

EcoSmart LED white light.

Can you all say, “Move that Bus!” Today on Green Talk is the big reveal of how Lighting Science’s EcoSmart LEDs looked in my recessed cans. Just so the rest of you are not left in the dark (sorry about the pun), let me shine some light on the EcoSmart LEDs. Home Depot approached me to test the EcoSmart recessed light bulb. I chose the 60 watt equivalent EcoSmart LEDs. In my prior EcoSmart article, I gave you all the facts: their specification, price, payback, lighting facts, yadda, yadda, yadda. All the techy jargon that you all have come to enjoy here at Green Talk. I urge you to get go back and read that article.

But the most important part is….Drum Roll….How did they look. We all know you can scream from the moutain tops that your product is green, but if it doesn’t work, then just talk to the hand. Am I right or am I right?

The Big Reveal

The big EcoSmart LED retrofit day came. Tension mounted in the house. Was these little LEDs going to be the answer to a green girl’s dream or yet another failure from my big box expectations? (Remember, my crying over the Coscto downlights? Soooo, blue.)

Hubby got on the ladder to put them in. Then he told the big bus to move like in Extreme Makeover, so I could see my reveal. Everyone cheered, when hubby flicked the switch. (Um, not really, but, it was so exciting. Words just can’t describe it.)

First thoughts?

Comparing the shape of an EcoSmart LED to an Incandescent Bulb

I did notice that the LED has a flat front unlike an incandescent or fluorescent light bulb, which has a more curved front. The LED light bulb did not fill in the space the same; however, it did not bother me. Some of you designer people may not like this. (You know when lights aren’t in the right place, it drive you design people nuts.)

How to solve the not full dilemna? I was told that you can move a small screw in the recess light so that the light fills in more of the recessed light. Problem solved.

But it is One Heavy Son of a Gun.

The light bulb is heavy so be careful when you put it up. I am not talking 10 pounds but real solid.

Come’on, Anna. We will still Love You Even if You Don’t tell us All the Picky Stuff.

Sorry, people. I can’t help but give you all my observations and forget about the most important observation.

EcoSmart 60 Watt Equivalent LED recess light bulb

Well?

I loved the light, but is a white light not a warm yellowish light you are used to. See a close and calls the color of its LED a warm white light. I happen to love a white light and I think it makes it easier for me to see. Some people may think it is harsh and love that dining room feeling. Make sure you watch the video to see the comparison. Realize I am using my dinky camera to video tape the lights.

I tested the lights in my kitchen since in my opinion, this is the most important room in the house. One side had the LEDs (Yeah!) and the other side had the yellow incandescent (Boo, hiss.) I did think the lights did a nice job with the 10 foot ceilings and I did not find shadows around that part of the room.

If I was to compare it to anything, I would say the lights reminded me of a halogen light. If you like that look, this is the light for you.

How about Dimming?

Ah. The bain of my existence. Did it dim? I have been down that path with other fluorescent lights in my non-automatic dimmers. My fluorescents do not dim all the way down. Perhaps 20%?

Come on Anna, get to the chase. The suspense is killing me.

Okay. Don’t get your panties in a wad. When I touched the automatic dimmer, it dimmed down all together. When I lowered it myself, to the very end of the dimmer, it did not go off and had a slight light on. Hmm. I did not know what to make of this. However, Lighting Science provides a list which dimming switches are compatible. If yours is not listed, I would suggest contacting whomever makes your dimmers and make sure that this light can work with them.

What do Others Think?

I check out both Home Depot and Buzzillion reviews to see what others had to say. (See Buzzillion consumer reviews for the 40 watt equivalent bulb, 65 watt equivalent recess light, and 75 watt equivalent recessed light.) Most liked the 60 and 75 watts equivalent bulb. Issues or complaints? Consumers mentioned the white light and a 2 second delay when you turn the light on. Personally, I did not see the delay.

Home Depot doesn’t have what I want?

