Hubbell Lighting Addresses Federal Outdoor Lighting Standards
Responding to the federal government's initiative to improve the energy efficiency of outdoor lighting, Hubbell Lighting in concert with NEMA, other lighting manufacturers, designers, advocates, and utilities have been working since April of 2009 to craft a comprehensive standard for outdoor lighting.
According to Scott Muse, President of Hubbell Lighting, a consensus agreement, the outgrowth of industry collaboration, has been achieved and sent to Washington as part of the larger American Clean Energy and Security Act. For the first time, this proposed legislation establishes federal efficiency standards for pole mounted outdoor lighting products, which if passed will generate significant energy savings.
"Energy is the primary force of change in the lighting industry, and the improved efficiency of lighting products is low hanging fruit. Current advancement in optics, ballasts, lamps, and standards such as the new legislation for outdoor lighting can significantly and permanently reduce our nation's reliance on fossil fuels and the negative consequences of that reliance", Muse said.
Dovetailing with the government's goals to lay the foundation for a new, sustainable and prosperous clean energy future, the outdoor lighting standards, which incorporate backlight, uplight and glare (BUG) ratings, will require use of lighting control systems for outdoor lighting, and will effectively legislate lumens per watt (LPW) minimums for exterior lighting fixtures not already covered by the ASHRAE/IESNA/ANSI 90.1 Standard.
The Department of Energy estimates that nearly one-quarter of all electricity in the United States is consumed for lighting. As a major resource for outdoor lighting through its well known brands -- Kim Lighting, Architectural Area Lighting, Spaulding Lighting, Sterner Lighting Systems, Hubbell Outdoor Lighting, Devine Lighting, Beacon Products, and Security Lighting - Hubbell Lighting is wholly committed to providing lighting products designed and built to save energy.
In addition to the legislation's overall conservation benefits, when the new outdoor lighting standard becomes part of municipal landscapes throughout America, cities and villages large and small should benefit financially as civic leaders see their operating costs for outdoor lighting shrink.
"Lighting represents the largest opportunity for the reduction of energy use while still maintaining high quality and safely illuminated environments. Providing the best lighting products to lower energy demands is our goal and our pledge", Muse concluded.
Setting an example, and demonstrating its ongoing commitment to energy efficiency, in 2007 Hubbell Lighting moved into its new energy efficient state-of-the-art headquarters in Greenville, SC. A LEED® Silver certified 4-story building set on nearly 20 acres, it is home to the company's 22 indoor and outdoor lighting brands, many of them industry leaders. Since opening its new corporate home in 2007, energy savings recorded by Hubbell Lighting include over 2 million kilowatts annually, nearly 1.5 million gallons of water per year, and the yearly elimination of 982 tons of pure carbon which translates to 3,465 tons of carbon dioxide (the greenhouse gas).
