Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation To Install LED Bulbs In Next Stage Of Energizing Taliesin West

Posted by Heidi Schwartz

Taliesin West LED hallway lighting retrofit.Preservation is not a new science, but LED lighting technology is making it easier for historic landmarks around the globe to preserve their legacy for the 21st century and beyond. OSRAM SYLVANIA has announced a partnership with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation that will bring new light to a renowned U.S. national landmark that has helped shape architecture and design for decades.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s world-famous homes and laboratories are architectural treasures. Through the partnership, OSRAM SYLVANIA has donated more than 2,000 LEDs to the Energizing Taliesin West program in support of the Foundation’s dedication to a legacy of innovation and commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability. By replacing all incandescent lamps with LEDs, the beauty of Frank Lloyd Wright’s original handcrafted luminaires can be maintained, while reaching sustainability goals that were not possible in Wright’s lifetime. The installation of OSRAM SYLVANIA’s energy-efficient LED bulbs is taking place at both of Frank Lloyd Wright’s historic estates, Taliesin West (Scottsdale, AZ) and Taliesin (Spring Green, WI).

Led by energy efficiency consultant Big Green Zero, the program is focused on the goal of continuing Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy of innovation in finding better and less expensive methods for building structures and for using them. Studio Lux, an international leader in architectural lighting design, translated the requirements of both historic properties into OSRAM SYLVANIA LED product specifications.

Energizing Taliesin West began during 2011 when an energy audit using EnergyActio software determined that the $170,000 annual energy bill could be reduced by half by implementing an Energy Efficiency Continuous Improvement process. The EnergyActio audit also indicated that the remaining electrical requirement could be offset by renewable solar energy. As a result, Big Green Zero proposed developing a plan to demonstrate best-of-breed energy efficiency and solar energy technologies at this profoundly historic property.

Architects work inside the Frank Lloyd Wright studio, circa 1950s or 1960s.Installation of OSRAM SYLVANIA’s energy-efficient LED bulbs in these two destinations that welcome 150,000 visitors annually will allow the Foundation to reduce its energy expense and carbon footprint, make the energy cost savings available for preservation efforts at both sites, and provide public education about the potential for reducing energy waste and carbon footprints in buildings.

Since its inception, the Energizing Taliesin West program has defined the Foundation’s commitment to energy efficiency through upgrades and enhancements to outdated systems, the installation of a solar photovoltaic field, and continuing public education on the world wide need to embrace sustainable energy planning. OSRAM SYLVANIA joins other program partners First Solar (Power One, Klondyke Construction, Rummel Construction, Beusing Corp.), Studio Lux, Home Tech Europe, Big Green Zero, and EnergyActio in allowing the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to fulfill important mission based activities that promote Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy of innovation and belief in public access and engagement.

“This is where the future of lighting meets the splendor of the past. Frank Lloyd Wright was a visionary, and it is an honor to have our LED lamps illuminating the institution where he worked and contemplated his amazing designs,” said Jes Munk Hansen, CEO of OSRAM Americas and president and CEO of OSRAM SYLVANIA.