Green Blog

Conventional light bulbs (also known as incandescent lamps) convert rather less than 20% of the electricity they consume into actual light. This is because they quite literally burn a thin metal filament and as with all burning, most of the electricity is wasted as heat. To suggest they’re not therefore particularly good at doing the one thing they’re supposed to do (i.e. turn electricity into light) is understating things somewhat.

As diminutive heaters, regular light bulbs are actually quite good, but unfortunately this heat is typically lost somewhere completely unhelpful like the ceiling; also if you want instead to keep the temperature down then they simply make your air conditioning work harder. However you look at it, you are spending good money on heat you most likely didn’t want and getting a rotten deal on light into the bargain.

Energy saving or “low energy” light bulbs that are significantly more efficient have been available for quite a while now. These mostly take the form of compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) and are currently the most commonly available type of energy saving bulb for the domestic market. CFLs have not really caught on though, most probably because they’re oversized, take a noticeable amount of time to reach optimum brightness and are expensive by comparison with incandescent bulbs. Despite some improvements to make CFLs more discrete, attain full brightness in less time, and reduce the price but there is no hiding the fact that they have a poor image, which is not helped by the fact that they also contain poisonous mercury vapour and are thus not easy to dispose of in an environmentally friendly way.

The new breed of energy efficient light bulbs are based on light emitting diodes (LED). These are massively more energy saving than today’s CFLs but until fairly recently have not been quite bright enough for regular home lighting.

However LED bulbs recently appearing in the market are indeed available as genuine alternatives, and in particular those made as substitutes for GU10 and MR16 halogen lamps. But anyone thinking about going down this path should also know that a lot of white LED bulbs, and in particular ones described as “cool” as distinct from “warm” white) may appear slightly blue which some folk find fairly attractive but which generally do tend to stick out rather if mixed with other kinds of lighting.

There is no doubt though that far and away the main advantage of LED lights is that they turn nearly all their input energy into light and waste virtually none as heat which quite simply means that they require a great deal less energy in operation. Approximately 10 times less, which represents a massive saving in expenditure because the cost of electric lighting is almost totally due to the operating cost. The cost of the actual light bulbs is really quite trivial by comparison.

It’s also a fact that LED lights last twenty or more times longer and thus require replacing much less often. The advantages should be fairly plain then; LED lights not only save you money, they also aid the environment. The manufacturing process is more straightforward than for CFL bulbs and there are no unpalatable disposal headaches.

But the biggest environmental impact is down to the fact that because they consume less energy then less energy has to be produced which in turn means less CO2 emissions.

As should be clear from this article it’s difficult to see what’s not to llke about GU10 LED lamps; to learn more review this article about replacing halogen bulbs with LED.

Many homes benefit from the great accent that outdoor chandeliers or another form of outdoor lighting serves as. On levels of functionality and design, the benefits of outdoor lighting are very clear. Still, anyone who’s never bought these units before may be confused at first.

There are some rules of thumb that you’ll want to follow when buying any form of outdoor lighting. This article will take a quick look at the most important ones, with the goal of making things easier for you when it comes to buying your lights.

First of all, if you’re dealing with an outdoor lamp, you’ll want to go with something that has a very heavy and sturdy base. The base of the unit needs to weigh the lamp down, which in turn prevents it from blowing over in the event of any heavy wind.

Make sure that any shades that come with an outdoor lamp happen to be weather resistant. If they’re not, you’ll learn the hard way, as they’ll the look of them will not only fade quickly, but there may be damage to the core of the lighting unit.

Since outdoor lighting still requires electricity in order to power up, with the exception of solar lights, any outdoor lights will need wiring that can reach an outlet. Grounded wiring is ideal here.

Not only does the wiring need to be long, but it should be coated to protect the wiring from being damaged with rain.

There needs to be sealed wiring in the unit that you buy, and the switch should be coated with rubber, or else weather runs the risk of ruining your lamp.

Keep all of the above in mind when you’re buying your outdoor chandelier or other lighting product. As long as you do, you’ll be in great shape with respect to getting something appropriate for your settings.

