LA MIRADA, CALIF.—Architectural Area Lighting (AAL), North America’s first carbon neutral lighting manufacturer and a leading provider of efficient, effective and environmentally sound outdoor fixtures for the commercial, municipal and institutional building markets, unveils its Carbon Neutral for Life lighting sustainability program. The program provides end users, such as building owners, site operators and municipal officials, the opportunity to neutralize the carbon footprint created by fixtures when in operation.
“As a company we are committed to lessening our impact on the environment, evident through the eco-friendly luminaries we produce and our effort to eliminate the carbon impact of our manufacturing process,” said George Preston, AAL vice president and general manager. “Offering Carbon Neutral for Life was a natural next step for us to provide our customers an opportunity to offset the carbon emissions produced by our fixtures when they are in use.”
New and existing AAL customers have the ability to participate in the Carbon Neutral for Life program. AAL has simplified the process of identifying a luminaire’s carbon footprint based upon a fixture’s lamp and ballast system power, burn cycle (in whole hour increments) and the duration the end user seeks for the fixture’s carbon footprint to be offset.
Three Offset Packages to Choose From
The program’s offset credits can be purchased in one-, five- and 10-year durations (special increments available upon request), and can only be purchased in whole years. AAL will purchase the carbon offsets on the customer’s behalf through TerraPass, a San Francisco-based company that assists businesses in balancing out their carbon emissions by funding clean energy and efficiency projects that offset greenhouse gas emissions. The customer will then receive a certificate of compliance provided by AAL and TerraPass. In addition, each of their carbon neutral designated luminaires will be clearly marked with a carbon neutral certification seal.
AAL recommends that to obtain a complete sustainable lighting platform, end users should adhere to a three-stage process that includes: utilizing the most energy efficient sources, using an effective optical system that eliminates misdirected light, and then, offsetting the carbon balance.
In reducing energy, it is key to utilize efficient lamp sources such as metal halide, light emitting diodes, high-pressure sodium and compact fluorescents. For energy effectiveness, it is vital that light sources deliver light to where it is needed. An estimated 30 percent of all U.S. outdoor lighting is being wasted and directed skyward, equaling approximately $1.5 billion dollars in lost electricity. Once these steps have been taken, entering an offset program such as AAL’s Carbon Neutral for Life will complete the process and assist in reducing the carbon emissions associated with exterior lighting.
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