Abstract:
The cost of power generation in Sri Lanka is continuously increasing as the low cost
hydro power resources are being exhausted. It thus becomes increasingly important
to be more efficient in the utilisation of electricity. It is with this in mind that the
pilot project has been commenced. However, the study has been limited to energy
efficiency in lighting, and in particular to that in households.
Energy efficiency in lighting can be achieved primarily by the use of discharge
lighting. For outdoor lighting, where colour differentiation is not very important,
sodium vapour lamps and mercury vapour lamps are highly efficient. On the other
hand, for industrial and commercial lighting, the standard linear fluorescent tubes
give the best efficacy at low cost. However for some domestic applications, the
linear (2 ft or 4 ft) fluorescent tubes are not aesthetically pleasing. Also the lamps
should be easily replaceable by the occupants themselves without needing the services
of an electrician or other skilled person. Thus the lamp so chosen must have the
standard incandescent socket (bayonet cap in Sri Lanka). Also it must be compact
and not much larger than the standard incandescent lamp it has to replace, so that it
can directly replace the incandescent lamp in the same fitting without needing any
changes. Thus the study has been limited to the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL).
