RE: [GBlist] Regular vs. Fluorescent Lighting

["Maine, Bruce" <bmaine@hdrinc.com>]

Not to minimize the presence of mercury in the built environment, but the average incandescent light bulb is wasteful; about 90 percent of the electricity it uses is lost as heat and only 10 percent turns into light.  Since mercury is a naturally occurring element in some types of coal it is released into the atmosphere upon combustion.  If demands for electricity can be minimized the amount of mercury entering the environment from these sources can be reduced.  Additionally, just because small volume generators are exempt from fluorescents recycling (and mercury reclamation), doesn't mean you can't.  
Bruce Maine
Research Director - Sustainable Design Services
LEED Accredited Professional
HDR 
402.399.1198
bmaine@hdrinc.com
http://www.hdrinc.com/sustainable/



-----Original Message-----
From: McCord, Douglas [mailto:dmccord@DLRGROUP.com]
Sent: Monday, August 26, 2002 11:04 AM
To: David Bergman; Laurence
Cc: greenbuilding@crest.org
Subject: RE: [GBlist] Regular vs. Fluorescent Lighting


I have been reading this thread with some interest as I have been weighing
the benefits of installing fluorescent vs incandescent lights especially in
a residential setting for some time.  
A few thoughts: I think any amount of mercury in an industrial process is a
huge environmental negative, which I believe is a huge strike against
fluorescent lighting.  Another thought is that the ability to dim
incandescents is very favorable.  I don't remember the article/research in
particular; however, I seem to recall that dimming incandescents can extend
their life by 2-6 times as well as reduce energy use.  Since electricity CAN
come from renewable sources, I think saving energy (fluorescents) needs to
be considered along with the production of hazardous waste (mercury).  As in
all sustainable endeavors, if beauty and 'spirituality' are left out of the
equation, I think we err towards a sub-optimal solution.  Pleasing lighting
makes a huge difference in the ambience and pleasantness of a home in
particular.  So, I am still on the fence regarding fluorescents although
they have made quantum leaps in the past few years.  In residential
applications I still lean towards daylighting whenever possible,
incandescents on dimmers and always turning off the lights when you don't
need them. 

thoughts?
dmc


-----Original Message-----
From: David Bergman [mailto:bergman@cyberg.com]
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 6:14 PM
To: Laurence
Cc: greenbuilding@crest.org
Subject: Re: [GBlist] Regular vs. Fluorescent Lighting


Laurence wrote:
>Lights should be full spectrum I know that only.  Other factors I'm unaware
>of.
>
>Laurence


That's part of what I was referring to as questionable. Full spectrum is 
basically an undefined marketing term, with at least as much data 
disproving its effectiveness as there is proving it -- and much of the 
latter is from manufacturer's of "full specturm" bulbs.

Here's a couple of links  to skeptical sites:
http://www.sylvania.com/forum/pdfs/faq0012-0297.pdf
http://www.nrc.ca/irc/fulltext/ir659/contents.html (several scientific 
papers linked here.)
http://www.elflist.com/article02_spectrum.htm

David Bergman
David Bergman Architect/Fire & Water Lighting + Furniture
bergman@cyberg.com    http://www.cyberg.com
t 212 475 3106    f 212 677 7291



______________________________________________________________________
This greenbuilding dialogue is sponsored by REPP/CREST, creator of
Solstice http://www.crest.org, and BuildingGreen, Inc., publisher of
Environmental Building News and GreenSpec http://www.BuildingGreen.com
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
This greenbuilding dialogue is sponsored by REPP/CREST, creator of
Solstice http://www.crest.org, and BuildingGreen, Inc., publisher of
Environmental Building News and GreenSpec http://www.BuildingGreen.com
______________________________________________________________________


______________________________________________________________________
This greenbuilding dialogue is sponsored by REPP/CREST, creator of
Solstice http://www.crest.org, and BuildingGreen, Inc., publisher of
Environmental Building News and GreenSpec http://www.BuildingGreen.com
______________________________________________________________________