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| Science Forum Index » Engineering - Lighting Forum » CHALLENGE: How to get an efficient yet professional... |
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| Sarah Austin... |
 Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 12:55 am |
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This goes back to the topic I started posting about here recently, but I
guess it's evolving into something, based on some observations.
The thought process started with bird lighting, as I mentioned.
Look at the right hand photo on page 2 of this:
http://www.naturallighting.com/pdf_files/interior_fixtures.pdf
These are fixtures that we bought from this company for our bird
lighting. They can be purchased with an optional polished reflector,
which costs significantly more. ( $45 in this case, though I'm wondering
if add-on reflectors like this could be found for less? )
But it's great because so many light fixtures lose or waste an enormous
amount of light and energy because of not having a polished reflector
like this.
This fixture holds two 48" T8 tubes but look at the amount of reflected
angles of the tubes that it projects downwards:
http://lakewoodcolorado.net/Sarah/T8%20fixtures%20with%20reflectors.jpg
Then I go to a friend's office who's a local professional.
His office is professional looking and leased, so he has limited options
of changing things. But the lighting over his front desk is dismal, at
best.
It appears to have four T12 cool white tubes, stuck up in the ceiling
and most of the light output is blocked by a diffuser lens, so it casts
a bluish gray pall of light down into the room. Plus 50% of the light
isnt even being projected downward. All that for 160 watts of light, so
I'm guessing that 80% of the light and energy is kept up in there and
wasted.
But hey, it looks "professional" for an office setting, and is what most
offices use. He has little choice, it seems, being the office is rented
and it has to look professional.
So I'm getting intrigued by this.
We have these fixtures in the bird room and they're great for the birds.
People expect them in there, so fine.
But being they're much more efficient and project most of the light
downwards and outwards so it's useful light, it still makes no
difference in the rest of the house, or office, where people expect
"decorative" and/or "professional" lighting and they'd be appalled if we
used these same fixtures.
( Home Depot sells a less expensive shop light that's similar to this
called "Diamond Plate" by Lithonia
http://www.lithonia.com/product/resi.aspx?
pt=Decorative+Fluorescent&family=140
but again, it has an industrial look. You might get away with it in a
loft setting, but not for decorative or professsional office use.
It has a similar polished reflector, though it doesnt seem to project
quite as well. )
But think of the energy saved and the light that can come out of just
two of these T8 tubes. What a waste NOT to have fixtures like these that
CAN be tastefully used in settings where people expect professional
and/or decorative lighting styles.
So here's the challenge for lighting designers, as I see it, and I think
an enormous amount of good, AND energy savings, is to be gained by
meeting this challenge.
Come up with fixture designs that arent fancy or expensive ( I happen to
like fake woodgrain metal ), yet incorporate this polished reflector
efficiency and energy savings ( more light projected down from two T8
tubes, means less need for having 4 tube fixtures to compensate for it,
thus significant energy savings ), yet will work from up in the ceiling,
hanging from the ceiling, for example over a desk, by lamp chain, or
that can be surface mounted on a ceiling.
It needs to be open, with no diffuser, so that the polished reflector
can efficiently project the maximum amount of light down into the room
area. Yet it needs both decorative and professional looking choices of
enclosures that can be offered with it, so that people can accept this
enormous advantage in light output and energy savings in professional
and decorative settings.
I think that those who can meet this challenge AND market it to the
public, can reap enormous profits in a world conscious of energy costs
and the need to save and conserve. |
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