A Blog by WARM Training Center
lighting
EECBG Case Studies
Dec 17th
Looking for some case studies about local government implementing energy efficiency projects? Look no further:
The Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office, WARM Training Center, and State of Michigan Energy Office have collaborated on case studies that highlight the challenges for local governments in implementing energy efficiency projects:
Check them out here:
EECBG Case Study 1: Small Governments tells the story of little Yale, MI and its quest to reduce the amount of energy used in the city hall, as well as to be able to see out the windows. Luckily, their city manager sought help from many different organizations around the state for help in making this quest a reality. Due to his persistence, the retrofits are underway!
EECBG Case Study 2: Single Stream Recycling is an account of the challenges and victories of Huntington Woods, MI and SOCRRA as they fought to implement a pilot single stream recycling program in the community.
EECBG Case Study 3: Workforce Development regales us with the tale of how the City of Warren facilitated partnerships between many organizations to integrate workforce development into its green roof projects.
EECBG Case Study 4: Lighting Retrofit tells about what was saved (energy) and what was gained (better lighting) as Lathrup Village implemented a lighting retrofit project in their city hall.
EEECBG Case Study 5: Joint Purchasing is the story of six communities who banded together with the help of the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office and saved over $40,000 in lighting supplies through joint purchasing for their lighting retrofits, equivalent to $0.68 cents/capita for residents in those communities.
EECBG Case Study 6: Historic Buildings recounts the story of the preservation and restoration of both historic character and energy in the 130 year old one room school house turned library in tiny Ray Township, MI.
Stay out of the dark with dimmable CFL’s
Dec 21st
Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) have been around for some time now, but for years they were not able to dim. This left many people who have dimmable sockets with no choice other than using outdated incandescent bulbs, consuming approximately five times more energy. Fortunately, there do exist new dimmable CFL bulbs, but there is still a lot of controversy over how well they work and what are good applications for them. In order to insure that you are getting the most for your time and money, it is important to understand a few key points about CFL bulbs.
First of all, CFL bulbs work best in the simplest forms of dimmers. It is best if the dimmer has: (i) a positive off, meaning that it clicks when turned all the way down, (ii) that there is no on/off switch in addition to the dimming control, and (iii) that the dimmer control is not electronic.
Dimmers without a positive off can maintain a residual current through the circuit even if the bulb is not ignited, this will keep the ballast activated, and burn it out well before it’s expected lifespan.
If the dimmer has an on/off switch in addition to the dimmer control, then the configuration can also send residual energy through the circuit, burning out the bulb prematurely. Continue reading “Stay out of the dark with dimmable CFL’s” »
How many employees does it take to change a lightbulb?
Aug 25th
T-8 Lightbulb
Answer: None, if you have the right lights. Here at WARM Training Center, we just changed an overhead fluorescent lightbulb for the first time in 6 years!
In 2003, as part of our ongoing creation of a Green Building Demonstration Center, we redid our lighting system. We switched out old T-12 bulbs with magnetic ballasts and 4 bulbs to a bay, and went to T-8 bulbs, 2 to a bay, with reflectors. The results? Better lighting in our offices and cheaper bills. In fact, our electric bill was cut in half through this single effort. The energy savings made this improvement a no-brainer.
But it’s not just about energy bills. Peter Klein, our office manager, estimates that we were changing a bulb a month with our old system. Instead of wasting staff time on changing energy bulbs, let the staff work on more significant activities.
How much money are you wasting changing lightbulbs on an outdated system?
Office Lighting
Jan 17th
Our new offices have a hodgepodge of old lighting fixtures. They look funny and they provide poor light. Despite all the different looks (globes, spotlights, etc.) they all havestandard screw-in bases. Do I just have to add floor lamps to get the right light?
You can try replacing the bulbs with compact fluorescent lights, go for more watts if you want to increase the light output. The Lighting Supply Company in Ferndale is a great local place to pick up any kind of CFL you want. But of course, basic CFLs are available from any good hardware store.
Online, I’d recommend efi.org as a great place to order them from.
The Scoop on Compact Fluorescent Lights
Oct 20th
Should I still use CFLs even though they contain mercury? How do I dispose of CFLs safely? 
-In the Dark, Livonia
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has online resources dedicated to answering a number of the murky questions surrounding CFLs. Energy Star also produces a printable handout on CFLs and mercury. Below are a few answers to the most pressing concerns.
Yes, compact fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury. The average amount of mercury in a compact fluorescent light bulb is small, about 4 milligrams. To compare, roughly 0.8% of the amount of mercury contained in old thermometers. Despite the small amount of mercury in CFLs, mercury is a toxic chemical and precaution should be taken when handling CFL bulbs. Continue reading “The Scoop on Compact Fluorescent Lights” »