Green Options » lights

British Cops Unable to Use Blue Lights on New Electric Car

Andrew Williams — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:51:56 +0000

Cops based near Oxford in the UK have revealed that they are unable to to use flashing blue lights on their new electric car - in case it drains too much power from the battery.

The Thames Valley police force is testing out the £20,000 ($33,000) Mitsubishi iMiev in an effort to improve its environmental credentials. Apart from this quite obvious setback, they have been pleased with the silent, emission-free car, capable of travelling 100 miles on a single charge (with the lights off).

Ledalite’s Ergolight Office Lighting Reduces Energy Consumption by up to 80%

Amiel Blajchman — Sun, 10 May 2009 21:10:42 +0000

Building managers and environmental passers-by always scream when they see office lights on in the middle of the night, illuminating someone’s cubicle for hours when they’re not there. Ledalite’s Ergolight Controls System has been designed to take care of that problem, as well as increase office energy efficiency. It’s such a good solution, that it was recognized by the David Suzuki Foundation as one of their climate change solution case studies. Designed to help building designers and architects achieve LEED certification, depending on the set-up, customers can decrease their energy consumption by up to 80%.

German Towns Test Pay-to-Use Energy-Saving Streetlights

Alex Felsinger — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:31:06 +0000

In order to save on electricity costs, three German towns have begun testing a program that requires residents to call ahead to request street lighting be turned on late at night.

Residents in Lemgo, Schwelentrup-Doerntrup, and Rahden pay up to 10 cents a minute for lighting after 11 pm under the plan, called Dial4Light. People use cell or landlines to call the city, give their route and time period when light is needed, and then a computer system triggers the lights to turn on along the path.

The plan is a creative effort to save energy, but could result in a whole different set of problems.

LED tea lights!

serenity_ii — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:48:34 +0000

Found these LED tea lights, and they’re awesome, and it’s a good deal!

http://www.cudge.net/candles_detail10.htm

No more using up lots of wax tea lights, no more blown-out flames, no more burning risks, hopefully no more toxins!

Tip o’ the Day: Lights Out!

Rebecca Carter — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 14:58:31 +0000

Energy conservation is an easy solution, especially when it doesn't affect your day-to-day life. Often we waste electricity, but we don't even benefit from that usage. A perfect example of this is leaving the lights on when you leave the room.

The US Department of Energy gives us some guidelines on when to turn off those lights. If you are using regular incandescent bulbs, it's always best to shut the light off when you aren't in the room or using it.

However, with fluorescent lighting, you'll need to estimate when you'll need the light again. Switching these types of bulbs on and off every minute will actually make them less efficient. However, if you won't be using the light within the next 15 minutes, it's best to shut it off.

The easiest way to switch off lights is to plug them into an outlet that is controlled by a switch. Easy off, easy on. And the biggest way you can make an impact? Teach your kids to shut those lights (and TV) off when they are not in the room.

We love what Energy Hawk has to say, "Your father was right, you don't own the electric company so TURN THE LIGHTS OFF." And of course, we recommend the switch to CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs whenever possible.

Rebecca says: I grew up in a very well lit house. At night, all of the lights were on in every room. However, after moving in with my husband I quickly learned to just have lights on in one room at a time! It takes some serious getting used to, but it's worth it.

When to Turn Off Your Lights: US Dept of Energy