I noticed as I cruised around Lighting Science’s site, that they offered many more LED choices, such as long neck, differnt width light beam, and different light output. Perhaps, Home Depot can order you a different light than what they offers. It can’t hurt to ask.

Want to Win a LED?

So, congratulations. You got through all my gushing about the lights! (Yeah, I know. It took two posts to give you all the details.) Hope you are ready for the contest. Home Depot is offering three winners the following:

EcoSmart A19 40 watt equivalent LED light bulb

Three random winners will receive 1 EcoSmart LED A19 40 Watt Equivalent light bulb. Each bulb is worth $17.97.
One grand prize winner will receive a $200 Home Depot gift card to re-fit their home with LED EcoSmart bulbs

Here are the rules of the contest:

You must be over 18 and live in the US.

Leave me a comment here telling me about why you would love to win this light bulb. If you don’t have a specific reason, just say so. I would love your feedback what you think of this light.

To double your chances consider joining my email list or subscribe to my RSS feed. Both subscriptions are listed on the upper right hand column. Be sure to come back and leave a separate additional comment to tell me which one you joined. If you are already a member, just say so.

To triple your chances of winning, twitter about this contest and come back and leave a separate additional comment of the url (weblink) of your twitter comment.

You must enter by Friday, November 19, 2010 6 PM EST time to win. Winners will be chosen at random on November 22, 2010 . Good Luck everyone!

Disclaimer: I was given the EcoSmart LEDs for free by the Home Depot to give my honest opinon. No pay to play here. Also, we value your privacy and your email will not be shared with anyone.

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EcoSmart LEDs at Home Depot. Bringing Affordable LEDs to the Main Stream

Anna@Green Talk — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 02:02:41 +0000

EcoSmart Recess LED Light.

You know what I hate about Daylight savings time? It gets dark by 4:30 and I have to turn my lights on. Not only do I dislike the “unnatural light,” but I hate how my electric bill increases. Flicking the switch pains me. When Home Depot asked me to review their EcoSmart LED recess lights, I was ecstatic but cautious since most LEDs project a directional light rather than an over all ambient light. And there is the price.

What about the LED Light-washing Marketing Claims?

First, let’s get to basics. Why is everyone so excited about LEDs? According to Underwriters Laboratories,

“LEDs produce more light per watt than incandescent bulbs, making them exceptionally energy efficient. In fact, many LEDs use up to 90 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb to produce the same amount of light. Looking ahead, the energy efficiency of LEDs is expected to rival the most efficient light sources by 2010″

Saves money. No mercury. Long lasting. What is not to love? But, how many box store LEDs provide that shocking blue/white light, burn-out before their time, or just don’t give you the right type of light? As many of my loyal readers know, I like lighting, and salivated when LLF in 2007 introduced their recessed LED light bulb. (LLF is now owned by Cree.) Beautiful but pricey. Um, still pricey 2 years later, although prices have fallen.

But is the hype true? The Lighting Facts sponsored by the Department of Energy, is a manufacturer voluntary program to assure and improve the quality of LEDs. Anyone who manufactures, sells, or provides information about LEDs, can take the pledge “to evaluate LED product quality by using the Lighting Facts label.” See their current partners. According to the website:

“Lighting Facts^® showcases LED luminaire manufacturers who commit to testing products and reporting performance results according to industry standards. For lighting buyers, designers, and energy efficiency programs, the Lighting Facts label provides information essential to evaluating products and identifying the best options.”

This is a great site for us consumers. You can look up products and retail institutions to see who took the pledge. Before you buy any LEDs, look for the lighting facts label on the packaging for some added peace of mine. (See here for more information about the lighting label.)

The lighting facts label for the EcoSmart bulbs are listed here.

Specification for us Geeky Lighting People:

What are the lighting specifications for my 60 watt equivalent bulb?

