Illuminating the Great Outdoors with Energy-Saving LightBulbs

Average:

Your rating: None

"Electricity Prices Plummet," The Wall Street Journal, August 12, 2009

Hey, is there a recession going on? This timely article details how slack demand for electricity in2009 may lead to the first consecutive year decline in electricity use in the U.S. since 1950. Suchnews may tempt some consumers to relax an otherwise robust commitment to reducing home andbusiness electricity consumption. Conservation and energy efficiency are hard work, and harder stillto turn into regular habits, especially when energy costs are low.

However, with days growing shorter and nights growing longer as we head into autumn, lightingcosts will be on the rise for consumers, even if rates per kilowatt hours are ticking down. Now maybe the best time to make a switch to more efficient, energy-saving light bulbs to reduce energyconsumption, but there is no need to get carried away. Instead, we suggest folks start slowly with adeliberate approach that targets fixtures that are lit most frequently and for the longest periods.This often leads our customers who want to reduce energy consumption outside.

Green Light Bulbs Reduce Energy Consumption

Exterior fixtures come in as many configurations as indoor lights and they mainly serve threepurposes: security lighting, accent lighting and convenience lighting. In some cases, single fixturesperform double or even triple duty.

The greatest savings, in both dollars and reduced carbon emissions, are most easily realized byinstalling energy-saving light bulbs in any fixtures which are lit from dusk-to-dawn but aren'tcontrolled by a motion sensor. This could be a floodlight above the driveway or back deck or a pairof decorative sconces or lanterns straddling the front entrance. Post lights are commonly lit all nightas well. If you're like us, you get peace of mind knowing that these lights make the home look verymuch occupied while you sleep.

Choosing energy-saving light bulbs with the highest efficiency ratings for the amount of light desiredwill reduce energy consumption and have the greenest impact. Consider this comparison: on onehand, we have a traditional (incandescent) bulb and on the other, an energy-efficient bulb. At 60watts and 850 lumens, the efficiency of an incandescent bulb would be only 14 lumens per watt, withan annual use of 2,920 hours (8 hours/day). The annual cost to light? - approximately $20, but with aCO2 emission level of about 349 lbs. Now take a 15 watt energy-efficient bulb. Even though it has alower wattage and uses less energy, the output of light is the same. Lumens are less at 825, andefficiency has improved to 55 lumens per watt. The annual cost to light drops $15, and CO2emissions are nearly three-fourths less.

$15 annual savings per socket is more than enough to upgrade to energy-saving light bulbs in orderto reduce your energy consumption. Your energy efficiency investment will be paid back in less than

one year. As for CO2 emissions, a 75% reduction won't do your eco-conscience any harm.

For homes, Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) are a solid choice for dusk-to-dawn lightingscenarios. They're available in a wide array of wattages, shapes (including decorative), sizes andcolors and are typically designed to last 8,000 hours or more. One drawback of energy-saving lightbulbs in an exterior setting is that they're affected by ambient temperature. Our advice: if you live ina colder climate, look for lamps with "amalgam" technology for best performance or buy ones withthe next higher incandescent watts equivalent (example: if you're replacing a 60 watt incandescent,buy a CFL equivalent to a 75 watt bulb). Also if a fixture isn't weather protected, be sure to select abulb rated for use in a wet location.

Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps are hitting the market at a rapid pace and are also worthconsidering for their superior ability to reduce energy consumption and extremely long life.Interestingly, LEDs don't emit ultraviolet light and don't attract insects. For an overnight fixturenear a door, an LED would be a good alternative to a yellow bug lamp. Advice: insist on UL listedLEDs (not easy to find) for safety's sake.

Energy-Saving Light Bulbs for Motion Sensors and Electronic Timers

For multiple reasons, energy-saving light bulbs, such as CFLs, are a poor choice for fixtures thatlight automatically by motion detection. These are typically used for security purposes but are also afeature of garage door openers. CFLs are not engineered to produce short bursts of light. Thus, atraditional incandescent bulb is a fine choice (and probably what's in the fixture now). Advice: whenthe existing bulb burns out, consider a high-efficiency halogen lamp to reduce energy consumption.Currently, these energy-saving light bulbs are 30 to 40% more energy efficient than traditionalincandescents. Expect these savings multiples to grow as lighting manufacturers continue toimprove their halogen technology in anticipation of lighting efficiency requirements that go intoeffect in 2012.

As for LEDs, while they do reach maximum brightnessinstantly, they are still very pricey and thus not a goodinvestment for the short bursts of light delivered bymotion control sensors. Prices will come down asdemand increases for energy-saving light bulbs. Myadvice: wait.

Some people rely on electronic timers to switch onexterior lights as darkness settles in. Again, CFLsaren't suited for this application. In this application,where once on, the light may remain lit duringovernight hours; an LED lamp, which generally workswith electric eyes (check with the manufacturer)would be an excellent choice to reduce energy

consumption and extend bulb life versus an incandescent bulb.

Fall's the Time to Make the Switch to Energy-Efficient Exterior Light Bulbs

They say that the cheapest, cleanest kilowatt hour of electricity is the one that is never produced inthe first place. As the shorter days of fall approach and your energy demands grow, put on your

green glasses and look at the lighting fixtures outside your home. You're almost certain to findopportunities to reduce energy consumption and live more lightly with energy-saving light bulbs.

Author's Bio:Â

Peter Ellinwood is the founder and owner ofGreenPoma, an online retailer of hard-to-find, best-i--breed, environmentally-friendly lighting options.During the 25 years he spent in the insurance industryin Boston, Baltimore, and Annapolis, he acquired anextensive background in product management andmarketing, but decided to use this knowledge for agreater purpose - selling energy-efficient light bulb,LED, halogen, and CFL products along with greatadvice. To make a purchase or learn more about goinggreen, please visit www.greenpoma.com.