When we design our products, we consider more than simply how much energy the fixture will consume. How the fixture will be used and the lighting experience of the end-user also contribute to a product's total relationship with the environment. Zumtobel supports sustainable product design by using high quality materials and components in our luminaires, and also by designing for excellent optical control.
In addition, we strive to create luminaires for the newest, most efficient lamp technology. The longer lamp lives of the newest technology means less waste in our landfills.
But our responsibility to the environment doesn't end with a well-designed product. We then advise lighting specifiers on how best to employ our products to optimize comfort and efficient energy usage. We help specifiers achieve "intelligent lighting solutions" to minimize wasted light and energy by:
- Educating customers about IES Recommended Practice
- Where appropriate, suggesting modifications to:Luminaire or lamp choices
- Layouts
- Architectural details and surface finishes that allow luminaires to function most efficiently.
The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ was created by the U.S. Green Building Council to acknowledge achievement in sustainable building design and promote awareness of the benefits of "green" buildings. The council has developed a common standard of measurement for what makes a "green" building, and a comprehensive system of project certification. A total of 69 possible points are given out for meeting environmentally-friendly criteria in the following categories:
- Sustainable sites
- Water efficiency
- Energy and atmosphere
- Materials and resources
- Indoor environmental air quality
- Innovation and design process
Lighting, at 40% of the energy use of a typical commercial facility, contributes directly or indirectly to sustainable lighting design, and the potential for many LEED points.
According to the IALD (International Association of Lighting Designers) Sustainability Committee, sustainable lighting design meets the needs of the visual space while offering the least impact on the physical environment. Therefore the lighting solutions you choose can translate not just into energy and dollar savings, but into credits toward a LEED-certified project. A strategy that integrates daylight and/or occupancy sensors (such as Zumtobel's IDOS™) can realize great savings, in cost and energy usage, over standard lighting layouts. New technologies, like T5 and T5 HO lamps, efficient ceramic metal halides and dimming ballasts, can provide even more savings. And energy savings in lighting can translate into lower air conditioning bills, as well. Zumtobel fixtures have been specified for a number of LEED-Certified projects, including IBM Tivoli Systems in Austin, Texas, Herman Miller's main site in Michigan, and Ford Motor Company's Premier Automotive Group North America Headquarters in Irvine, California. Ford Motor Company's LEED scorecard noted the use of high efficiency lighting with T5 lamps toward its credits in the "energy and atmosphere" category. And the renovation of the Paul L. Boley Law Library, part of a LEED-certified project at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, earned GE's 2002 Award for Sustainable Lighting for James R. Benya of Benya Lighting Design and Jon H. Wiener of Soderstrom Architects, P.C. The award is given for projects using high-quality lighting that minimize energy consumption and show attention to environmental concerns. CLARIS luminaires with T5 HO lamps were chosen for their efficiency and their ability not only to provide ambient lighting but task lighting on the library stacks.
For more information on the LEED program and a detailed description of the application and certification process, contact the US Green Business Council at http://www.usgbc.org.
Efficient product design
We cut the size of our top-selling downlight frame by roughly 50%. In turn, this reduced carton material requirements…fewer trees used for cardboard, more cartons to the pallet, and less waste on the job site.
State-of-the-art powder coating facility
In 1998, Zumtobel built a $1.5 million Powder Coating Facility to improve the quality of our finished goods and reduce the environmental impact of the "paint" process.
Biodegradable louver cleaner
Switching to a biodegradable louver cleaner requires no treatment prior to disposal. This means fewer potentially harmful chemicals in our facility.
Revolutionary waste water system
In 2000, we were faced with a septic system that could no longer meet the needs of our growing company. As we explored our options, we were approached by an ecologically-minded local water and sewer administrator with a revolutionary idea - simple beds of marsh grass could be used to clean waste water as effectively as the more traditional systems. Today, we are the proud caretakers of a 10,000 square foot artificial wetland, which is cleaner, more energy-efficient and less costly to maintain than traditional septic systems. Our project has received local, regional and national media attention.
Packaging and disposal
We package our fixtures as efficiently as possible, using recycled materials wherever we can, to reduce waste on the job site and improve installer productivity.
We encourage our customers and business partners to promote "green" practices in our industry.
Zumtobel has co-sponsored New Jersey SmartStart Building Program workshops aimed at familiarizing electrical contractors and distributors with energy-efficient lighting products. Sponsored by a consortium of utility companies, New Jersey SmartStart Buildings® is an energy-efficiency program that offers design support and technical assistance for commercial and industrial building projects in New Jersey.
How can you get involved?
Research and education are critical to our understanding the environmental impact of materials, processes and applications. This can only happen with greater commitment from the entire industry. We believe that this begins at the senior management level. To quote Juerg Zumtobel, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Zumtobel AG (from our 1998-1999 Annual Report), "The driving factor behind all our operations is and always has been an open and modern spirit that sees in technological advances an opportunity to shape a more humane environment and conserve natural resources." He continues, "it is the human, ecological and cultural dimension of light which defines our corporate philosophy."
In short, senior corporate management needs to make the environment a core issue. Managers and employees need to be motivated and challenged to lead in the promotion of "green design."