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Light is a very important part of our life and some people get depressed in low light environments so in a carbon constrained world, our energy saving need to be more creative than turning off lights!  Gloomy is used for both the environment and the mood for a very good reason.  Having said that, however, we need to reduce the energy used in lighting and this is the easy one.

We have so many options available to us to reduce the energy we use while retaining a light level that is healthy for our moods.
Incandescent bulbs can go!  Replace them with the new style low energy ones.

• Replace the old style fluorescent tubes with modern lower energy use triphosphors. But do remember to take care disposing of all fluorescent lights – they do contain toxic products and at present there is not a very satisfactory disposal method.
• Install reflectors behind fluorescent tubes to maximise the light.
• Halogen lights are not the answer.  If you have them it is expensive to retrofit because of the holes in the ceiling and they are very aesthetically pleasing.  You can buy LED globes when they need replacing and this saves energy but the big problem is the transformers which are always on, even when the light is off.  If you feel a transformer, it will be warm whether the light is on or off and warm means energy is being used.  People are often confused because they are low voltage so they think that this means low energy.  The simple test is always – it is warm or hot, it is using energy!

I recently bought some fluorescent lights that have the same style of ceiling fittings as the halogens and can plug into the same holes and plugs in the ceiling space.  They are slower to turn on but are bright and attractive and come in a choice of warm white or bright white.  Even the large outdoor floodlights now come in a fluorescent version.  The incandescent ones are very energy hungry.
Dimmers reduce the amount of power use but they do not work with flouros at present and mood lighting using single purpose lamps with low energy globes can save energy instead of lighting up the entire room.

We can also use timer switches and motion detectors, which are excellent for saving power in outdoor lighting, passages, stairwells and any other place you find the lights constantly left on in an empty room.  The combination of timers and after-hours motion detectors can save a lot.  It is worth having extra light switches so that you do not need to turn on as many lights at once.  And LED lights are improving in design but at present some of them are very low intensity.

At a time when the world is discussing how to curb carbon emissions and so many proactive steps are being taken around the globe, the building I live in has done the opposite.  We have a new colour scheme in our common areas which is made up of dark greys and brown that needs additional light globes so we can see our way around.  While I suggested the dark colours would be a problem when I saw the colour scheme I was overridden because an “expert” interior designer dreamt it up.

So how do we help people to realise that lots of little things do add up and halving the light globes saves money as well as the environment.  Attitudes are so variable!  On one hand I am working with lots of wonderful people who are working hard to reduce their emissions both at work and at home and on the other I find that the "expert" is the dark colour, more light globes interior designer.  YOIKS!

How many of you are finding the same difficulty in your businesses as you try to reduce your energy use and your waste? 
This is the everyday problem so many of us face in our workplace as well as our homes.  While our skies are blue, it is so hard to picture or believe in the invisible “doona” of polluting greenhouse gases holding the heat in and warming our world.  There are so many, who don’t care, don’t believe and even a few who actively disbelieve.  If nothing else, try to convince them to reduce costs by reducing waste.  That can even make their jobs more viable!