Expanding the Market for Visually Effective, Highly Efficient Exit Signs

A B S T R A C T A lt h o u g h th e pow er de m a nd of a conventional incandescent exit sign is only 20 to 40 watts, the total annual energy expenditure for the 100 million exit signs estimated to be installed in the United States is of the order of 17 to 34 TWh. Using exit signs illuminated by lower wattage light sources would conserve a significant amount of energy, and avoid the associated air pollution. By developing a product performance specification for exit signs, the authors and sponsors of this market transformation project have promoted the widespread use of new, energy efficient and visually effective exit signs. The specification was developed through structured interviews with more than 40 key market players, the testing and evaluation of existing products, human factors experiments on visibility, two specifiers roundtables, and a designers workshop. Early market response to the specification, which was introduced in 1996 through a federally sponsored, voluntary, product labeling program, has been encouraging.