Get more details on outdoor light fixtures and other types of attractive outdoor lighting.

Landscaping a garden and the introduction of lighting usually go hand-in-hand. Of course, the reason for this is a consequence of the sheer beauty created by lighting amidst lawn and leaves. Without it you are confronted by nothing more than a huge black mass, but the introduction of lighting creates a magical and relaxing ambiance that is enjoyed by millions of people.

Considering solar lights is very realistic alternative to conventional lighting. They’re often effortless to install, extremely economical, and they’re good for the environment too. They work by collecting the energy from the sun, and effectively convert that energy into the lighting for your garden when night time approaches. The real beauty of this is that there is no need to install electric cables into the ground, which are both time consuming and expensive. Too, solar lights can be installed by almost everyone, whereas the former will need a skilled electrician to effect the work.

Solar lights have many advantages over conventional lighting of which only one is the installation process. In fact there is really no process involved at all. At a basic level you simply plunge a solar light into the ground that sits on top of a stake and that’s it. There is no underground channeling, no cables, and no qualified electrician to install them. That’s a lot of benefit right there.

In some ways the solar lights have been very popular for many, many years, but more recently there has been a huge curve of interest due to ever increasing energy charges. It seems pointless to go to all the trouble of installing complex wiring and paying quite large amounts of money to effect the installation and then finally to pay high energy charges when it’s all done. Don’t do it. Think about the alternative. The alternative is solar lights and they’re a totally viable option. When you look at the cost, the installation, the ongoing charges, it really doesn’t make sense to go down the conventional route.

Here, I have mainly been talking about solar lights light (forgive the pun) but many people are now installing solar panels for much of their energy supplies. Solar panels are something of a different proposition as they need to be carefully installed, but once again, after the initial purchase you will have zero running costs.

I’ve recently been contributing to a well thought out site called Solar Lights Review and also Solar Deck Lights

Few people can have escaped noticing that conventional incandescent lighting is rapidly being phased out and that the preferred (over Compact Fluorescent Lamps) alternative is LED, which is widely regarded as the way forward to a environmentally friendly, low cost lighting future. The question though is: where to start?

Well you could simply rush out and buy LED replacements for every light bulb you presently own but I wouldn’t advise it. First of all it would be really quite expensive, but also the odds of getting things badly wrong with this approach are quite considerable.

Getting to grips with LED lighting doesn’t happen overnight - this is a completely different technology to incandescent lighting and requires a bit of getting used to before you can get it just right for your own needs. But stick with it and the end result is superior quality lighting that also happens to save massively on electricity costs.

Accordingly, you ought to pick a location that you planned on refurbishing anyway or that otherwise uses a great deal of lighting (either lots of lights, or lights left on a lot). The likelihood that you will quickly notice a difference in operating costs (and also light quality of course) will be thus enhanced.

Getting off to a successful start this way is important since it provides the encouragement to proceed with further steps towards finally replacing all your incandescent lighting with LED. The room that most people nominate to start with is, unsurprisingly, the kitchen. This usually has many lights that also get used a lot and a kitchen lighting makeover invariably seems to appeal.

The average modern kitchen tends to feature a sizeable collection of halogen spot lights (typically either recessed or set on tracks). The amount of electricity that these literally burn is quite extraordinary, yet replacing them with LED lamps that consume a fraction of the energy is no more complicated than pulling out the old halogen and pushing an LED back in its place. At least for GU10 LED lamps it is - for the low-voltage MR16 format you should also replace the existing 12v transformers with one or more LED drivers.

The same holds true for concealed lighting tucked under, above or inside cabinets as these too can be replaced with LED strips or mini spots. This is also a great opportunity to add lighting whilst you’re at it since LED strip lighting is easy to install, lightweight, and is packaged in a variety of forms that can be trimmed or joined as required. LED lighting to accent covings, plinths and set into kickboards to illuminate the floor are all popular techniques.

Three key considerations should be borne in mind with regard to LED lighting.

