LIGHTING THE WAY

1 September 2009 is the day that incandescent lights,100 watt clear and frosted and white bulbs of all wattages are withdrawn from sale in Britain and Europe. It’s all part of a EU Climate Change Directive to encourage us all to switch to being more energy efficient.

Retailers and light manufacturers tell us compact fluorescent tube lighting is the new light solution.  These take time to warm up and light rooms, they give a different type of light. They may not be the answer to yours and my lighting needs.

Many UK politicians advocate renewable energy – wind, wave and tide as the best way of cutting CO₂ emissions, greening Britain and creating green jobs, but manufacturers and designers of these technologies are mainly based overseas. As we saw with Vestas, they are going to make what we need first in their own countries not Britain.

On 22 April 2009 President Barack Obama, told the world that:-

 “The Cheapest, Cleanest, Fastest Energy Source is Energy Efficiency”

Improving energy efficiency is not about circulating leaflets about wood stoves, or solely about installing wall and loft insulation, something the UK Government is focused on.

Energy efficiency is about transforming the way we light our streets, businesses and interior environments  by stimulating investment in energy efficient LED - solid state lighting, whilst cutting energy consumption by 50-70% simply because these new lights use less power and last many times longer than flourescent tubes.

A new campaign ‘Lighting the Way for Britain’ will launch soon - its aim - to get Government to invest in these new lights, to transform Britain’s lighting landscape, create green British jobs in local firms like Marl, SH Lighting, Oxley, Forge Europa, Lumiere, McGeoch  and save energy and reduce energy bills for consumers.

If we don’t USA, Italy, Korea, Taiwan and China will leave us behind –their governments have seen the light and are all investing in developing their own LED lighting industries to dominate global markets.

‘Lighting the Way for Britain’ means widespread adoption of solid state lighting by public authorities to light streets, bridges, interiors and exteriors of buildings, in industry and commerce, to reduce electricity consumption. It means funding research, trials and demonstrations, and mandatory introduction of the lights for local councils instead of switching them off – solid state lighting is here now.

They offer the most visible and best means of improving energy efficiency in Britain.

President Barack Obama, in February said:-

 “I do not accept a future where jobs and industries of tomorrow take root beyond our borders and I know you don’t either.”

Britain can lead in LED lighting - the resources to stimulate the market must come soon.