Green Home Ideas - Energy Efficient Lighting, What a Bright Idea

[Terrell Mccarthy]

Traditional incandescent light globes lose almost 90 per cent of their
energy in generating heat - only 10 per cent of the electricity used
is actually going into lighting your room. And because of their
various filaments and parts, incandescent bulbs generally have a much
shorter life span than their more energy efficient counter parts.
Installing energy efficient globes is one of the most cost effective
and easiest options available for a good green home. Some companies
had even traditionally given out energy and water saving "packs" for
people to try out. Nowadays, these energy saving globes are available
everywhere - so the question becomes, which light fitting is right for
you?
Eco Home Tip # 36 - The lowdown on CFL - Compact Fluorescent (CFLs)
are the most common energy saving fitting. CFLs use just about 20
percent of the energy required for the same amount of light from an
incandescent globe and last 10 times as as long. All in all, a CFL
will help reduce the cost of lighting your home by as much as 60 %.
Eco Home Tip # 37 - Keep your CFLs close, if shaded - a British study
last year revealed that CFLs produced a small amount of UV radiation
when used unshaded and in close proximity. Open globes were of note,
which "encapsulated" globes were considered safe. So if you're using a
work lamp with a CFL, keep it shaded of opt for an encapsulated globe
instead.
Eco Home Tip # 38 - Recycling your CFLs - The typical CFL contains a
minute 4 mg of mercury sealed in its glass tubing. Some manufacturers
have lowered its CFL mercury content to as little as 1 - 2.5 mg.
Handle your CFLs with care and take advantage of recycling programs
for CFLs to keep mercury from ending up in landfill.
Eco Home Tip # 39 - Leading by example with LEDs - Light emitting
diodes (LEDs) are another popular energy efficient lighting option,
especially to replace halogen globes and downlights in your home. The
small cluster of diodes can be arranged in a number of configurations
and sizes to suit your home. LEDs have been traditionally found in
electronics including clocks, and have a variety of uses in terms of
producing a broad spectrum of bright coloured light. LEDs are the
perfect substitute to the more heat intensive halogen globes and last
for over 50,000 - 60,000 hours and uses 70 percent less energy than
standard halogen globes. LEDs are also mercury free.
Lighting a home can account for as much as 20Gren percent of a home's
energy use. Energy saving lights are simply a bright idea for your
green home.
Looking for more green home tips and ideas? Visit the Green Pages.

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