1. Quality. It’s true that in general quality costs more but with LED quality counts for everything; so be prepared to pay a premium and avoid the path that leads to false economies and disappointment with cheap products. Look for recognised brand names such as Sharp Zenigata or anything using Cree LED technology. Remember, incandescent light bulbs are also cheap and yet they cost vastly more in running costs over time.

2. True cost. Or what is known as TCO (total cost of ownership). Over a period of 50,000 hours a single LED will incur zero replacement costs and cost as much to run as it costs to buy. Over the same span a halogen lamp will need to be replaced at least 25 times and is likely to incur 1,000 times its purchase price in electricity costs. Even if an LED costs 20 times more (and many do) it’s cheaper just on replacement costs alone and orders of magnitude cheaper on electricity costs.

3. Usage. An issue many people have with LED light is that it can be both blindingly bright yet unable to project luminosity over distance. An easy way around this is to direct the lighting away from direct line of sight and reflect it off walls, floors, ceilings and features in the room. The obviously accents interesting aspects in the space with the added benefit that it also produces a softer light that does then spread out well. It does however require more individual light units to create this effect than if using conventional incandescent general lighting.

For further information check out these articles that examine the subjects of Cree LED and 12v LED lights in more detail.

Are you looking for a bright idea to save money, save energy, and join the green revolution? Then look no further than your nearest light fixture!

Its probably still using the traditional incandescent bulbs invented over 100 years ago by Edison. Unfortunately, those bulbs are only using 10% of the energy consumed for lighting. That’s right … 90% of the energy consumed is wasted!

Well, the future is here. CFL or compact fluorescent lights are here as well as LED bulbs (light emitting diodes). These bulbs are far more efficient, saving you money and helping society to reduce carbon pollution. Learn more below.

Compact fluorescent bulbs have the following benefits in comparison to incandescent bulbs:

1. These bulbs will work in existing lamps and ceiling fixtures, including three-way brightness and dimmers.

2. They are suitable for indoor or outdoor use.

3. They come in many different shapes and sizes, including traditional shape, globe-shaped vanity styles, and candelabra look, and floodlight style.

4. These bulbs can also be found at various brightnesses and colors including natural daylight and incandescent glow.

5. CFLs use approximately 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

6. You pay a bit more for compact fluorescent bulbs initially but they last much longer (up to 10 times).

7. They are produced by familiar and trusted names in the light bulb business such as General Electric, Philips, Sylvania and Westinghouse.

Light emitting diode bulbs are another even more efficient alternative:

1. Light emitting diode bulbs last approximately 100 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs.

2. LEDs also use only 10% of the energy of a standard lightbulb

3. LEDs are especially great for battery-powered or rechargeable gear for camping or emergencies.

4. Light emitting diodes are perfect for many lighting applications including spa and pool lights, track lighting, reading lights, nightlights, and Christmas lights.

The difference it would make countrywide in our energy usage and carbon emissions, if we all switched to compact fluorescent or light admitting diodes would be profound. Not only that but our energy budgets would see big-time savings.

You can find CFLs or LEDs at your local retailer, or they can be purchased online at www.bulbs.com.

Al Arbuckel enjoys writing useful and valuable articles for the online community about saving energy and money at home. If you liked this article you might also enjoy reading about the energy saving possibilites with tankless gas water heaters and the Bosch tankless water heater on websites he has recently created.

When you are considering the interior design of a house or room, lighting is almost certainly the most important element of the alterations to the interior decoration. After all, it is the element that creates the ambiance of the room. You can create moods from intimacy to bleak clinicalism just by the power of your light bulb or turning a dimmer switch.

However, if you want to be certain that the result of the lighting is the one you are looking for, it is important that you know the four main kinds of illumination.

Ambient lighting: This is the general illumination for the entire room. In most rooms it is the usual light in the centre of the ceiling be it a fluorescent tube or an incandescent bulb. It is suggested that you make use of one or more dimmers in order to gain more flexibility in creating effects for every occasion.

Local lights: These lights are used to enhance or even briefly replace the ambient lighting. Local lights are most commonly standard lamps, table and wall lights and are generally used in order to assist such activities as reading, cooking, and shaving. The concentration of the light is local and it has to be properly worked out so it won?t put a strain on the eyes.