How Green Is Green? A Good First Step
“It’s not easy being green…” —Kermit (the frog)
Everyday we are bombarded with the term “Green” and, depending on the product or the process a service company follows, it could be defined in different ways.
What is green?
When is it a marketing ruse?
When is it an honorable attempt to do the right thing?
How much credit do you give to manufacturers trying to do the right thing?
“There are a number of factors to consider when labeling a product or process ‘Green.’ " Rich Fitzgerald - Off The Grid of Madison
A Good First Step
Below are examples of LED lights that can be retrofitted in many common applications. They all operate off of standard house current, are available in SoftWhite or Daylight, have a lamp life of approximately 50,000 hours and have extremely low heat output containing no harmful gasses.
LED CFLA120
The 6W CFLA lamp has been designed to retrofit existing incandescent and-or CFL installations, thereby reducing maintenance and energy expenditures. This lamp is dimmable. Common uses include:
• Task Lighting
• Hospitality Lighting
• Recessed Down Lighting
• Residential & Commercial Lighting
E50
The E50 7W lamp has been designed to retrofit existing incandescent instillations, thereby reducing maintenance and energy
expenditures. This lamp is dimmable. Common uses include:
• Retail Display Applications
• Task Lighting
• Recessed Down Lighting
• Hospitality & Institutional Outdoor
• Landscape Retrofit
• Ceiling Fans
• Residential Lighting
PAR 20
This 6W lamp has been designed to retrofit existing bipin, GU and standard E27 medium screw in base installations, thereby reducing maintenance and energy expenditures. Common uses include:
• Task Lighting
• Recessed Down Lighting
• Hospitality & Institutional Outdoor
• Landscape Retrofit
• Residential Lighting
• Retail Display Applications
A19 Incandescent Bulb Series
The LED-A19 bulb has been designed to retrofit existing incandescent bulb installations, thereby reducing maintenance and energy expenditures. Common uses include:
• Lobby lighting
• Signage
• Chandeliers
• Step Lighting
• Display Cases
• Recessed Cans
• Pathway Lighting
• Hotel Room Retrofit
• Amusement Parks
60 LED Cordless And Rechargeable Work light
60 SUPER-bright LEDs give excellent work area lighting. Approximately 240 Lumens, brighter tan any LED flashlight with a 2 hour runtime until half as bright and 4 hours until dead. Fully charged in 90 minutes from a totally discharged battery. Can run or recharge off 120 VAC. Common uses include:
• Task Lighting For Cars, Trucks and Boats
• Garage Lighting
• Emergency Lighting
• Camping, Outdoors
Our definition of a green product is pretty simple. The following has to be true of that product:
• All Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) must be removed from the manufacturing process
• The lifecycle of the product should be from 5 to 10 times longer than the traditional product it replaces
• When in operation, it uses only a fraction of the energy of a conventional product
• When the lifecycle ends, it is completely recyclable In a perfect world, we would always be able to use completely renewable products.
However, because of our heavy dependence on hydrocarbon based energy, in many cases, the first and often very logical step can be using alternative products that are more “green.”
An Example: 70-80%Smaller Lighting Bill
A great example of a very effective first step is LED lighting, which uses only a fraction of the energy for the same amount of light as Compact Fluorescent Light and has none of the hazardous material in it (such as mercury) and can be recycled when its useful life is over. A typical LED (light-emitting diode) replacement for a 60 watt incandescent light is only 6 watts. The savings are dramatic when you begin replacing all of the lights in your home.
Applications that work well with LED lighting in your home include:
• Task and reading lights
• Strip lighting for under counters
• Recessed lighting
• Outdoor/landscape
• Porches
• Night lights
• Work Light
“We can’t reasonably change everything immediately,” Fitzgerald says, “however, a positive first step is using products that help conserve at a high level and be completely recyclable after their useful lives are over. LED lighting is a great example of products that help homeowners to begin a greener lifestyle if they so choose. Until renewable energy such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat is universally available as an alternative to traditional methods of generating energy, LED lighting is one of the best things a homeowner can do.”
