Category Archives: Energy Management

3 Overlooked Areas To Maintain Proactive Systems

Last month, I wrote that having a viable energy program is like going to the doctor. The general practitioner may not solve your problem, but he/she will tell you if you may have a problem which should be addressed early on. Catch a potential problem and solve it before it becomes serious and costly. Have as a goal for 2021 the practice of examining your energy and/or environmental compliance program – even if they seem to be functioning fine and shows you are in control. Such a review may reveal problems that will only get worse, risky for compliance, and costly in the future, if not addressed. Therefore, pay attention and react to:

• Process changes. Even a small change in one area or a need to make more of a certain product in another can have significant impacts on energy and environmental compliance. Many changes in processes impact environmental compliance. For example, changes made to the procedures to make certain chemicals to, say, reduce water usage, may result in changes in emissions of critical air toxics or changes to energy usage. These need to be estimated and, if necessary, modify applicable permits and determine whether compliance is maintained and additional (or saved) energy usage. All probable process changes or new equipment should be evaluated for environmental compliance and energy usage. This should not only go for process changes at the individual step level, but larger impacts, too, such as the number of batches of compound run. While you may focus on controlling big energy or greenhouse gas emitting processes, using a “run of the mill” process more can net out significant reductions made elsewhere, costing you much.

• Regulatory and policy changes. It is tempting to keep your energy and environmental compliance systems which are working well, at the status quo. But things change, and one of the things that affects either the most are new or revised regulations. So, make the time to follow regulatory changes in your jurisdiction. However, do not just follow new regulations, but also new policies and cultural changes that affect requirements and agency or public expectations.

• Technology and infrastructure. It is important to keep up with changes in technology or applications to assure the ongoing effectiveness of your environmental compliance or energy program. Keep track of not only new equipment and its uses, but also their complex relationships to determine potential upheavals when it comes to environmental compliance and energy usage. New technologies are usually “cleaner” than the ones being replaced, but not always so or not in all aspects (for example, some, while reducing air toxic emissions, may use more energy). So perform a thorough analysis of how it affects your current permits and energy usage.

Over time, developing a system to monitor changes in these seemingly “innocuous” areas can help strengthen your environmental compliance and energy systems and ensure that your facility does not unknowingly float into non-compliance or suddenly raise energy usage that might result in shortfalls or higher costs.

CCES has the experts to help you strengthen your environmental and energy systems to detect issues before they become costly and risky. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

And the Winner for 2020 Is (Drumroll): Science

I think most people would agree that 2020 was the worst year of our lives. With the exception of some who served in war or dealt with death or suffering, this year was very bad for most of us. We had the largest pandemic in a century kill over 1.6 million people worldwide so far (as I write this), 18% of which live in this country (even though the US has only 4% of the world’s population), in what is supposed to be the world’s most advanced nation. We are in a massive recession coming from the pandemic, causing millions to lose their jobs. According to Fortune Magazine, nearly 100,000 US businesses shut down permanently for reasons related to the pandemic – and that was still in September. We had huge forest fires in the US West – the largest and most intense in recorded history and the largest number of serious storms ever around the Gulf. Plus, we had very contentious and polarizing political races, which certainly upset and depressed many people. A huge whammy of serious problems, if there ever existed.

I don’t mean to talk politics here, but I think the vast majority of us can agree that the leadership to combat these problems at the national level was mediocre to be charitable and really poor. President Trump failed to acknowledge many problems and address them to at least make a dent in them. Nobody could expect of any leader to achieve zero deaths from COVID-19 or no named storms in a year. But instead Trump pretty much ignored the many problems the US had to confront because he saw he could not get a full, quick, and complete victory. So he wished them away and hoped to de-emphasize their impact on the public.

His was leadership by intimidation. And in many cases, it worked. There was solid evidence he committed convictable crimes, yet at his impeachment trial, he used intimidation to keep his party’s Senators in line to acquit. He used Twitter to attack good people who, in almost all cases, accepted their smearing and firing or ended up defending their attacker. What I found particularly amazing was Trump’s humiliation and firing of Jeff Sessions, the first mainstream Republican to support him. He might not have become President without him. But when Sessions made the proper decision to recuse himself from an investigation, Trump not only fired him, but belittled and sullied his name so badly that he could not run successfully in his home state again.

But we learned in 2020 that leadership by intimidation has its limits. President Trump could not bully the coronavirus into submission. He could not intimidate massive storms and wildfires to be less severe or not form or spread. Trump could not control – in fact, he was ultimately controlled by – science. Science prevailed and broke the norms he wanted of life and was the ultimate winner in 2020 – to our pain and detriment ultimately, of course.

