Photo courtesy Lighting Solutions

The Banff Park Museum uses 73 energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) lights around the exterior to enhance security and emphasize the wooden exterior.

Alberta's Banff Park Museum, a National Historic Site, now glows brightly thanks to energy-efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

The building's wooden exterior has been restored, with the added lights helping enhance security and accentuate the outside. The combined electricity consumed by all 73 lights uses less power than a single 400-W incandescent light bulb.

Kevin Hooper, P.Eng., LEED AP, of Calgary-based Lighting Solutions, selected the type of bulbs used, specifying CRS products manufactured in Welland, Ont. He chose them for their energy efficiency and durability—they are expected to last 11 years—and to bring out the colour of the wood.

"The lack of heat produced from LED lights is exactly what museums need," he said. "The heat and ultraviolet [UV] rays generated by traditional light bulbs can damage artifacts and require additional air conditioning to stabilize temperatures. Museums can cut energy costs in lighting and cooling by installing LED lighting."