White House Weighs In On Lighting
GreenerBuildings Staff recently reported:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — With Energy Secretary Steven Chu by his side, U.S. President Barack Obama detailed stricter new lighting standards and promised the swift release of $346 million in Recovery Act funds to boost energy efficiency in new and existing commercial buildings and homes.
The president’s move, coming on the first business day after the House passed the climate bill, kept efforts to reduce U.S. energy consumption in the headlines.
“I know light bulbs may not seem sexy, but this simple action holds enormous promise because 7 percent of all the energy consumed in America is used to light our homes and businesses,” Obama said of the new rules that set higher thresholds for energy efficiency in lamps and lighting equipment.
The standards were issued on Friday. Products made in the U.S. or imported for use in the country are required to meet the new parameters starting in 2012. According to the Department of Energy, the changes in lamps and lighting equipment would:
• Prevent the emission of as much as 594 million tons of carbon dioxide from 2012 through 2042, which is estimated as being roughly equivalent to removing 166 million cars from the road for a year.
• Save consumers $1 billion to $4 billion annually from 2012 through 2042.
• Save enough electricity from 2012 through 2042 to power every home in the U.S. for as many as 10 months.
• Eliminate the need for up to 7.3 gigawatts of new generating capacity by 2042, which the DOE says is equivalent to as many as 14 500MW coal-fired power plants.
Source: http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news/2009/06/30/new-lighting-rules-346m-for-buildings