So a lessen we should learn for 2021 is to respect nature and let us harness the power and knowledge of science for the better for all. There are some good signs. The new COVID-19 task force that President-elect Biden has put together and appears to empower is composed of top notch physicians and scientists and appears to be ready to make decisions based on knowledge of how viruses spread, proliferate, and do damage, not wishing it go away. The new Administration said it will re-enlist the US in the Paris Climate Accords to lead the world in addressing Climate Change based on knowledge and science and will try (within democratic constraints) to pass regulations and incentives to bring down greenhouse gas emissions, which science has demonstrated is its cause and not keep our heads in the sand and ignore the problem. And turn clean, efficient energy into economic prosperity, which it can do. Let’s all hope and support this approach!

CCES has the technical experts that use the best science and knowledge of technology to help your firm prosper when it comes to energy management, usage and reducing waste and to environmental stewardship. We can help you harness the power of knowledge to maximize your bottom line benefits. Talk to us on how we can help you. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

Have a healthy, safe, prosperous, and more knowledge-based 2021 for you, your loved ones, and your companies from CCES!

Energy Upgrades for Your Company: Go For a Checkup

With the pandemic hurting so many businesses and revenues slow to recover, it is critical to cut waste and expenses to survive. Energy is one of the easiest ways to reduce waste and costs as it is often overlooked by companies focusing on sales. In most cases, one must spend money to get the savings, but think of it as an investment: if you evaluate your energy use the right way, an upgrade can save you a lot of money.

An approach I recommend for energy is analogous to going for a checkup. One would not go right to the hospital for a heart transplant or to remove a tumor, right? First, one would go for a checkup, look at the results of the blood work, EKG, MRIs, and other tests. Then, if there are worrisome numbers, re-test or have more specific tests done to confirm and pinpoint the problem. Then you analyze the strategies. What will solve the problem? Medication? Change in diet/habits? Rest? Surgery? Then and only then might you go in for a transplant or any other radical procedure. Makes sense, right?

Well, the same is true for energy. Does it make sense to replace your boiler or air conditioning unit right away, even if it were old? No. First, you need to do a “checkup” of your energy profile. Have a professional estimate – using science – the current energy usage of your company, building, or space. Analyze your bills, look at your equipment, see how they operate for your appropriate needs. This is how an energy audit works, your energy “checkup”. The professional will produce a report listing your measured energy usage, broken down by electricity vs. natural gas, vs. oil, etc. Then the report will estimate your energy usage by end use. How much energy do you use for lighting, for heating, for cooling, etc.? The relative proportions are important (like the blood work for a medical checkup), as it can tell you which areas to emphasize and which cost you relatively little. For the areas that use a lot of energy and cost a lot of money, the energy audit identifies typically several potential strategies and technologies that will reduce your energy usage and costs such that they will pay back any upfront capital cost.

Once the energy audit report is issued, don’t “put it on the shelf”. We know you have many priorities in running your business. But try not to let too much time go by; read the report and take it seriously. The auditor does not have the same intimate knowledge of your business pressure points as you; the report focuses on energy savings. Take some time and evaluate which of the recommended upgrades makes the most sense for your specific situation. Which upgrades may not “work” for your specific situation or might be inconvenient? Which ones have short or long paybacks? Typically, several strategies can “work” and save you significant cost. Which ones might you do and in what order?

Now, you’re in much better shape to take the right “medicine” to reduce your energy costs long-term. You have in your hands several, diverse strategies to reduce energy costs, the knowledge of the likelihood and degree of success, and information to procure, implement and operate the technology or strategy for maximum benefit.

Yes, the energy audit typically costs several thousand dollars for the professional’s experience and expertise and there is a high possibility, but no guarantee of success. But to be able to pinpoint exactly which strategies will result in solid energy usage and cost reductions lasting a long time is certainly worth this early investment.

Just like you (or your insurance) paying for the doctor to do a checkup on you.

CCES has the experts to perform such energy audits for your building, space, or company, providing multiple, science-based, positive strategies or technology recommendations to save you energy usage and costs – not just for the next year – but for year after year in the future. The charge for such an energy “checkup” is not great but provides you with specific information which you can turn in to major cost savings in the future. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or karell@CCESworld.com.

