BUILDERS NOTE
The new Sustainable Building Codes came into effect in March
2006. The lighting requirements of this code are that 40% of new houses are to
be covered by energy efficient lighting such as standard fluorescent lights or
compact fluorescent lights. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are now available in
a variety of light colours including daylight, cool white, warm white, as well
as a variety of sizes to fit most standard fittings including 240v downlights.
In order to comply with the new code the Housing Industry Association (HIA) recommends that
fluorescent lights be installed in the garage and laundry areas and compact
fluorescent lights be installed throughout the home.
Osram have also developed
energy saving low voltage downlights which are a better option
than the standard low voltage downlights, although these lights DO NOT meet the
requirements of the Sustainable Building Code.
COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMPS
Compact fluorescent lamps generate
their light in the same way as fluorescent lamps. By bending the glass tube back
on itself, lamp manufacturers have succeeded in making these lamps extremely
compact.
Among consumers, the most famous type of energy-saving lamp is the DULUX EL with
its integrated electronic control gear. These can be used as direct replacements
for incandescent lamps. They consume 80% less energy and, if used for an average
of three hours a day (normal domestic use), will last around 12 years.
FLUORESCENT LAMPS
70% of all artificial light in the
world is generated by fluorescent lamps. The success of these lamps can be
attributed to their extremely long life of around 12,000 hours (an ordinary
light bulb lasts just 1000 hours) and to their impressive economy.
A fluorescent lamp consumes only about one fifth of the electricity that an
ordinary light bulb uses. Fluorescent lamps are "discharge lamps". An electrical
discharge between the two electrodes in the glass tube generates UV radiation.
This UV radiation, which is barely visible, causes phosphors applied to the
inside of the tube to give out light. All fluorescent lamps need control gear to
ignite them and keep them operating.
The trend in fluorescent lamps is to reduce the tube diameter. Standard LUMILUX
lamps have a tube diameter of 26 mm. The new generation of fluorescent lamps,
the extremely economical FH lamps and the high-intensity FQ lamps are only 16 mm
in diameter. For special applications OSRAM offers the FM lamp which, with a
diameter of just 7 mm, is no thicker than a pencil.
TUNGSTEN-HALOGEN LAMPS
Tungsten-halogen lamps are basically
conventional incandescent lamps with the addition of halogens. They produce
brilliant light that makes surfaces radiant and colours more vibrant.
Tungsten-halogen lamps last almost twice as long as conventional lamps, and in
most cases are considerably smaller than "normal" light bulbs. All thanks to the
"halogen cycle".
The tungsten atoms that vaporise from the filament are "captured" by the
halogens and returned to the filament. Tungsten-halogen lamps are up to 50 %
brighter than conventional lamps. They can also be dimmed to any level.
The most widely used tungsten-halogen lamps are the low-voltage versions. These
are particularly small and economical but they do need a transformer to reduce
the mains voltage to 12 V. The popular DECOSTAR reflector lamps are typical of
this type. To meet the demands of commercial users for high-quality light and
long service life, OSRAM can offer the DECOSTAR TITAN.
OSRAM has also developed the first energy-saving halogen lamp, the DECOSTAR IRC.
This lamp will save up to 30 % on electricity consumption.
INCANDESCENT LAMPS
Incandescent lamps are thermal
radiators. In an enclosed bulb filled with gas, an electric current is passed
through a filament of tungsten wire to make it glow. With this method of
generating light only about 5% of the energy consumed is converted into light,
the rest is lost as heat.
Incandescent lamps can be dimmed to any level and will last around 1000 hours on
average. This corresponds to about one year for normal household usage of three
hours a day.
