Energy efficient lighting

If you want to get a quick win in saving energy and preventing global warming there is probably no better place to start than changing the way you light your home.  According to the U.S. Department of Energy if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year and cut greenhouse emissions equivalent to taking 800,000 cars off the street.    Thanks to a new generation of lighting alternatives saving energy can be as simple as changing your light bulbs. Let's review some of these options.

Fluorescent Lighting

Most of us are familiar with the long 3-5 foot fluorescent lights found in most office buildings because they lost long and are very energy efficient.  Now a new version of this type of lighting referred to as Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL) are becoming increasingly popular for the home for the very same reasons.  Compact fluorescent light bulbs now come in a wide variety of shape and sizes and can fit into pretty much any light fixture where you might use an ordinary incandescent light bulb. Fluorescent bulbs are filled with gas as opposed to a burning filament and because of this they generate about 75% less heat.  This also makes them a safer lighting alternative than incandescent bulbs.

On average a fluorescent light bulb will use about 75% less energy than an incandescent bulb providing the same amount of illumination and will last up to ten times longer.  A couple of years ago these types of bulbs were considerably more expensive than incandescent bulbs but now that they are becoming popular the price differences are rapidly shrinking.  Because they are longer lasting these bulbs represent a significant savings both from the energy they save and from their durability. The Energy Star rated bulbs are estimated to save about $30 per bulb over the lifetime of the bulb.  Add up the number of light bulbs in your home and you can quickly see the savings potential of this form of lighting.

 When using a compact fluorescent bulb it helps to match it to the right type of fixture and switch.  CFL's work best in open fixtures that allow air flow such as table and floor lamps, wall sconces, pendants and outdoor fixtures.  If you have a recessed fixture it is usually better to use a reflector CFL rather than one of the spiral kind so that it reflects the light evenly down to your work area.  Early versions of the CFL's did not work with dimmer switches and 3-way switches but that has changed.  However, you cannot use just any compact fluorescent bulb with them.  You must use a CFL specifically designed for use with these types of switches.  Most hardware stores will carry them and if not you are certain to be able to find them on the Web.

Most of us are used to purchasing light bulbs based on the number of watts they use (60 watt, 100 watt, etc).  Compact fluorescent bulbs fortunately use a lot less electricity and so you cannot use that measure.  These types of bulbs are actually measured using lumens, a technical measure of light output.  However since most of us don't know how to equate lumins to the watts we are familiar with most packaging will tell you what the bulb equates to.  For example it may say "60 watt replacement". 

LED Lighting

As good as compact fluorescent lights are, there are approaches to home lighting that can be even more energy efficient in many situations.  This newest approach to home lighting uses a type of light called a Light Emitting Diode or LED.  These types of lights have been around for years and have often been used as indicator lights in computers and home electronics.  Now they are being redesigned into new fixtures which usually combine multiple diodes with reflectors to create very effective lighting. 

LED's have a number of significant advantages.  They use even les electricity than compact fluorescent lights, they can last tens of thousands of hours, they are almost impossible to break, and they have no flicker like some fluorescent bulbs.  LED's are perfect for replacing small, inefficient incandescent bulbs in night lights, flashlights, path lights, spotlights, task lights and exit signs. 

LED light bulbs are now available in many shapes and sizes.  There are very conventional looking LED light bulbs that contain multiple LED's and which will screw into a standard 120 volt light socket.  There are others that can be used to replace halogen light bulbs in reading lamps.

Like CFL's the new LED lights are measured in lumens rather than watts.  Fortunately the packaging will let you know what type of bulb they can replace.  Pricing is still a bit higher even than CFL's but the energy savings are truly extraordinary.  An LED spotlight, for example, uses just 8 Watts of electricity and would cost only $4.00 a year to run even if you left the light on 12 hours a day!