Energy & Environmental Analysis of 2020 Election

As this is written, we think the election of 2020 is over. Joe Biden will be the new President as of January 20, 2021, although Donald Trump has not acknowledged the voting results. Let’s hope this is bluster and normal transfer of power will occur. Here are some potential changes in energy and environment rules in a Biden Administration.

The Biden Administration will likely move to reverse regulatory actions of the Trump Administration. For example, Biden said that on his first day on the job he will apply for reinstatement in the Paris Climate Accords. The Democratic Party said it would propose a $2 trillion plan to improve transportation and achieve a carbon-free power grid by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2050. However, given the uncertain makeup of the Senate and not knowing if all Democrats, such as Sen. Manchin of WV, could support this it is unclear whether the plan can pass. While difficult in our partisan atmosphere, bipartisan compromises may be necessary. Many environmental and climate policy changes may be implemented by administrative policy and enforcement, rather than by legislation. Potentially favorable to Biden is the fact that at many of states have adopted a Renewable Portfolio Standard and many companies have GHG emission pledges.

The Biden Administration is likely to reverse deregulatory policies of the Trump Administration, such as revoking executive orders, such as those encouraging energy exploration in environmentally-sensitive areas. The Biden Administration may also place those in charge of the US EPA to promote stronger regulations and enforcement.
The incoming Biden Administration is anticipated to depart from the Trump Administration’s approach to enforcement and permitting and increase attention on environmental justice issues.

The Biden Administration is likely to reverse Trump executive order and issue new ones reestablishing a goal for the federal government to reduce GHG emissions and limiting oil and gas leasing on federal lands. President-elect Biden recently pledged to use the federal government procurement system to give preference to technologies that would move the nation towards 100% clean energy and zero-emissions vehicles to jump-start those industries and to re-establish DOE energy efficiency standards.

President-elect Biden has spoken about his desire to push the government to invest in major infrastructure upgrades, including those that support clean energy power. Biden will likely empower FERC to develop strategies to achieve net-zero emissions, including incentives to grow clean energy and improve energy efficiency of buildings.

A Biden US EPA is expected to address and potentially repeal Trump’s Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule, which withdrew its prior Clean Air Act waiver for California GHG programs and rolled back stringent GHG standards for future autos.

Finally, the Biden Administration is expected to attempt to re-enact the “Once In, Always In” policy of applicability of sources in the air toxics program , NESHAPS, and undo earlier rollbacks under the Endangered Species Act.

Please note that this article is not a legal evaluation of US energy and environmental laws and where they are heading. For specific advice, please engage an appropriate legal professional. CCES has the technical expertise to keep up with and help you comply with complex environmental and energy rules, whether they be federal, state, or local ones. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

Updated Future Energy Trends – Oct. 2020

According to several recent articles, investments in energy have been level at about US $2 trillion per year over the last two decades. However, forecasters believe it will rise soon to at least US $2.7 trillion because of the interest in getting reliable energy to the developing world and the interest in clean energy and the major infrastructure changes that would have to be implemented to achieve this.

Studies and recent efforts indicate that coal-fired utility-sized power plants are still relatively economical because the price of coal has declined a lot recently because so much is available as more is mined globally, yet more coal-fired plants are closing or converting to other fuels. However, the most economical way of developing energy, in terms of capital cost of building a utility plant, availability of the source and conversion of the source to electricity, and long-term O&M costs is wind power, particularly offshore wind, even ahead of solar technology.

Offshore wind technology is becoming more attractive to investors and governments. China and the European Union are moving to install more offshore wind plants. Offshore wind has the highest capacity of any energy technology, about 50% of the energy hitting a wind turbine is converted to electricity, comparable to a gas-fired plant and superior to solar PV panels.

If renewable technologies, such as wind and solar, become more prominent, utility executives understand that this will mean that more upfront investments will be needed for building power plants and the proper infrastructure. These projects tend to be higher cost upfront, but lower costs to maintain and the “fuel” is free. Finding investors for such outlays may be difficult. However, the long-term payoffs could be significant.

CCES has the experts to help you determine whether renewable energy is right for your facility or what your best options are for determining where your electricity and fuels are coming from. We can analyze and provide cost-effective options. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.

SEC Commissioner Lee Makes Case For Climate Disclosure

SEC Commissioner Allison Lee has been speaking up about climate change and the need to make communication of climate change and risk factors more transparent to shareholders. Commissioner Lee has written about the need for the SEC to do more to establish specific climate disclosure standards that investors, the consumers of this information, would eventually establish a balance between useful and superfluous information. This has been backed up by many letters and other comments from the investor public, hoping to expand climate disclosures.