Actual Color Temperature (K) : 3000 K
Assembled Depth (in.) : 4.66 in
Assembled Height (in.) : 4.66 in
Assembled Width (in.) : 3.78 in
Average Life (hours) : 50000
Bulb Diameter (In.) : 3.78
Bulb Length (In.) : 4.66
Commercial/Residential : Commercial/Residential
Dimmable : Yes
Energy Star Compliant : No
Indoor/Outdoor : Indoor/Outdoor
Item Package Type : Cardboard Container
Item Weight : .99 lb
Light Bulb Base Type : Medium
Light Output (lumens) : 725 lm
Manufacturer Warranty : 5 years
Number in Package : 1
Wattage (watts) : 15 W

So, How Affordable Are They? What’s the Price?

So, when Home Depot comes knocking and tells you that they are selling affordable recessed LEDs made by Lighting Science, a company that I know, you listen. Now, I am not going to persume that I know what is affordable for everyone, so here are the prices for the LED recessed lights:

A 40 watt equivalent, par 20: $24.97 (18 watt)

A 75 watt equivalent, Par 38: $44.97 (18 watt)

A 60 watt equivalent, Par 30: $39.95 (15 watts)

Note, on Lighting Science ‘s website, they say the bulbs are equivalent to a halogen bulb rather than an incandescent bulb. See here for more EcoSmart LED lights offered at Home Depot.

Which One Did I Test?

My recess lights can handle up to 75 watt bulb. But, just to give you some background, I have an automatic Lutron dimming system in the house. Although the dimming system automatically reduces my electrical consumption by 10%, it does not work with florescent lighting. So, I have been waiting with bated breath for an affordable LED solution. Right now I have 65 watt bulbs in 6 inch cans in a 10 foot ceiling. Although my ceiling is dotted with recess cans like a chocolate chip cookie, I still can’t see well in the space. The ceiling height does not help.

Home Depot offers a 75 watt comparable LED, as mentioned above, but they were too big for the cans. Hence the “par 38″ number. Sadden, I opted for the 60 watt comparable LED, and prayed that the light of the LEDs would help my tired eyes.

Do the Math.

I decided to figure out how long it would take to get my money back based upon my usage. Let’s say I put one of these babies in my family room which gets a lot of use (and abuse.) I figured I turn on those lights 6 hours a day.

LED vs Incandescent:

65 watts (the incandescent bulb)-15 watts (the LED bulb)=50 watts difference per hour.

50 watts x 6 hours a day x 365 days= 109500

109500/1000 watts = 109.50 kilowatts

109.50 x 16 (winter rate) cents per kilowatt =$17.52 per year. (Note, my rate increases to 21 cents in the summer.)

Payback 2 years give or take a few months compared to an incandescent bulb.

What about comparing it to a fluorescent dimmable bulb?

An EcoSmart 15 watt bulb costs $9.97. It lasts 8000 hours.

EcoSmart LED bulb last 50,000 hours and costs $39.97.

LED last 6.25 years longer.

The break even point is 4 years without taking into account the fluctuation in price of the fluorescent. Then there is the environmental cost of the fluorescent’s mercury content. Many people throw away their CFL without properly recycling them. Remember, Home Depot takes back CFLs.

Was I Disappointed?

Hmm. I think I am going to keep you on pins and needles. In my next post, will be the Big Reveal. And a Giveaways for four lucky winners! You will be begging me to say, “Move that Bus.” (Um, like on Extreme Makeover.)

Questions:

Would you buy one of these LEDs at the prices noted above?
For you geeky lighting people (I love you, people!) what do you think of the specs?
Have you tried these lights in your house?

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Technology Mobility Has its Consequences, Says Dakotah, One Smart Dog

Anna@Green Talk — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:49:06 +0000

This is a guest post from Dakotah, who has it all figured out. Dakotah is the company mascot for Florida based Advanced Power Technologies, which specializes in lighting, electrical needs, and signage through the US. He has his own newsletter column, is responsible to raise the “woof” on team spirit and is constantly begging for a raise ….but will settle for ocassional belly rubs. Ah, the simple things in life.

