As ordered reported by the Senate Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources on May 26, 2005
SUMMARY:
"The legislation would authorize funding for
several programs aimed at energy production, conservation, and research
and development. It would authorize the use of energy savings
performance contracts (ESPCs), make several changes to the regulatory
framework governing the nation's electricity system, and establish a
mandate for the use of renewable fuels."
The importance of providing customer
solutions to the ever changing landscape in the outdoor lighting space. Recent
changes to legislation, known as
EPAct 2005, call for the elimination of
manufacturing, marketing, and importation of Mercury Vapor (MV) ballasts in the
United States. While this legislation was passed in 2005, its effective date is
January 1, 2008. |
Link to LED Lighting Source EPAct 2005 represents a continuing trend, whereby state and federal agencies,
are considering legislation that will sustain our environment for future
generations and reduce U. S. dependence on foreign fossil fuels.
Lamp performance is measured by a variety of different metrics, but the most
significant metric is lamp efficacy (lumens generated per watt of energy
consumed). Mercury Vapor lamps are part of the HID lamp family, along with Metal
Halide (MH), High Pressure Sodium (HPS), Low Pressure Sodium (LPS), and
Induction. MV has the worst lamp efficacy (miles per gallon) compared to other
light sources. Therefore, it was just a matter of time before this dinosaur was
outlawed.
Mercury Vapor lamp benefits included long life, ease of maintenance, and it
provided a white light source (when compared to HPS lamps).
Therefore, MV was an
appropriate light source for rural and outdoor security lighting applications.
With MV’s absence, a product gap has been created for those who desire an easy
to maintain “white light” source at the best value.
Maintenance: - 24,000 hour life - Operates 100w MH, pulse start, mogul base, Philips’,
CDM100/U/PS/4K ALTO lamp. - End-of-life is an outage – unit does not cycle on-and-off like HPS. - 6-year warranty - 10kV rated Energy Savings: - Cost to operate is approximately $30.00/year less than 175w MV. Savings is per
luminaire based on $.10/kwhr rate.
Color Quality - Color Rendering Index (CRI) – 92 CRI compared to 45 CRI for MV. Improves
ability to see greater detail at night. - 4200K compared to MV @ 3700K – Light appears “whiter”
11 Series 175w MH, 120v:
Maintenance: - End-of-life is an outage – unit does not cycle on-and-off like HPS. - Reduces service calls - CWA ballast will eliminate light “drop out” as a
result of momentary dip in line voltage. - 6-year warranty - 10kV rated
Energy Savings: - Provides twice the light output at same energy consumption as MV.
Color Quality - Color Rendering Index (CRI) – 65 CRI compared to 45 CRI for MV. Improves
ability to see greater detail at night.
Mercury
Vapor Light .com