However, Commissioner Lee was outvoted and new final rules do not address climate risk communication, ignoring overwhelming investor comment.  The SEC voted to maintain a principles-based disclosure system. Disclosures would be made about climate change only if the topic was material. Investors must trust that each company understands whether issues affect the climate and estimate how greatly. But given the large number of companies that continue to not disclose any information about climate change, can it be assumed that it has no issues on the subject? Commissioner Lee estimates that over 90% of U.S. companies are potentially exposed to material financial impact from climate change. Yet potential investors are not getting that information.

According to Commissioner Lee, much of the private sector accepts climate change and is preparing for a future low-carbon economy given the large potential impact on business by climate change, such as the intensive fire and hurricane seasons. Since this is the future, potential investors need transparent information about businesses’ greenhouse gas emissions and how they are managing climate risks. This can only happen by mandatory public disclosure, which is currently not happening. A secondary benefit of greater public disclosure is this will be a wellspring of information that governments can use to manage their own nation-wide risks. The nation, including companies, must price climate risk accurately to drive investment toward a transition to green energy rather than up and down cycles timed around climate disasters.

CCES can help you determine your greenhouse gas emissions, both direct and indirect and determine cost-saving measures to reduce GHG emissions, which will have added benefits for you. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.

 

PACE Can Be The Difference To Go Forward

You want to be more energy efficient, for any reason – you want to reduce your carbon footprint, reduce energy costs, improve the operating conditions and productivity of your staff. You have an existing building (only 1% of buildings in the US are “new”) and you know that there are opportunities to make it more energy efficient. But the problem is cash flow; you have to lay out money to install and operate the strategy. Yes, you will get the money laid out back in a short time, but with all the problems business are having with the pandemic (lost business, lost staff, lost customers and suppliers), cash for upfront payments is not always readily available.

Well, the good news is that with interest rates at historical lows (who would believe home mortgages at 2.65% interest!) it makes sense to borrow to be able to do an energy upgrade project now. If a modest energy project has a calculated rate of return of 15% per year, it would be crazy NOT to finance the project, if corporate loans are even 6 or 8% interest. In fact, lenders know that energy projects are the most reliable in terms of meeting the projected ROIs; they know the risk of non-payment is low. So lenders will compete with each other and lower rates to make energy loans!

Yet for owners of very old, poorer buildings, sometimes loans for energy projects are not available not allowing them to modernize. Enter PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy), the government-backed program created to simplify energy efficiency finance. In PACE, the building is the collateral, not the business. This opens the door to immense opportunity in the business case for energy efficiency.

PACE enables energy efficiency upgrades and/or solar or wind systems through long-term financing. PACE is useful for projects with long-term financing (20 years is typical), which is useful for project, such as whole building retrofits and large equipment replacements. Long-term loans with long-term benefits.

But this leads to a problem. What if the building owner wants to sell the property during the loan’s term? PACE programs work differently. The PACE loan is tied to the building; not the owner or business. The PACE loan is set up as a lien on the asset, the facility, and is structured as a tax, with the idea that the energy savings exceed the added expense, allowing the passing of the cost to tenants.

PACE loans are established by state and local governments. Property owners within the district can voluntarily choose to participate in the program. An energy expert assesses the scope of desired improvements, often through an energy audit to develop projects and cost estimates. PACE loans are commonly paid to the municipality who transfers the money to the lending institute. Payment usually occurs along with property taxes. Therefore, it may occur only twice per year. Banks may reject a building owner with large debts or a bad historic record or one that has been in bankruptcy. Building buyers must continue payment of the PACE loan after the borrower has sold the building.

PACE is an innovative approach and another financing option to assist building owners in paying for the often high-up front cost of energy efficiency projects. PACE is limited to areas that have implemented a PACE program, so it may not be available in many parts of the US. PACE financing is available in most of New York State for energy projects.

CCES has the experts to perform the upfront work to recommend smart energy solutions and to work with PACE or other banking officials to help you finance these potential energy efficiency projects. Contact us today for more information at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.

Energy Issues Affecting Data Centers

It is said that there currently are 200,000,000,000 internet of things (IoT) objects in the world today. Probably in a short time, we will think this number is quaint. Or perhaps technology will advance so much that more data can be stored on fewer objects and this number may drop. The amount of computing done in data centers more than quintupled between 2010 and 2018. Most of these devices need to perform computing and storage activities, meaning the need for IT data centers, whether relatively small ones in a company’s office or huge building-size data centers.
While in recent years, we have become dependent on the “cloud”, things are changing. Of course, data is not stored in a literal cloud. The “cloud” is one of a small number of huge data centers that stores yours and other’s data. A recent trend is edge data centers, smaller buildings and structures where computing and storage takes place located usually within only a few miles from where the data is generated.

