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Campaign Archive: (Feb 05 to present)
Campaign Goals: 1. Create a deadline for action Ban the sale of incandescents by specific dates Ban 60W + 100W incandescents first (bayonet + screw) Ban other incandescent designs later 2. Remove the price advantage of incandescents Increase the cost of incandescent light bulbs Reduce the sales tax (VAT) on CFLs from 17.5% to 5% 3. Help the poor Help the poor to replace their incandescents Help the poor to save money on their energy bills 4. Encourage responsible recycling Encourage the responsible recycling of CFLs Encourage fair + adequate funding for recycling Encourage discussions amongst recycling stakeholders 5. Encourage + strengthen supporting legislation Include light bulbs in the EU's Eco Directive Explain the pros + cons of the EU's RoHS Directive 6. Propose appriopriate exemptions Make the case for appropriate medical and specialist exemptions 7. Encourage continued innovation Propose that technology neutral "watts per lumen" criteria should be included in ban legislation Propose "watts per lumen per m2" as further criteria Highlight promising technologies as they emerge 8. Encourage energy efficiency and conservation Explain the benefits of greater energy efficiency Explain the benefits of turning things off Accelerate the uptake of available technologies 9. Use LEDs to set energy performance standards LEDs offer a 90% energy saving CFLs offer a 65-80% energy saving High efficiency incandescents offer a 25% saving Incandescents offer 0% energy saving Banning incandescent light bulbs would... Save 2 to 5 Million tonnes of CO2 per year in the UK Save 23 to 53 Million tonnes of CO2 per year in the EU Global Energy Use: Thanks to...OilPrice.com Links: BBC "Green Room" 3 Feb 06 Light bulbs: Not such a bright idea Comments BBC "Green Room" 21 April 06 Shedding light on call to ban bulb Comments BBC "Green Room" 20 Oct 06 Where have all the leaders gone? Comments BBC article 29 Jun 06 Lighting the key to energy saving IEA : Lights Labour Lost report BBC article 2 Nov 06 Bulbs must be efficient by 2009 BBC "Green Room" 19 Jan 07 The need for ambition + imagination Stern Review: Summary Guardian article 1 Feb 07 Should I replace incandescents now? Worldwatch: Effects of WEEE Directive BBC article 31 Jan 07 Plan to ban light bulbs... in California Nine MSN article 20 Feb 07 Plan to ban light bulbs... in Australia BBC article 20 Feb 07 Australia pulls plug on old bulbs Courier Mail article 21 Feb 07 See the light Turnbull EurActiv article 21 Feb 07 How many EU members does it take to change a light bulb? Guardian article 22 Feb 07 Should we ban these bulbs? Scotsman article 24 Feb 07 How many light bulbs does it take to change the world? Daily Mail article 10 Mar 07 EU switches off our old light bulbs BBC "Green Room" 16 July 07 Sex sells, but at what cost? The Guardian article 27 Sept 07 UK to phase out 150W, 100W + 60W bulbs The Guardian article 27 Sept 07 Ban The Bulb? International Light Bulb Campaigns 18 Seconds (US) Greenpeace India : BTB petition (India) www.banthebulb.co.uk (UK: unaffiliated) Campaigns One Watt Initiative (IEA) One Billion Bulbs (US) Big Green Switch (UK) Eco Portal Eco Earth Info (US) References Homestayfinder: How CFLs work MPs' Letters: EU light bulb rules Wikipedia: Ozone Depletion EU: Kyoto Protocol Lighting Industry Federation >LIF: Lamp Guide 2001 pdf UK Climate Change Programme >UK CCP: Review pdf UK Market Transformation Programme ECCP Report 2001 pdf European Lamp Companies Federation DTI: WEEE Directive Energy Saving Trust GE: Soft White Dimmable CFLs Cubans + Jamaicans hand out free CFLs ELCFED FAQs Lighting Advice Energy Saving Trust Lighting Bulb ratings Lighting choices Low energy fittings Save Your 20% Customer Utility Services Light bulb suppliers lightbulbs.co.uk Just LED Direct Trade Supplies Light Rabbit Light Rabbit : Commercial AVR LED Track Lighting Bulb Buddy Energy Bulb Synergy Lighting USA (USA) Express Light Bulbs LED Light Bulbs LED Lighting Supplier eco LED Light E-Leds EcoPal (Ireland) LED Lights LED Tape Eco St LED Eco Lights Light Bulb Planet Green Led LineLite First Light Direct Lamps On Line UltraLEDS (UK) LiteBulbs Bright Green Technology (signs) Eco Friendly Light Bulbs Go Green Lights (UK) Energy Saving World (UK) Light Bulbs Direct (UK) Better Generation (UK) Efficient Light (UK) Ultima (UK) Megaman (UK) Amazon.Com (US) The Bulbman (US) LED Online [LEDs] (UK) OptoSource [LEDs] (UK) CyberLux [LEDs] (US) Androv Medical (UK) BestBulb (UK) The Light Bulb (UK) Solar Solar Power Centre (UK) Intelligent Energy Solutions (UK) Solar Insiders (UK) Solar Gadget Store (UK) Select Solar Panels (UK) Energy Saving Advice Conserve Energy (UK) Intelligent Energy Solutions (UK) Solar Security Solar Security Solutions (UK) Energy Company Advice Good Energy Shop (UK) Home Energy Generation / Storage Cyber Energy (UK) Low carbon technology sites The Solar Centre (UK) Price comparison sites Business Electricity Prices (UK) Business Gas Prices (UK) USwitch: Business Energy (UK) Home Advisory Service (UK) UK Power (UK) Business Gas (UK) Business Electricity (UK) Solar Price Comparison Services Talk Solar Panels (UK) Talk Solar Boilers (UK) Solar Quote Provider (UK) Solar Lighting Lux Outdoor Ligting (UK) The Eco Experts (UK) http://www.theecoexperts.co.uk Light bulb history An overview 1809 Humphrey Davy (Arc lamp) 1820 Warren De la Rue (vacuum + wire) 1879 Edison and Swan (carbon + cotton) 1880 Edison (carbon + bamboo) 1898 Karl Auer (osmium) 1903 Siemens/Halske (tantalum) 1906 to 10 GEC/William Coolidge (tungsten) Fluorescent light and lamp history 1857 Becquerel (fluorescence) 1901 Cooper Hewitt (mercury vapour lamp) 1934 Germer (high pressure lamp) 1970s Anderson + Hollister (electrodeless) 1976 Edward Hammer (spiral lamp) Mercury + Fluorescent Lights Efficiency Vermont Michigan Dept. of Env. Quality Energy Efficiency Advice EU Energy Label Refrigeration Laundry Dishwashers Boilers Insulation + Windows Find recommended products (UK) Generate your own energy General advice Solar Photovoltaics Solar water heating Heat pumps Small scale wind Small scale hydro Biomass Press coverage The Guardian 7 Dec 05 BBC News Online 'Green Room' 3 Feb 06 BBC Radio 4 'Broadcasting House' 5 Feb 06 Austrian Broadcasting Corp. 7 Feb 06 BBC Radio Wales 8 Feb 06 BBC News Online 8 Feb 06 The Hindustan Times editorial The Guardian "Campaign O.T.W. " 21 Feb 06 BBC Radio Essex 22 Feb 06 Interesting energy ideas... Option 10 (UK) Light Up The World (Can) TVEC.org (UK) Downshifting Path (UK) Cent. for Alt. Tech. (Wales) Patio Heaters Are Evil (UK) NGOs Friends of the Earth Greenpeace International Natural Resources Defense Council New Economics Foundation WWF Renewable Energy Businesses Select Solar Solar Century Climate Change Carbon Trust Climate Stability 2005 DEFRA Hadley Centre IPCC Met Office Pew Centre Tyndall Centre UK Energy Research Centre UNFCCC Reports National Audit Office > report Environmental Blogs Alternative Energy Blog Dangerousmeta! Earth Blog Earth Info Energy: Action Envirotech George Monbiot Greenpeace Weblog Gristmill Mark Lynas Meta Efficient One Change Real Climate Rebecca Blood Sierra Club Scoop World Changing Ethical Expert © matt prescott
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Monday, July 27, 2015Guest blog : New uses for LEDs emerging-->
A guest blog by Tom Bray
The large scale production of LEDs in China has undoubtedly
made the energy saving light source a more affordable and accessible option. In
recent years retailers have been promoting the benefits of using LED
technology, making it a go to consumer product for helping reduce electricity
bills and conserve energy. Although LEDs are still being fine tuned by experts,
such as dimming compatibility issues, on a whole they have been well received
and are currently the champions of energy efficient lighting.
The headway that LED lamps have made is as clear as day.
