Lighting at your event is a way of illuminating your sustainability. Lights left on in the day, use of old technology, grunting and puffing lighting towers… are these the best way to shine a light on your green credentials?
Turn the Lights Off!
No matter which light bulb you choose, you should ensure they are not left on during the day, to demonstrate a responsible attitude to power conservation.
You must be aware however if powered by mobile generators, that turning them off will most likely not actually save power, fuel and resulting emissions. This is a broad statement and may not apply to every set-up as it depends on what you have plugged in to each generator.
Generally though, where a generator is running stuff such as market stalls, stage sound and lighting, plus strands of festoon lighting, turning the lights off is not going to make much of a drop in overall load. The generator needs to run at the optimal load range in order to run efficiently anyway.
Use Energy Efficient Bulbs
Using energy efficient light bulbs (CFLs and LEDs) are a popular way of reducing energy consumption in the home and office. However at an outdoor event using mobile power generators, there are not the same savings when using CFLs.
Bear with me, as I try and explain some technicalities as described to me by those in the know…
CFLs, while having less wattage (11 watts versus 60 for example), have a poor power factor. This means the current is not reduced proportionately with the power. CFLs are heavily ‘inductive’ in their power use and thus need power factor correcting or they can cause damage to a genset or at the very least, lead to poor efficiency. The current is the determining factor in sizing a generator. Therefore by replacing large numbers of incandescent bulbs with CFLs, a reduction in generator size is not necessarily going to occur. As generator engines are normally sized to match the maximum output of the alternators, this poor power factor may lead to inefficient running of the engine and therefore higher CO2 emissions per kW generated. Phew.
Is it Worth It Then?
The expectation of your audience and the opportunity to spread the message about switching to CFLs and low energy lighting in their everyday lives, may justify the use of CFLS and any additional costs and labour incurred.
CFLs are designed for long term use, and the financial returns come back through the reduction in energy bills along with the fact that they last longer and therefore you don’t need to outlay for new bulbs every year or so. These savings don’t translate at a temporary event.
LEDs
Developments in LEDs are coming thick and fast. Philips seem to be leading in innovation and commercial viability, with some of their large scale LED lighting projects being absolutely stunning, and their range of domestic and office solutions attractive and functional.
The fast growth in development of LED lighting is being fuelled by both environmental concerns for energy efficiency and the technological advances around the lighting effects that can now be achieved.
The reliability and maintenance costs are also considerations, with lifecycle costs of the product now being competitive. LED lighting is particularly useful when using zero emission energy supply. The low loads pulled by LED set-ups make it the perfect partner to solar, wind or hydrogen fuel cell power.
The development of technology and application of LED is moving quickly, and you are encouraged to keep your eye on it as this excellent lighting solution gains traction.