Palace Pier, a condo at Toronto’s waterfront, has taken an aggressive and progressive step to conserving energy and saving money. As a result they are garnering high praise for becoming the first residential building in North America to adopt LED (Light Emitting Diodes) lighting as their primary lighting source.

Converting to LED lighting can make a significant difference:
•    LED bulbs and fixtures contain no mercury or other hazardous substances found in fluorescent and compact fluorescent products.
•    Green technology - no hazardous waste is created as it is approximately 90% recyclable.
•    Amazing durability - if used for 12 hours a day an LED bulb can last for 10 years.
•    Increased efficiency: Incandescent bulbs generate 10 to 15 lumens for every watt they burn. Compact fluorescents generate 40 lumens for every watt. LEDs generate 50 to 70 lumens for every watt.

Palace Pier will be using LEDs for interior lighting on all 44 residential floors, employing approximately 1,300 LED based MR16 lamps in the hallways. To demonstrate the savings energy, the previous lighting used 35 watts of electricity per light, while the new LEDs only require 4 watts per light. The lamps selected have a lumen maintenance rating of 70% at 40,000 hours and can operate continuously for 5 years. They use 87% less energy than halogen lights and should reduce electricity consumption by 349,226 kWh per year.

Bravo Palace Pier! A solution that saves money as well as energy should encourage others to ride the wave. Are you making an effort to conserve energy? Is it something that you feel governments should be offering significant incentives to encourage?