A GREAT FIELD

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 88, 11 October 1932, Page 8

A GREAT FIELD

FUTURE OE POWER

WISE AND UNWISE GROWTH

CHANGE IN LIGHTING ?

An interesting section of the presidential address given by Mr. E. Hitchcock at the annual conference of electrical power supply authority engineers to-day dealt with new applications of electricity.

"It is possible," he said, "that there may be an early and revolutionary change in lighting. Individual lamps and fittings will tend to give place to a form of lighting in which architectural features, either exterior or interior, are themselves made luminous. The advent of gaseous electric lamps or tubes in practical forms for ordinary voltages may witness both a much reduced consumption and a greatly increased use of light. Various new and sensitive forms of electrical control will multiply the applications of electricity to an infinite variety of purposes.

"I am, however, firmly of the opinion that the future of electrical supply in New Zealand will be influenced and determined much more decisively by administrative factors. These <vill express themselves in rates, regulations, restrictions, or encouragements. The art of enterprising helpful encouragement must be developed and practised. The unfortunately necessary technique of restrictive regulation is already highly developed. "At reasonable retail rates the inherent utility of electricity is its own best advocate. If those laws or tendencies which.. experience has shown govern the development of load building m the community use of electricity are allowed free play, supplemented by such directed development as is wise and warranted, the extension of existing uses and the development of new uses of electricity will not be lacking." Mr. Hitchcock mentioned two new special developments which, had been demonstrated to him while he was abroad recently. One was of a panel upon which were thrown an endlessly varying combination of lighting in colours and shades, charged and played upon by an operator as sound is played upon by the operator of a musical instrument. The1 effect was most striking and weird, and possibly in association with music could be made peculiarly effective. • " Another special application of lighting in theatrical work was of a form of spot lighting—though it was not really spot lighting at all—which made it pos.sible for five^figures, crossing and recrossing, to be lit continuously with distinctive lighting. UNWISE USE OF POWEE. _ Mr. Hitchcock spoke also of difficulties which were bound to follow upon unsound development of power uses, with particular reference to the use of electricity for heating upon a large scale. "Unintentional developments are as likely to prove a snare in electrical supply as in other types of business," he said. "In the case of electricity, however, the undesirable features are apt to be less evident, particularly to the non-electrical public. Some of its heating applications are among the strong points of electricity, but its application as a '.fuel equivalent' for bulk heating is its grossest and least justifiable use. Where an attractive service can be given only under special eircum--stances, and because of the special circumstances, at an attractive rate, the consumer is all too apt to appreciate the service, emphasise the rate, and disregard the special circumstances which make both possible." . v " Water heating, probably more than most types of load, required both control and understanding, Mr. Hitchcock added. Otherwise it had sinister possibilities. It would become increasingly needful for the engineer, in the development of future load of all kinds, to make clear the difference between the growth of load and'the growth of desirable load. There was little doubt that this way lay the industry's greatest need .for wise publicity.