Energy Saving Tips  - Lighting

Indoor Lighting

Increasing your lighting efficiency is one of the fastest ways to decrease your energy bills. If you replace 25% of your lights in high-use areas with fluorescent, you can save about 50% of your lighting energy bill.

Fluorescent and lamps are much more efficient than incandescent bulbs and last 6 to 10 times longer. Although fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps are more expensive than incandescent bulbs, they pay for themselves by saving energy over their lifetime.

By incorporating these features into your home, you not only use less electricity, but also stay cooler in the summer because less heat is being generated by lights.

Outdoor Lighting
Many homeowners use outdoor lighting for decorations and security. When shopping for outdoor lights, you will find a variety of products, from low-voltage pathway lighting to motion-detector floodlights. Some stores also carry lights powered by small photovoltaic (PV) modules that convert sunlight directly into electricity.

Compact Fluorescent Lighting vs. Incandescent Lighting

• Incandescent lamps are the most common lighting source in U.S., but they waste the most energy.
• Ninety percent of the energy consumed by incandescent lamps is given off as heat rather than visible light.
• Incandescents last for about 750 hours, CFLs 10,000.
• Compact fluorescent light bulbs are the most efficient light bulbs available today.
• CFLs are about 75 percent cooler
  
  (source US Department of Energy)