as/nz wiring rules 3000:2007 (PDF) - Energy Safe Victoria

10www.energysafe.vic.gov.auswitching toenergy efficientlightingAn article supplied to energysafe by the Departmentof the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.Lighting plays a very important partin the design of Australian homes andoffices. Demand for both effective andenergy efficient lighting systems by homeowners can at times leave electricalcontractors and electricians wonderingjust what lighting products will createthe best lighting outcome in the mostcost-effective manner.While there are a number of lighting optionsfor today’s consumer, not all of them arecost-effective or the best choice in terms ofefficient energy use. One of the biggest energyoffenders is the incandescent or General LampService (GLS) (pear shaped) bulb, which is aform of incandescent lamp.The GLS light bulb has been available for morethan 125 years, and while inexpensive to buy,typically fails after only 1,000 hours of use andconsumes excessive amounts of electricity,leading to high running costs. In fact almost allof the electrical energy going into these bulbs isconverted to heat rather than light.In February 2007 the Australian Governmentannounced plans to phase-out these bulbs andother inefficient incandescent light bulbs by2009-10. The initiative is expected to reduceAustralia’s greenhouse gas emissions by severalmillion tonnes over the next few years, and cuthousehold lighting costs by up to 66 per cent.GLS bulbs will be phased-out first with otherincandescent lights (including the least efficientof halogen down lights) following in a plannedapproach of phasing-out inefficient lightingwhere effective and efficient alternatives areavailable.Lighting alternatives include compactfluorescent lamps (CFLs) that use around 20per cent of the electricity to produce the samelight, and last four to 10 times longer than theGLS bulb. Compatibility of CFLs with installeddimmers should be checked carefully. Halogenlights that meet the new efficiency standards willalso become available.The Australian Government will use minimumenergy performance standards (MEPS) basedon Australian and New Zealand standards, toensure that only those lighting products thatmeet the specified energy efficiency levels willbe sold in Australia.Standards for CFLs will also apply to ensurethat only good quality products will be sold inAustralia. Aspects covered will include: run-uptime, colour appearance, mercury content, andlamp lifetime.It’s also worth noting, that despite popularmyths, low voltage halogen down lights are NOTan efficient choice for lighting of medium to largespaces. For example, installing ten x 50 wattdown lights will lead to energy consumption ofmore than 500 watts. In many cases, the samejob could be done with CFLs which would useless than 100 watts in total.It’s clear that using more energy efficient lightingis beneficial on a number of levels: both incutting energy bills and reducing impacts tothe environment (less electricity means lessgreenhouse gas emissions).As an electrical professional please rememberthese considerations when next advising yourclients on their lighting needs, ensuring thatwhat you advise and install meets the upcomingAustralian Government requirements. For moreinformation about the initiative please visitwww.greenhouse.gov.au/energy/cfls/index.htmlKeep an eye out for more articles about thelighting initiative in future issues of energysafe.recent recallsof electricalequipmentESV has been instrumental recently in therecall by manufacturers and importersof electrical equipment considered to beunsafe.The equipment involved.> Midas Trading, 40 & 60 Watt SolderingIrons - recall issued 20 December 2007.> Eaton, Powerware 3105 & 5110 UPS’s– recall issued 26 January 2008.> Godfreys, Turbo Dust Interceptor –recall issued 29 January 2008.Here are the recall notices as published innewspapers.Energy efficient light bulb alternatives include compactfluorescent lamps, shown here in a variety of styles