AHHH….summer. My favorite time of the year as soon as Daylight Savings Time begins. Do my APT pups know that “DST” was first proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784? The concept of moving clocks ahead to increase the amount of daylight and conserve energy has always been controversial. The United States did not officially adopt the plan until 1918; Arizona and Hawaii still refuse to comply. So let’s hear it for summer – when things can slow down….or can they??

Are We Waay too Wired?

Does my dog pack use any of this extra solar power after work for personal time, or are we way too “wired”? Between the necessities of the cell phone, office phone, email, fax machine, instant messaging, texting, home phone…do we ever get a single hour of un-interrupted peace and quiet in the evening or during the weekend?

(Anna, here, are we too technology mobile crazed? Obsessed? Gone off the Deep end? Do we have a love/hate relationship with the Verizon man and his network?)

If you are fortunate enough to have a family with a spouse, and/or children, parents, relatives, not to mention a variety of friends, each of these continuously clamors for your attention (and if the necessary honey-do list is left undone, you’re in the doghouse– we won’t even go there!)

Let face it – we appreciate the benefits of being “plugged in”. It is a necessary way to keep up with our work, business, family and obligations. However, we also have become addicted to speeding down the information highway and never slowing down to smell a tree (you get my drift? Or… is that sniff?)

(Anna here, sorry to interrupt Dakotah, but he brought it up. Dog’s have it right in so many ways. Urinating near a tree is a poor man’s fertilizer. Sorry to go out on that tangent. Couldn’t resist to plug this easy pezzy fertilizer. Sorry for interrupting, Dakota. Go on.)

Try an Experiment, if you dare

This summer, try an experiment. Go somewhere where there is no wireless or broadband service (howl!) or try a stay-cation and practice the “power off” switch when appropriate.While you are at it, try the same with the television. Unless we are completely addicted, we should survive; if we cannot, there must be a 12-step program for this.

(Anna, here again, really want to break the cell phone addiction, see here. Oh, by the way, Dakotah, that howl was so loud. I could hear it in New Jersey. I know the thought of not being able to access the internet service is like screeching nails on a chalkboard…)

My keen canine sense believes we will do much more than survive – we will flourish. We will reconnect to ourselves, our loved ones, our spirits and souls.

(Anna, here. Not to mentioned reduce our energy consumption. See this handy energy calculator if you want to see how much you are sucking. Saving the Earth, one shut off, at a time…)

Yeah, Yeah, I know you love the technology

We love the technology because it gives us a chance to be masters; how often it turns on us and becomes OUR master instead. Clearly, this is not what we intended when we adopted it. One of the greatest visionaries of our time, Benjamin Franklin, gave us more than energy conservation….he paved the way for us to “see the light” in more ways than one!

(Anna, here again. Dakotah is right. Not only does our technology obsession leave us too accessible and wired, there are also unintended environmental consequences of our love of technology. According to Environment 360,

“More than ever, we need to understand how our technological demand for elements from the entire periodic table is linked to the environmental consequences of global extraction.”

Not only is there the extraction issue of precious metals, but also the lack of proper recycling of our technology waste. How many third world country children are sitting on our outdated cell phones and televisions?)

Have a happy and HEALTHY summer! (Unconnected)

Lots of licks,

Dakotah

Anna, here again. How do I know Dakotah? He is my dog-nephew, and if I can brag, quite smart.

So, what are you doing this summer to disconnect from our world of technology and connecting more with the Earth?

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PACE Financing, Hybrid Tankless Heaters, Green News for 7.05.2010

Anna@Green Talk — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:42:41 +0000

Photo by Fernando de Sousa.

Welcome to this week’s edition of Green News via my email box. Loads of great green articles this week. In the first article that I posted, Readers, please vote for Lisa of Condo Blues as the First Salada Green Tea Spokeperson. She is a fellow Green Mom Carnival participant, friend, and a wonderful do it yourself blogger. So, take a moment and please click on the first article.

The round up this week includes everything on how PACE financing may be stalled to AO Smith’s new hybrid Tankless water heater.

Please Make Lisa Nelsen-Woods the First Salada Green Tea Spokesperson!

