First Light House

Switch Lighting are proud to be a part of Victoria University’s entry “First Light House”, which was entered into the US Department of Energy’s 2011 Solar Decathlon Competition. All lighting was sponsored by Switch Lighting. The design brief was to provide a basic light plan that would provide a good level of light throughout the home but it had to consume less than 240W of energy. This was based on a traditional lighting plan for a “Kiwi Bach”, whereby 4x 60W incandescent bulbs would be used in the centre of each room. The end result is the power consumption of 180W and total use of 50 Light Fittings! This includes 10x 1W Minis that will be installed on-site in the US to illuminate pathways, decking and planter boxes. So all the lighting you see in the images below has been achieved with only 170W of energy. What is the Solar Decathlon? “The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.”