According to https://energyinnovation.org/2020/03/17/how-much-energy-do-data-centers-really-use/, in 2014, US IT data center electricity usage was split nearly equally between server demand and the need for electricity to supply electricity to such centers and for cooling. As discussed above, physical data centers will only grow substantially in our complex times; thus the need for more electricity.

Electricity Usage

According to several sources, data centers use 1% of all of the world’s electricity consumption. This appears small but given the absence of data centers in many (poorer) parts of the world, this is significant. However, the rate of growth of electricity usage is slowing down due to energy efficiency. The good news is that servers and related equipment are being designed to use less electricity to compute or store data. And such equipment is available if one is replacing data servers or expanding.

Another problem is cooling. Many data centers have their own AC systems with thermostats set for low temperatures to prevent over-heating. In some cases, thermostats are set to keep temperatures of such rooms below 55⁰F. ASHRAE recommends that temperatures of rooms containing servers not be lower than 65°F. And, in fact, ENERGY STAR, the joint EPA/DOE program that evaluates energy usage of common equipment, has recommended servers that can be useful up until 95⁰F or greater. Certainly, one should be careful not to overheat your equipment. But one should look deeper into what that true temperature is. Another idea is not to necessarily cool a server room with an AC, but to use, instead, fans, which use less power, to force hot air away from servers and a stack of servers. Your IT professional should be able to recommend the right conditions for the long-term health of your IT Center.

Reliability

Many data centers feature back-up power systems in case their primary source of electricity is interrupted. Edge data centers, in particular, sometimes placed in urban and suburban areas, may be particularly vulnerable to sudden losses of power. An emergency engine generator to ensure that your data center continues to operate properly is good for the company, but does lead to more stringent emissions and noise requirements, such as particulate and other controls. Make sure the system you choose for backup power is right for your needs.

CCES has the experts to assess the energy usage of your IT or data centers, on or off- your physical location and recommend ways to save significant energy costs. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

Clean Heat/Cooling Systems: Get Off Natural Gas

Just a few short years ago, natural gas was the way to go. We had to get off “dirty” oil or coal combustion to supply heat or power and switch to “clean” natural gas. After all, gas is cheaper, emits less greenhouse gases (GHGs) and toxic pollutants, is easier to maintain, and results in less wear and tear on equipment than oil or coal. Over the last decade many buildings made the switch to natural gas.

But, as it turned out, that led to problems. Despite plentiful natural gas due to fracking, some parts of the country developed shortages, particularly during cold winter periods. Also, while demand for natural gas grew, the infrastructure to bring gas to customers did not. As usual, infrastructure upgrades are not “sexy” and lag behind short-term growth.

Now, many utilities acknowledge that the necessary upgrades to gas infrastructure are too expensive and will take too long. For some, their coping strategy is to reduce natural gas demand – encourage buildings to get off gas and use other ways to heat.

Examples of other heating and cooling technologies include air source heat pumps (ASHPs), ground source heat pumps (GSHPs, or geothermal heat pumps), and solar hot water (SHW). These are proven technologies that have come down in price and are now incentivized in many places. They offer a number of benefits, including energy cost savings, increased comfort levels, and health benefits compared to gas combustion.

ASHPs provide efficient space heating and cooling to residential and commercial buildings, even in cold climates. An ASHP transfers heat from outside to inside a building, or vice versa, using a refrigerant involving a compressor and a condenser. Heat from outdoor air (even if cool) is absorbed by the refrigerant and released inside for heating. Similarly, heat from indoor air is transferred outdoors for cooling.

GSHPs also provide space heating and cooling, and, in some cases, using an indoor heat pump and a heat exchange ground loop buried underground to transfer heat between the ground and the building. Underground the temperature is normally constant around 51⁰F. That can be a source to cool indoor air in the summer or a source of warmth to bring to a building in the winter. Geology must be considered and space available to access the long piping needed to bring air back and forth from the building to an area below ground. The main energy use is electricity for fans, not a huge expenditure or greenhouse gas creator compared to gas combustion.

