The First Facility Management Blog

Veolia Environmental Services (Veolia) has reached an agreement with TCP, Inc. to promote recycling of mercury containing lamps. CFLs are seven times more energy efficient than incandescent lamps.

Parties desiring to recycle CFLs can order appropriate containers online. The price paid includes everything needed to recycle mercury bearing lamps. The user simply assembles the container, fills it, and ships it using the prepaid shipping label. One price is all a user pays. The disposed of fluorescent lamps will then be delivered to Veolia for recycling. Veolia will even send environmental compliance documentation to the generator.

“We’re proud to add TCP to a growing list of manufacturers working directly with Veolia that support recycling mercury containing lamps, sustainability and environmental responsibility,” noted Rob Wlezien, vice president, sales and marketing at Veolia ES Technical Solutions, L.L.C.

“We are very excited to partner with Veolia,” said Ellis Yan, President and CEO, TCP, Inc. “This recycling program allows consumers and businesses to feel confident that they have made the best possible lighting choice while helping the environment.”

Designed by architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the new building is recognized as one of the most innovative architectural designs in the world. The building incorporates 24 stories of office space built around a 90-meter-tall atrium enclosed by the world’s largest cable-net-supported glass wall.

The challenge for lighting designers was to enhance the magnificence of the building and ensure it would stand out as a distinct addition to the city’s nighttime landscape, while combining traditional Chinese culture and modern technology with energy efficient lighting.

Beijing Hao Er Sal Lighting Engineering Co., Ltd. chose GE Consumer & Industrial to help meet its ambitious lighting objectives. The lighting design firm wanted to highlight a number of interesting architectural features, such as yellow stone walls at the front of the building that form a “triumphal arch,” vertical stone layered windows and an open brass curtain wall that represents the more traditional Chinese culture.

Luminaires with GE 400-watt and 1000-watt Lucalox® high-pressure sodium lamps highlight the “triumphal arch” of the yellow stone walls. The lamps are aimed to minimize light pollution.

On the west and south facades, the vertical stone-layered windows and brass curtain wall presented an interesting lighting design opportunity. The lighting designers used waterproof and dustproof luminaires with GE 28-watt T5 Starcoat® Ecolux® 2700 K lamps, a product of ecomagination. The luminaires with GE fluorescent lamps create a textured look that is energy efficient and visually striking.

“The GE T5 Starcoat Ecolux lamps offer outstanding light quality with high lumens per watt for high output and high energy efficiency,” says Mary Beth Gotti, manager of the GE Lighting & Electrical Institute, GE Consumer & Industrial.

In the center of the 90-meter-tall atrium is a “floating floor” seven meters above the ground. The lighting on the floor creates the look of a massive traditional Chinese red lamp.

This lighting project is among several recognized during the 2006 GE Edison Awards held in May 2007.

(Photography by: Wang Zaiqian)