Energy Efficient Lighting

[Mr Winston]

Enegy efficient lighting providing 40 lumens per circuit watt are required for the building regs. Does anyone know which kind of fittings can i use to give this amount?

 

[Big_Spark]

illumintaion Regs do not apply to Domestic Homes, they only have legal basis in Commercial or Industrial premises, or premises accessible to the public.

What you choose to light your home with is your affair. 40 Lumens per watt is about an 18W PL or TCD compact flourescent I think....but I stand to be corrected as I cannot be arsed to work it out..sorry.!!

 

[Damocles]

So which part is it of building regs which relates to energy efficiency? Yes, they do apply. It is probably new builds and is pretty modest, about one fluorescent per house I think.

 

[Mr Winston]

This is for an extension i am doing - the archiect has it on the spec and the bco confirms that there must be at least one light fitting that achieves this - its just a domestic extension and im trying to find out what options i can have in choice of fitting.. Its not allowed to take standard bulbs (like bayonet or screw) or it doesnt qualify

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So which part is it of building regs which relates to energy efficiency? Yes, they do apply. It is probably new builds and is pretty modest, about one fluorescent per house I think.

No - it's more than that. Depends on the number of rooms - can't remember the details.

 

[Damocles]

Nice conventional strip light. Easier if you are building a house, then you can stick it in the garage if you hate them. But I reckon they can not be beaten for kitchens and the like.

You can get smaller fluorescents which take circular ring bulbs about 2 ft diameter, or other push in bulbs. The idea of this regulation is no doubt well meaning. They do not want you swapping in a standard bulb. But when you should be using fluorescent bulbs around the house anyway it gets pretty stupid to make you use one or two fittings completely incompatible with the rest.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Do you remember when the only choices to make when buying lamps were clear/pearl and 40/60/100W? When the only time you saw ES ones was in American films?

 

[Mr Winston]

a stripp light isnt really an option - the rooms are bedrooms and a lounge, ive been told that i can get ones that look quite normal but noones given me any specifics eg manufacturer/suppliers

 

[has]

would they let you fit a low energy outside light possibly with photocell. This often satisfies part of the requirements on new builds. You can also get low energy pendants that only take the correct bulb, and you can always remove them when the works signed off.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Ah - but all electrical work now has to comply with the Building Regulations, so replacing a low energy luminaire with a normal one, if this reduces the number below the minimum, is a criminal offence.

 

[has]

Ah - but all electrical work now has to comply with the Building Regulations, so replacing a low energy luminaire with a normal one, if this reduces the number below the minimum, is a criminal offence.

But you could swap it with the landing pendant.Where it wouldn,t be an eyesore.

 

[Damocles]

Don't you love it? One way to satisfy the requirement to have some energy efficient lights is to fit EXTRA lights.

 

[delmel]

Building regs part L refers to low energy. To comply the fittings used must not have any standard gls lamp being able to be fitted. If it is your own house i would suggest looking at the low energy mini compacts 13w or 18w i know Aurora and IBL do them. These are slightly larger than a low voltage fitting and a lot nice than the pendants (which are dreadful)

 

[Stoday]

a stripp light isnt really an option - the rooms are bedrooms and a lounge, ive been told that i can get ones that look quite normal but noones given me any specifics eg manufacturer/suppliers

You can put a fluorescent behind the curtain pelmet. You can put small fluorescents each side of the bed behind the headboard.

Other than in a garage or utility room, you are unlikely to want to see the normal fluorescent, but with a bit of ingenuity you can use them all over the house, tucked away somewhere. Under the stairs perhaps.

 

[Adam_151]

Would a loft light count?