SHW collects thermal energy from the Sun to heat water for space heating, domestic hot water, and pool heating. Buildings that do not have sufficient roof space for a solar PV (electric) system may still have enough for SHW. Water is piped into an area below the SHW for heating. Solar air heating systems heat outside air drawn in. Temperature can be raised as much as 100⁰F before being ducted into the building’s HVAC system.

Historically, ASHPs and GSHPs have been quite expensive. Capital costs and O&M for such equipment have come down in recent years. In addition, many states and utilities offer robust monetary incentives to owners that install such systems, as they are trying to reduce their need to upgrade gas infrastructure and meet GHG reduction goals.

Given the challenges of gas and the gains in these technologies, it is worth it for a building owner to examine whether a “clean” technology is financially beneficial.

For those of you in Westchester County, NY considering clean heating & cooling technology, see https://sustainablewestchester.org/hscommercial/.

In Putnam County, NY, contact Bonnie@BrightEnergyServices.com to learn about the equipment and strong incentives.

CCES has the technical experts to help you determine whether you are a good candidate for a clean heating & cooling technology and whether it is financially beneficial to you in the short- and long-term to get rid of natural gas combustion and benefit from these systems. We can help you get the maximum incentives available. Contact us today at Karell@CCESworld.com or 914-584-6720.

How Lights Affect Your Health

This newsletter has had many articles about why your building should switch to light emitting diodes (LEDs). Electricity usage can be cut by 50 to 80% for the same amount of light depending on the original source of light. LEDs can be programmed to meet your needs (intensity, on-off/dimness, color temperature, etc.). And LED lights last much longer than fluorescent and incandescent lights, reducing the effort to replace bulbs or tubes in the ceiling, freeing up the maintenance crew for bigger projects and freeing up space and the number of backup lights in storage. However, with the growing concern about a healthy office environment, how can lights affect staff health and productivity?

There have been hundreds of studies done in the last 40 years showing links between long-term exposure to fluorescent lights and different negative health impacts. The basis of these problems is the quality of light that is emitted.

The theory is that humans have evolved based on light from the Sun. Artificial lights is a recent phenomenon, with the invention of electricity. Before that most light came from the Sun and our eyes and nervous system evolved to best use this source of light. However, with electricity and light bulbs people now have the ability to work at night and in spaces without windows. However, the light coming from an incandescent or fluorescent light is not the same light as that from the Sun.

The main difference is that the Sun exposes us to the full spectrum of visible light (all wavelengths) and many wavelengths outside the visible spectrum. Incandescents give off nearly the full visible spectrum, but not as much as sunlight. Fluorescents give off a limited spectrum. Of course, another difference is timing. Except for clouds (and even then some radiation reaches us), we are exposed to the Sun’s rays only during certain hours daily, which vary during the year. Artificial lights can be turned on at any time.

Many bodily functions depend on day-night cycles called circadian rhythms, developed by the daily rise and fall of the Sun. If one gets insufficient exposure to sunlight or gets exposed to lights at other times, one’s circadian rhythm may be affected which will alter a one’s hormones and body chemistry. Therefore, theoretically, getting less sunlight and more artificial lights can cause migraines, eye strain, sleep issues, depression, suppressed immune system, menstrual cycle disruption, anxiety, obesity, etc.

Besides the spectrum of wavelengths and length of time of exposure, another issue, specific with fluorescent lights is flickering. While such lights appear to be emitting light constantly, that is not true. Fluorescent lights are controlled by a ballast that pulses electricity. Therefore, light flickers. While it may not be detectible, our brains sub-consciously perceive the flicker, which departs from sunlight, contributing to migraines, anxiety, and other conditions.

How do LED lights do in regards to these factors? Fairly well. LED lights can be designed to emit the spectrum of wavelengths that one wants, including the full spectrum. Some manufacturers market LED bulbs that supposedly mimic sunlight’s spectrum. LED lights may flicker, but that is not due to the nature of the bulb (unlike a fluorescent), but due to the ballast feeding power.

A few years ago, the French equivalent to the US FDA issued a warning that intense light from LED bulbs can cause eye damage. However, that has not been corroborated in other studies. Currently, no country regulates LED lights vis-à-vis exposure.

In conclusion, it is best to light your office using sunlight, as much as possible, to mimic its rhythm to correspond to staff’s circadian rhythm. But if that is impossible, it is best to convert from incandescent and fluorescent lights to LEDs to get the full spectrum and minimize flickering.

CCES has the experts to help your facility to design and install the right lights to save you significant electricity costs and to help optimize your staff’s health and productivity and realize the savings and advantages to your business. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.