Meridian Firstlight House

Switch Lighting are produd to be a part of Victoria University's entry "FirstLight House", which was entered into the US Department of Energys 2011 Solar Decathlon Competition.

ITS OFFICIAL - THEY FINSIHED 3RD!!! congratulations to the team, see images below for results

All lighting was spnosoerd 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", where by 4x 60W incandescent bulbs would be used in the centre of each room.

The end result is a power consumption of 180W and a total use of 50 Light Fittings! This includes 10x 1W Mini's that will be installed on site in the US to illuminate pathways, decking and planter boxs. 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."

The competition is judged on:

Architecture, Market appeal, Engineering, Communications, Affordability, Comfort Zone, Hot water, Appliances, Home entertainment and Energy Balance.

Products used in the First Lighthouse Bach are:

4x SL113-60 - 13W Downlight

5x SL106-45 - 6W Downlight

14x SL201 - 1W mini

7x SL301SP - 1W mini spike

6x L05410NW - 2.3W Cabinet light

3x LED Strip

2x SL204SM - 4W surface mount spot light

5x L05430WW - 2.3W surface mount spotlight

3x 8W-E27 LED Lightbulbs