From what was once a niche product, only available for people with a nice bit
expenditure, has now become a viable choice for everyone shopping in their
local store. Yet this example only demonstrates LEDs in their most basic form – a module
in a light bulb. What about LEDs integrating with other advanced technology,
innovations and future design ideas?
How great they are at saving energy is well rehearsed but
often lagging behind are other advantages posed by the LED. Colour, flexibility
and size are all contributors to the LEDs success. Although they may not be
acknowledged or fully understood by general consumers these feats have not gone
unnoticed with technological engineers, creative thinkers and product
designers. LEDs have now found their feet in an array of sectors where
traditional fluorescents and halogens just can't tread.
Imagine a world where you can access information technology
without picking up a phone or switching on a computer, instead achieved through
a body accessory. Well designers have already got the ball rolling with LED eye
contacts in the offing – AKA the bionic lens. This latest innovation is in its
early stages of development but the main premise is that users will be able to
gain access to
information such as emails through the means of a highly
advanced contact lens.
The sheer size of technology ploughed into this diddy device
will require pages and pages full of information to help dissect its true
mechanics and function, but the core elements involved are the antenna, a chip,
an integrated circuit, LEDs, Fresnel lenses and polymer substrate with
electrical interconnects. By using LEDs powered by a chip users will be able to
interpret visual experiences from the eye.
This tiny contact lens could well be the end point of a
monumentally long technological supply chain that relies upon a global search engine
or a video/image streaming computing power from around in the world. However,
the reliance of such bionic lens on big transnational server farms could perhaps hinder an energy efficient life cycle,
regardless of how small, convenient and energy friendly the actual screens are.
Something to bear in mind for developers, space planners and appliers of
infrastructure.
Whether photographs, graphs or text, the implementation of
LED technology is vital to make these images achievable. It is also thought that
this innovation will be a major hit within the gaming industry as it could open
up many doors in the mysterious world of augmented reality. If abused this
technology has the potential to be dangerous revelation but on the face of it,
and through rose
tinted glasses, it's an ingenious and extremely exciting
development.
Sticking with the eye but a completely different example is
an already established beauty product which was launched in Japan by digital
media designers Soomi Park who have sought to emphasise the shape and
size of the eye by developing the LED eye lash!
This product is yet to find its way overseas, but could indicate where similar beauty and
fashion applications may follow. Who's to say that illuminating facial features
won't be the blusher and skin foundation of the future or discrete signalling system of the future?
Let me take you well away from the face and into a warm
place – the home, the restaurant, the hotel foyer, because LED technology has
wriggled its flexible shape into interior design as well.
Around five years ago electrical giants Philips hooked up
with Kvadrat Soft Cells to create an enhanced feature for any room – LED wall
paper. With Philips expertise laid within lighting, control and electricity as
well as Kvadrat Soft Cells formidable reign within textiles, foam backed panels
and sound absorption; this collaboration was always going to be interesting.
Perhaps not the most feasible application for general
households due to an expensive price tag and questions over practicality, it is
though an adventurous invention for commercial outlets. With
sound absorption qualities for the reduction of noise it also promises a new route for restaurants to create a cosy and intimate feeling through its variable colour controls.
Controlled via a remote control users are able to reflect an
unlimited amount of hues to help evolve a multitude of effects. This can no
doubt develop into a brilliant way for portraying a particular mood or theme;
helping to drum home a brand's identity, heritage and house style. The intimacy
within the room can go up a notch with LED wall papers, whether a sophisticated
approach for dining in a restaurant or a sparkling hit to the senses as you
enter a luxury hotel – it really does offer an interesting alternative to
getting the paint tins out and redecorating.
So whether it's future fashion, beauty, gaming or interiors
it looks like LEDs are going to play an important role. Next time you see a
stack of bulbs in a supermarket or a tradesman trying to flog energy saving
light bulbs just remember that the potential of the LED stretches much further
than lighting a hallway at home. What's more they are kind to the environment
and will accomplish much, much more than any fluorescent or halogen lamp can
ever do.
So isn't it about time we ditched the energy hungry lamps
and made it compulsory to go LED? The sign of the times suggests that they're
very much in the plans for the foreseeable future. But then again, that doesn't
necessarily mean that LEDs are the concrete winners forever because innovators still
need to progress lighting efficiencies, but for now, they are the winners and
they are
indispensable.
By Tom Bray of Direct Trade Supplies
Posted 10:50 AM by Matt Prescott 
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