New Proposal

Lighting Economics

Thesis:

How can energy consumption be reduced by the use of LED (light emitting diodes) and compact fluorescents (CFL's) in lighting design throughout Canadian homes?

Purpose:

Since climate change has been developing to be a major problem of this century, I will be looking into the use of energy efficient and low carbon dioxide and mercury emissions in residential lighting techniques. My objective is to investigate how much energy can be saved using LED lighting or compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) instead of conventional lighting applications and how long it would take to pay off the installation cost difference.

Goals and objectives of the project:

To conduct a cost analysis comparison between an incandescent lighting design, a low voltage LED lighting design, and a compact fluorescent lighting design in a standard house to produce a cost difference and emission reduction report.

Methodology and analytical approach:

I will be comparing the cost benefits of compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) and light emitting diodes (LED) lighting to incandescent lighting. To do this I will determine the best of option of bulb for each compact fluorescent, LED, and incandescent to keep it fair. I will then calculate the lumen output of each type in a standard room and adjust the amount of lights of each kind to guarantee equal systems.

Once the lighting systems are all determined equal, I will conduct a cost analysis for each LED lighting, CFL, and incandescent lighting systems. To do so each type of light will be broke down to three main parts; the light efficiency, installation cost, and replacement cost will be investigated and calculated. With these results I will determine the amount of emissions that can be reduced by using these types.

The final part of my research will be to compare the results and research the benefits and drawbacks of each type of lighting. With a final cost of each system, I will calculate a “pay-off” time of LED and CFL compared to the conventional incandescent type. If the use LED and/or CFL is a great savings (around 5 year pay-off) I will then continue my research to determine how common these types are in recent construction. If the pay-off time is long (around 20-30 years) I will investigate what could be done to improve the use of these high efficiency lights.

Previous Studies and related information:

Architectural and engineering technology (ARET) 150 Building Electrical Design,

ARET 151 – Building Lighting Design,

Participation in designing an Equilibrium Sustainable House in April 2009,

ARET 130 – Building Technology 1, and

Experience working in electrical construction (2003-present).

Plans of dissemination:

As well as updating my online blog, I will also be writing a research paper.