QUAKER GREEN ACTION
The Witness of Our Buildings
Information sheets to help Friends make our
buildings less damaging to the environment
III. LIGHT
Almost all our artificial lighting today is from electricity, and most of this is produced from burning fossil fuels, with a small amount from nuclear power. All methods of production cause environmental problems of one sort or another - see information sheet entitled "II. Sources of Energy for Heating etc.". Briefly these problems are global warming from CO2, acid rain and problems associated with nuclear waste disposal.
Lighting accounts for around 16% of domestic electricity consumption.
Spiritually, light has symbolic significance. George Fox wrote of the pure light of God within each person, which lets us see our wrongdoing and guides to the truth. We are also bidden to hold ourselves and others in the Light (Advices and Queries 3).
Most of us are strongly affected by the degree of lighting and its type and direction. When designing a new building or renovating an old one, careful and wellinformed discussion is needed to plan the placement and size of windows, light fittings, and colour schemes.
Daylightis free, and we should take maximum advantage of it. Existing windows need to be clean and free from obstructions, curtains, ivy, etc. The light they let in can be enhanced by mirrors inside, ponds outside, light coloured walls in and out. Dark colours absorb light. It may be possible to create extra windows in the building. Roof lights can bring in light to dark hallways and stairs. Glare from direct summer light may be too much, and can be diffused by curtains, blinds and awnings. Direct sunlight from high windows, well above eye level, will be reflected down off opposite walls and probably not cause glare.
Artificial light: Overall background light is needed, with focussed lighting as an option for special tasks. Pressbutton lights can be used for dark areas such as corridors where the light is only needed for a short period, after which it goes off automatically. Switch off lights when not needed.
Energy efficient lights: Ordinary lightbulbs (incandescent coiled-filament lamps) are the least efficient form of lighting, giving off about 90% of the energy they consume as heat. Eco light bulbs (compact fluorescent lamps/CFLs) last 8-10 times longer and use 75-80% less energy.
CFLs come in bayonet and screw fittings and emit the same quantity of light as conventional bulbs but may take a few seconds to reach maximum brightness and cannot be used with a dimmer switch. Some companies are now producing CFLs shaped like a traditional bulb. Their cost has fallen significantly in the past few years. They can be bought for £1.50 at IKEA compared with £12-£14 six years ago.
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The CFLs with electronic ballasts are more energy efficient than the magnetic kind. They are more expensive, but they start almost instantly, and are normally smaller and lighter in weight. Energy labelling is now compulsory for light bulbs with the usual rating of A-G with A being the most efficient. Most CFLs will be A rated while most standard bulbs will be rated G. CFLs are best in frequently used light sockets. If light is only needed for occasional very short periods, use the standard incandescent filament bulbs, as switching on and off is the most expensive part of the use of compact fluorescent lights.
The following table below gives a comparison of wattage between CFLs and standard bulbs:
Ordinary light bulb / 25W / 40W / 60W / 75W / 100W / 150WEnergy saving bulb / 5 / 7 / 11 / 15 / 20 / 32
9 / 14 / 18 / 23
10 / 25
One problem with CFLs is they contain mercury which is extremely toxic and so the bulb is a hazard on disposal. Commercial buildings can opt for a recycling process but this is not yet available to domestic users, despite the hopeful comment in Ethical Consumer on recycling - a check with the recommended telephone number revealed that these were only for commercial buildings. A Swedish company has developed a mercury free eco light bulb and hopefully this will appear on the market soon. However fossil fuel power stations also emit mercury and using CFLs which use less electricity reduces total mercury emissions.
Long life bulbs: Long life ordinary bulbs do not save energy consumed during use, but do save energy and resources consumed during manufacture. They last longer as they have a heavier duty filament, but there is about 10% loss in light output.
Full spectrum lighting: This is similar to ordinary daylight and compensates for the spectra produced by ordinary bulbs. Normal fluorescent light is weighted towards ultraviolet, blues and greens, and other normal light bulbs towards the red and yellow end of the spectrum; full spectrum lamps produce a betterbalanced light. Full spectrum low energy light bulbs are available from the Daylight Company - see or telephone 020 8964 1200 - and are usually stocked by craft shops as this form of lighting is particularly recommended for producing less eye strain when doing close work such as embroidery.
Manufacturers: Some manufacturers are involved in arms making (General Electric, Osram and Philips). The companies recommended as Best Buys in the Ethical Consumer 74, Jan 2002 were British Electric Lamps Ltd. (BELL), Lumin8 Ltd., Sylvania and IKEA. IKEA have stated that they are working to minimise the mercury content of their bulbs.
References
Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth, Powys SY20 9AZ: Bright Ideas - a guide to energy efficient lighting, 2001
The Ethical Consumer, Issue 74 Dec 2001- Jan 2002: eco Light Bulbs
Pearson, David: The Natural House Book, Conran Octopus, 1989
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