GE Lighting and Rambus Sign License Agreement to Create LED Lighting Solutions for Global Markets

NEW REPORT ON TOXINS AND METALS IN WHALES RAISES CONCERNS

Congress Passes Formaldehyde Limits for Composite Wood Products

June 30, 2010 – First Results from the LCLS: Unpeeling Atoms and Molecules from the Inside Out

Loan Giants Opt to Block Energy Programs

A.O.Smith’s Innovative Hybrid Tankless-Storage Water Heater

9 Things You Shouldn’t Share

Readers, which one of the above articles was your favorite? Have any green news? Share away. Self-promotion is encouraged here.

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Watt Stopper Sensors and Daylighting Controls Slash Energy Usage

Anna@Green Talk — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:10:59 +0000

Watt Stopper’s PW-100D passive infrared (PIR) dimmable wall switch sensor.

It seems like every other day I hear on the news that changing your light bulbs could save the world. True. But, how about making it simpler? Let’s change the mantra to turn off your lights when you leave a room. You know what I am talking about Lights left on because you swear you were going to be back in a minute? So, how do we reverse the trend? Occupancy and Daylighting controls. I had the pleasure of interviewing Charles Knuffke, Western
Regional Sales Manager at Watt Stopper about his Companies’ residential and commercial products. You can listen to the podcast here or click on the podcast button at the beginning of the post. It is 10 minutes long.

Why change our behavior?

According to the US Department of Energy, energy used by lights amounts to about 11% of a household’s budget. Lighting energy usage in commerical buildings amounts to approximately 21% of total energy costs. If you could dent this percentage to reduce your energy cost, won’t you?

Watt Stopper has been in the occupancy sensor business for over twenty years. Just as their name implies, they stop unnecessary watt usage, and thus our carbon footprint.

Occupancy controls

Watt Stopper makes three different products for different applications which turn off the lights when they sense no one is in the room.

passive infrared which senses body heat (intended for small rooms where the switch is wall mounted. PIRs can not see through walls.)
ultrasonic which senses sound waves bouncing around a room. (Intended where line of site view of the occupant is not available.)
a combination of infrared and ultrasonic as a belt and suspender approach to such areas as conference rooms, classrooms, and executive offices. (The most expensive option.)

The National Institute of Building Science states:

“Occupancy sensor placement is very important to the successful implementation of the control design intent. Occupancy sensors must be located to ensure that they will not detect movement outside of the desired coverage area, through an open doorway, for example. Ultrasonic devices are sensitive to air movement and should not be placed near an HVAC diffuser, where air movement may cause false tripping.”

During our conversation , Charles showed me some of the Watt Stopper residential products. The Company sells the following:

Vacancy sensor which is manually turned on but automatically turns off
Occupancy Sensor with Nightlight
Dimming Sensor for stairs
Ultrasonic sensor, which is great for bathrooms and basements.
Time Switches
RF (radio frequency) control which allows for turning off and dimming lights through a remote control. It is geared to the condominium market. As Knuffke explained, a couch potato’s dream.

He indicated that a homeowner could install one of the above sensors. However, if you are uncomfortable with working around electrical components, hire an electrician.

Watt Stopper also offers a wide variety of commercial products such as wall switch and ceiling sensors as well as wired and RF dimmers.

Daylight Controls

Studies have shown that utilizing daylight in a space increase productivity. However, to save money and utilize daylight, you must turn off the lights. Daylighting controls dim or turn off lights when there is sufficient available light for the space. One of the benefits of daylighting controls is it reduces energy loads for utilities since sufficient daylight tends to be at the same time energy loads are at their highest. Watt Stopper offers a variety of daylighting controls and sensors. Schools, office building, and hotels can all benefit from the use of daylighting controls to reduce their energy usage.

For more information about placement and use of occupancy sensors and daylighting controls for various areas of your office building or homes, see here. Why shouldn’t you have control over your lighting as well as your energy bill? For more information about how to locate a stocking distributor, see here. Note, some of the Company’s products are sold on their website.

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