Money Isn't All You're Saving
"People like the warm
color the lamps provide
and they create a nice,
cozy pool of light to
read by. Many folks
commented on how
attractive they are, and
I have seen people
moving the lamps
around on the tables to
where they need them."
Librarian, Karen Dornseif
$30,000
Harmony Library
PI • j«. J
Shines with
ENERGY STAR@ Lights
by Ian L. Todreas, The Cadmus Group, Inc.
Fort Collins, CO—Harmony
Library is a showcase for state-of-
the-art, energy-efficient
technologies and building design. Serving
the community of Fort Collins and Front
Range Community College, Harmony is
projected to use about 40 percent less
energy than a comparable new building in
Fort Collins, saving nearly $12,000 in
annual operation costs. ENERGY STAR®
labeled task lighting fixtures help
Harmony Library use its resources for
library services instead of electricity bills.
Harmony Library uses several approaches
to task lighting. An important one is
ENERGY STAR labeled table and floor
fixtures, manufactured by the Adjustable
Fixture Co. of Wisconsin. Besides
meeting lighting needs efficiently, they
create a sense of intimacy and add
interest to the library.
Long Life Saves Money
ENERGY STAR labeled fixtures, such as
those installed in Harmony Library, come
with compact fluorescent light bulbs
(CFLs) that typically last at least 10,000
hours (as opposed to most incandescent
bulbs, which typically last about 500
hours). These long-life CFLs mean that
less time and money are spent replacing
burnt-out incandescent light bulbs. By
using 26-watt CFLs in the ENERGY STAR
fixtures, which provide the equivalent
light of a 75-watt incandescent light bulb,
the task lighting uses only one-third of
the electricity compared to conventional
lighting sources. This means lower
electricity bills and fewer greenhouse gas
emissions released into the atmosphere
ENERGY STAR®
Residential
Light Fixture
Showcase
Energy Efficient Harmony Library
Saves on Annual Operating Costs
from generating electricity.
The "pin-based" CFLs fit into dedicated
fixture sockets only and cannot be
unscrewed and stolen. Vandalism and
theft, which have prevented facility man-
agers from using other long-life CFL
products in the past, are greatly reduced
with ENERGY STAR labeled fixtures.
Maximizing Light While Minimizing
Lighting Costs
Lighting typically accounts for about
one-third of a building's electricity costs,
so minimizing lighting costs while
maximizing lighting quality were top
priorities for the new library. Harmony's
carefully designed windows and
celestories maximize natural light and
minimize the need for electric lights. The
natural light is complemented by well-
designed electric lighting and efficient
equipment.
An important part of the electric lighting
strategy is providing the right amount of
light where and when it's needed. The
library is bathed in a comfortable level of
ambient light, which allows patrons to
-------
Money Isn't All You're Saving
Harmony
Library
Shines with
ENERGY
STAR® Lights
(continued)
Pin-based compact
fluorescent light bulbs
fit only dedicated
sockets.
If every household in
the United States
switched to ENERGY STAR
light fixtures, we could
save 70 billion kilowatt-
hours and prevent 100
billion pounds of car-
bon dioxide per year-
equivalent to removing
the pollution of 10
million cars!
Source: Alliance to Save Energy
browse the stacks, find materials, and use
computers. Task lighting provides addi-
tional illumination where it is needed: for
example, at reference and circulation
desks and in reading and study areas.
New Efficient Lamps Win Patrons'
Endorsement
The public has responded positively to
the library's lighting, especially the
ENERGY STAR labeled desk fixtures.
"People like the warm color the lamps
provide, and they create a nice cozy pool
of light to read by," notes Karen
Dornseif, one of the librarians who has
monitored the use and performance of
the lamps. "Many folks commented on
how attractive they are, and I have seen
people moving the lamps around on the
tables to where they need them."
"Finding the right
lighting that met all of
the library's needs
turned out to be
more challenging
an we thought it
ould be." says
oug Swartz, an energy
/ices engineer with the City
Collins Utilities, who has tracked
the design and operation of the new
building. The lamps had to be durable,
attractive, low maintenance and, of
course, as energy-efficient as possible.
Adjustable Fixture Co.'s ENERGY STAR
labeled desk and floor models met those
criteria.
For the Harmony Library project,
Adjustable Fixture Co. modified the
fixture design to include an instant-on
electronic ballast, a lamp that can be
supplied by several manufacturers, and a
built-in timer that switches lights off
after two hours. This frees librarians from
having to walk around turning off
unused lights.
"Harmony Library demonstrates that the
Energy Star® does not endorse any particular product or partner.
Electric Lighting Represents Almost
One-Third of Total Energy Costs
Electric
Lighting
31%
Heating
45%
Source: www.light-power.org/hamonylib/lev1 pages/
frchallenges.htm
Data source: Lightforms, Boulder, CO.
ENERGY STAR labeled fixtures are not
just for homes," notes Peter Banwell,
Director of the United States
Environmental Protection Agency's
(EPA) ENERGY STAR residential light
fixtures. "These work well in all kinds of
municipal buildings, from libraries to city
halls to fire and police stations."
For More Information
If you would like to know more about
ENERGY STAR residential light fixtures,
call the toll-free hotline 1-888-STAR-YES
(1-888-782-7937); visit
www.energystar.gov; or contact:
Peter Banwell
ENERGY STAR Residential Light Fixtures
U.S. EPA
501 Third Street NW, 5th Floor,
Washington, DC 20001
202-564-9408
Banwell.Peter@epamail.epa.gov
5/3
------- |