Conserve Nova Scotia offers a discount on energy efficient lighting to businesses and institutions in the province.
By Rochelle Roberts <jc551491@dal.ca>
Posted: Feb. 20, 2008
The province has shed some light on energy efficiency for businesses and institutions by contributing $1 million to a new program called Smart Lighting Choices.
Under the program, Conserve Nova Scotia has offered to pay part of the cost for new High Performance T8 lighting so that the cost of this new energy efficient product is on par with the cost of regular T8 and T12 lighting products. Businesses and institutions in the province which want to take advantage of the program have to inform their building contractors who can pick up the newer lighting system for the subsidized price from a list of electrical distributors around the province.
“These energy-efficient lighting systems can save up to 40 per cent in energy costs compared to traditional T12 systems,” said Energy Minister Richard Hurlburt in Yarmouth on Friday. “This program lets commercial lighting consumers buy a premium, energy-efficient product at a standard price, without the paperwork.”
Michelle Wright, communications officer for Conserve Nova Scotia, says the new lighting systems, which came on the market in Nova Scotia a few months ago, are more than just energy-efficient.
“They have a better light output, a longer lamp life and lower maintenance requirements than the bulbs on the market before,” said Wright.
Campuses of the Nova Scotia Community College will also receive some new High Performance T8 lights courtesy of the province. In addition to the Smart Lighting Choices project, the province is committing $400,000 to supply the energy efficient lights to college campuses that are still using fluorescent lighting.
NSCC is responsible for installing the new lights and the environmentally friendly disposal of the old systems, with the help of two crushing units supplied by the province for fluorescent bulbs.
“Conserve Nova Scotia’s Smart Lighting Choices program will form an important part of NSCC’s on-going effort to reduce energy consumption,” said NSCC president Joan McArthur-Blair in a statement on Friday. “It’s also an important reminder that some solutions are at our fingertips; literally at the flick of a switch.”
The new lighting systems at NSCC are expected to save $100,000 and reduce carbon emissions by about 850 tonnes each year.
Geraline Blyleven, the Green Renovation Coordinator for the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax, thinks the new program will work well in Nova Scotia.
“The new Smart Lighting Choices program provides an innovative approach, because it allows people to get their rebate/discount for the Super T8s right at the point of sale,” Blyleven says. She says this quick discount is a major incentive for businesses to use the energy efficient lighting, especially since it saves money in the long run.
The province’s new plan does not currently offer a discount on new lighting systems for residential buildings, however, Blyleven says there are several things homeowners can do to be more energy efficient in lighting their homes.
“Residents could look at using compact fluorescent lighting instead of regular lights to reduce energy consumption - they last a lot longer and use far less energy,” Blyleven says. “Also, if they have halogen lights they could install dimmers to reduce the amount of energy used.”
Blyleven also recommends using natural sunlight to light a building in the daytime and save on energy use.
“Installing windows between offices in interior walls to let light through as well as windows in the interior walls in the hallways is a good way to keep the lights off for most of the day,” Blyleven says.
Businesses or institutions in Nova Scotia can visit the Conserve Nova Scotia website for a list of electrical lighting providers who can give the discount on energy efficient lighting at the point of sale.