Energy Efficiency
Investing in energy efficient lighting and appliances has both environmental and
economic benefits. Currently only about 2% of the electricity in New Jersey’s electric
grid is from renewable sources; almost half is from nuclear power plants and the rest is
mostly from natural gas and coal power plants. If this electricity were used more
efficiently, there would be less demand for electricity, which would lessen the
environmental impacts of non-renewable power. The burning of fossil fuels results in
atmospheric pollutants that cause acid rain, smog, and global warming. The Eating Clubs
could become more energy efficient by investing in fluorescent lighting and Energy-Star
appliances.
Lighting
Compact fluorescent light bulbs use a third of the electricity of incandescent bulbs
and they also last about ten times longer. This means that the energy savings over the
lifetime of the bulb more than pay for the additional upfront cost of purchasing these light
bulbs; typical savings for replacing a 100W incandescent with a fluorescent can be as
much as $30 for a single bulb over its lifetime. Compact fluorescent bulbs come in a
wide variety of styles (for example, see http://www.sunshinelighting.com/bulbscompact_fluorescent.htm and http://www.1000bulbs.com/category.php?category=14),
including candelabra bulbs with typical energy savings around $9 per bulb. If every
household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb, the
pollution reduction would be equivalent to taking a million cars off the road. Although
older fluorescent technology got a negative reputation for humming or flickering, today’s
fluorescents have overcome those problems and perform like incandescents.
A major concern is whether or not fluorescent lightbulbs provide the same “warm
glow” as incandescent bulbs. This is measured by something called the “Color
Temperature”, which is stated in degrees Kelvin on the box. The higher the temperature,
the “cooler” or bluer the light. To get a non-garish glow, look for colder temperatures.
To mimic incandescent lighting, look for bulbs in the 2700-3500K range (which may also
be labeled as “warm-white”). Most fluorescents manufactured today are actually in this
range.
Using fluorescent lights in dimmable fixtures may shorten the life of the bulb (but
only if the dimmer is actually used). However, it is possible to buy dimmable fluorescent
bulbs in some styles: for example, see http://www.buylighting.com/TCP-lightbulbs.htm
or http://www.residential-landscape-lightingdesign.com/store/PPF/parameters/2538_639/more_info.asp. Unfortunately dimmable
bulbs do not yet exist in the candelabra style that is popular at many of the clubs.
Krypton bulbs are a good alternative to incandescents in these fixtures; they are less
efficient than fluorescents but more efficient than incandescents:
http://www.blackenergy.com/books-index-req-view_subcat-sid-33.phtml.
Halogen lightbulbs are a special class of incandescent bulb that use about 10-15%
less energy than regular incandescents. Thus it would be worthwhile to replace halogen
lights with compact fluorescents as well. (In addition, halogen lightbulbs burn at hotter
temperatures than incandescents so halogen torchiere lamps are a serious fire hazard.
New, compact fluorescent torchieres are on the market today; these are much safer and
use a fraction of the energy.)
Emergency exit lighting is another area with potential for energy savings. Exit
signs that use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) consume less than a fifth of the energy of
incandescent versions, and they last more than ten times longer. According to the
Facilities Department, most of the emergency exiting signs on the Princeton campus now
use LEDs.
Appliances
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Star program certifies products that are
the most energy efficient. Energy Star refrigerators, for example, use about 40% less
energy than the average refrigerator sold in 2001. The Energy Star program includes
dishwashers, office equipment, lighting fixtures, and many more. For details about
Energy Star products, including stores that sell such products, see
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product. The Energy Star
program’s website includes more details about the efficient lighting alternatives discussed
above.
Further information on how to improve energy efficiency can be found through
the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Program’s
website: http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/pdfs/enrgysmart.pdf.
For more information on any of these issues, please contact Greening Princeton
(greening@princeton.edu).