2008-08-01
In 2006, the then Communities Secretary, Ruth Kelly announced that all new dwellings in England will have to be carbon neutral by 2016. Since then, anyone with any input into the process has shot off the starting blocks with the aim of finding the ideal solution, but are they all moving in the same direction?
Legrand’s Alastair Ramsay talks about the conflict this race for carbon neutrality could cause.
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“The path towards achieving zero carbon homes was never going to be straightforward, but when various parties start pulling in different directions the challenge is made that much more difficult. Unfortunately, that’s the situation we are in when it comes to finding a lighting solution that contributes to carbon neutrality. And, it is worth highlighting that without such a solution the entire process will fail.
Thankfully, things have not progressed far enough to make this scenario more than a dim possibility, but there are short to medium term issues that need to be resolved in order to avoid it occurring.
Looking at the current picture, there are three main groups of people who have an influence on the way lighting will need to change in order to achieve carbon neutrality – i.e. the Government, the end user and the electrical industry.
Firstly, the Government: In order to achieve its own targets the Government has focused on the positive impact of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and decided that the way forward is to stop the sale of all standard tungsten lamps by 2011; the aim being to switch all homes in the UK to mainly CFLs. By doing this the Government intends to dramatically cut energy use for lighting, and hence take a step towards delivering its zero carbon goal.
Secondly, the end user – i.e. the regular homeowner – wants to play their part in helping to reduce energy consumption, but wants to do so while still having quality lighting solutions that are controllable and conducive to a domestic setting.
Finally, the electrical industry has taken stock and come to the conclusion that SMARTS technologies have a major role in delivering the zero carbon target, both in terms of lighting and other energy use, while still providing the lifestyle and comfort the user aspires to.
Looking purely at lighting, a major element in the debate is focused on the type of lamps. Current legislation favours CFLs, and they certainly have the potential to offer very significant energy savings over standard tungsten lamps, especially for existing installations.
Unfortunately, one major issue with today’s crop of CFLs is that they are not generally dimmable, which precludes their use in systems delivering variable lighting schemes – especially of the SMARTS type. Yes, there are a handful of dimmable CFLs now available, but by and large they are expensive and are limited to a few lamp types.
Alternatives to CFLs do exist, and include IR coated halogen lamps. Although they don’t provide the same energy saving of CFLs in a stand alone situation, as part of a SMARTS system they have the potential to provide far greater savings. In addition, this type of set up would be beneficial to the user, but it can’t presently be considered as it doesn’t qualify under the current dwelling building regulations as an energy saving solution.
Over the last 50-years the majority of lighting provision in both new build and refurbished dwellings has not varied greatly and, to date, energy saving lighting technology in the home has focused on achieving savings using the existing wiring structures and lighting fittings. Looking forward this is not sustainable due to the fact tungsten bulbs will soon be impossible to source – a situation that will have a major impact on existing housing stock. For example, there many homes with dimmable lighting systems that use tungsten lamps, but replacement CFLs will more than likely not be compatible with them. Additionally current CFLs will not physically fit into some of the lighting fittings in use.
Positively for all involved, there are a number of examples of systems that deliver good quality, lighting solutions that will contribute to carbon neutrality – the modern commercial building environment alone providing several. In such environments fluorescent lamps are used in conjunction with SMARTS accessories to deliver systems that are not only user dimmable, but also make use of sensors that monitor rooms and adjust the level and/or number of lights switched on according to pre-programmed requirements. As a result, lighting levels are ideal in areas where needed, but automatically reduced and/or switched off when not required.
In order to make this type of system suitable for domestic use, the approach to lighting schemes in dwellings would have to change. Key to this would be accepting increased initial installation costs, but when you consider that such lighting systems would provide the energy savings, flexibility and lifestyle lighting being sought by users and meet the regulatory requirements, surely this cost would be worth it?
Another good example of a workable lighting solution can be found in the USA. California building code has for many years accepted that energy reduction can be delivered both from more efficient fittings and automatic energy saving devices. The code states that lighting “shall either be high efficacy or shall be controlled by a vacancy sensor or dimmer”. What this means in practical terms is that the lighting control systems are part of the overall SMARTS domestic system, which controls all aspects of energy use and is a major contributor in helping to achieve the zero carbon target
At present, the industry is already experiencing issues in the residential sector as customers and installers come face to face with some of the changes. While these problems are sometimes caused by the non-compatibility of technologies, they are quite often the result of poorly designed or poor quality devices; be they lamps or lighting transformers. Such issues need to be addressed quickly, because as control systems and lighting fittings become part of a SMARTS system the use of correct and quality lamps will become critical.
SMARTS solutions will require lamps to be changed. Currently the end-user would be able to replace the specified, optimum performance lamp with a cheaper alternative, which at best would reduce the quality of the lighting and, at worst, damage the circuitry. The reason for this being that a wide cross section of ESLs can be fitted into different light fittings.
Therefore, in order to arrive at a solution that meets the needs of all parties, not only does everyone need to work together, but the way in which domestic lighting systems are viewed needs to be readdressed. Rather than simply being viewed as straightforward and functional they need to be viewed as an integral part of any home and guidelines provided for their optimum use. Homeowners should be provided with comprehensive information as to the type and of quality lamps that needs to be purchased as a replacement in order to maintain the compatibility and quality of lighting.
As previously mentioned, the path towards achieving carbon neutral homes was never going to be a straightforward one, but it is an achievable journey as long as everyone pulls in the same direction.”
Legrand is at the forefront of SMARTS development in the UK and manufactures a range of solutions that allow for the creation of true smart home systems.
To find out more visit the Legrand website by clicking the link below or contact Legrand using the information at the bottom of this page.
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Related contacts
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Legrand Electric Limited
Great King Street North
Birmingham
B19 2LF
Tel : 0845 605 4333
Fax : 0845 605 4334
Email : legrand.sales@legrand.co.uk
www.legrand.co.uk |
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Source: Legrand Electric Limited |
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