This information is reprinted from a booklet called “100+ Ways To Improve Your Electric Bill.” These simple, low- or no-cost tips can assist you in making your energy decisions and in gaining greater control over your electric bill. By following these tips, you also will improve the comfort and convenience of your home. And you’ll help to protect the environment by using energy wisely. Compiled by the Edison Electric Institute 2008© Washington, D. C. www.eei.org
LIGHTING
Provide “task” lighting (over desks, tool benches, craft tables, etc.) so that work and leisure activities can be carried on without illuminating entire rooms.
Select the type of light bulb on the basis of its efficiency. Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) will give an incandescent bulb’s warm soft light, while using 75 percent less electricity. They also last about 8 to 10 times longer. Use these bulbs in fixtures or lamps that are on for more than two hours each day.
Some compact fluorescent bulbs can be used with dimmer switches. Check the package to make sure they can be used with dimmers. Where possible, consider using dimmable compact fluorescent bulbs.
Instead of using a 190-watt halogen torchiere to light up a room, consider a compact fluorescent torchiere that will produce as much light, and use less than 80 watts.
The reflectance of interior surfaces has an important bearing on lighting efficiency. In home decoration, therefore, choose lighter colors for walls, ceilings, floors, and furniture. Dark colors absorb light and require higher lamp wattage for a given level of illumination. Light-colored surfaces should be kept clean to keep reflectance levels high.
In lamps and fixtures having two or more sockets for incandescent bulbs, consider using a single large bulb in one socket rather than filling all sockets with bulbs of smaller wattage. A 100-watt bulb, for instance, produces 50 percent more light than four 25-watt bulbs for the same amount of energy. Using compact fluorescent bulbs will save more energy. Typically, a 23-watt compact fluorescent bulb can replace a 90- or 100-watt bulb.
Many so-called “long life” bulbs emit significantly less light than a standard incandescent bulb of the same wattage. They should be used only where the long-life feature is advantageous, as in hard-to-reach places, or where it is not possible to use compact fluorescent bulbs.
When possible, locate floor, table, and hanging lamps in the corner of a room rather than against a flat wall. Lamps in corners reflect light from two wall surfaces instead of one and, therefore, give more usable light.
Clean lighting fixtures regularly. Dust on lamps and reflectors impairs lighting efficiency.
For large areas such as family recreation rooms, where high levels of lighting are required periodically but not 100 percent of the time, install fixtures on two or three separate circuits so illumination can be controlled by switching circuits on and off.
When purchasing light bulbs, the watt-age ratings tell you only the amount of power it takes to make a bulb work. The amount of brightness is measured in lu-mens.
Larger wattage bulbs are usually more efficient, whether incandescent or compact fluorescent, producing more lumens per watt than smaller bulbs.
To make sure that outdoor lighting is turned off during the daytime, install photoelectric controls or timers.
Consider using compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) in outdoor fixtures. Many bulbs will produce light down to an outdoor temperature of 00F. Check to see if they are compatible with photoelectric controls or timers.
If you are on vacation, and have a timer on a lamp for security reasons, use a compact fluorescent bulb to save energy. Make sure the timer is compatible with the bulb.
For holiday lighting, consider using Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology. Not only will LED lights reduce electric use by more than 90 percent, they will last up to 50,000 hours.
Note: As of January 1, 2006, federal law mandates that the maximum power use of torchiere light fixtures can be no more than 190 watts. If you purchase a torchiere, make sure that your fixture meets the new requirements.
Note: Starting in 2012, new federal efficiency standards will take effect for incandescent lighting.
More information about high-efficiency lighting is available through lighting manufacturer Web sites and at www.energystar.gov.
Unable to throw off the shackles of the cheap energy burning incandescent, the federal government has issued a mandate on electric light. There are new standards for power use that must be met by 2012. So more CFL’s, right. Maybe, but some light manufacturers are investing in finding ways to reinvent the incandescent. Currently, we already have the technology to make the Edison bulb more efficient. We can cut the energy use by an easy 20-30 % right now. Problem is, it comes with a hefty $5 a bulb price tag. Researchers are assuring everyone that they will be able to make a competitively priced incandescent available at a more reasonable price in the new future. In true American style, no one has put a driving force behind developing this technology until the new government mandates came out. I can’t help but wonder why we are so married to this bulb when there are so many other options available right now. On the other hand, innovation spurs technology and perhaps we will find new uses for the things we learn in this arena. The main issue with current incandescent s is the use of energy to create heat rather than light. That is why CFLs use so little energy and create so little heat-they are more efficient at light generation. The downside has always been the quality of the light. Some people just hate fluorescent light. Now however, there are so many options, I do not understand this argument. We are no longer married to the humming and flickering of the old florescent technology. We can now dim bulbs and improve the color. New shapes are making them suitable for chandeliers and open lights. They no longer take time to warm up and are reaching the price of a good incandescent.
Let’s not ignore the growing use of LED technology. The reason that we have not seen a faster growth in this area is a simple matter of components. To make LED bulbs you need things like sapphire (which is expensive) or gallium nitride (which is delicate, and has a high failure rate). This puts the cost of most LEDs out of reach for the average consumer. Even with a life span that can be 10X that of CFLs, even I am not likely to spend up to $100 for a light bulb. New materials are now being tested, however, that may bring the cost of LED bulbs more in line with CFLs. Now we are talking! The cool thing about this research is that it is closely married to the components used in computing. As we learn in one arena, it helps spur the research in the other. This means more research spead across the spectrum, promoting faster innovations and breakthroughs in both areas!
