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Lighting - Stylish and Energy Efficient

With the Federal Government’s plan to make energy efficient lightbulbs compulsory from 2009, you may be wondering how you can still have stylish lighting in your home while still conforming to the new requirements.  Thankfully, there are new technologies in lighting such as compact fluorescent bulbs and LED bulbs that can be used with light fitting that look great.

Up to twenty percent of all electricity produced is used for lighting.  Therefore, by switching to energy efficient lighting, we can cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and also save our own hip pocket.  By using the new technologies available in lighting, lighting energy use can be reduced by fifty to seventy-five percent.  Additionally, the new lighting controls can further increase energy savings by reducing the amount of times that the lights are on without being used.

Save Energy by Using Compact Fluorescent Bulbs in Your Lighting

Compact fluorescent bulbs can be used throughout the home to provide high-quality and high-efficiency lighting.  They may cost more to buy initially, but their efficiency and the fact that they last up to ten times longer than standard incandescent bulbs mean that quite significant amounts of money can actually be saved.  Modern compact fluorescent bulbs have brightness and colour rendition that is comparable to the standard incandescent light. 

The modern fluorescent light fixtures have features that include dimmable ballasts (basically, dimmable lights), accurate colour representation, cool white and full spectrum colours, higher quality materials, and innovative design styles.

Because compact fluorescent bulbs are often larger than standard incandescent bulbs, the bigger fluorescent bulbs may not fit into your fixture.  This is especially true if you have the straight compact fluorescent bulb as it may protrude past the fixture and irritate your eyes.  If this is a problem, try using a spiral shaped compact fluorescent bulb as they are generally even more compact.

LED Lights – The New Energy Efficient Lighting Technology

LED stands for light emitting diodes and these lights are a new range of affordable, energy efficient lighting.  Products available with LED lights include indoor bulb replacements, downlights, feature lighting, outdoor lighting, and even waterproof lighting.

LED replacement bulbs use a fraction of the wattage that a standard incandescent bulb would use, meaning that the cost to run lighting can be slashed by over ninety-two percent.  This is because the standard incandescent bulb loses ninety-five percent of their power energy in heat, while LED lights produce no heat and consume vastly less power.  They also do not contain dangerous chemicals such as mercury or lead.  LED light bulbs last anywhere from 38 to 58 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs.  Because they are shaped like normal bulbs, they fit into most fittings and lighting designs, meaning that you do not have to sacrifice any style for energy efficiency.

General Tips and Hints to be More Energy Efficient With Your Lighting

Here are some further tips and hints on how you can save energy through your lights.

• use light fittings that allow the maximum amount of light to pass through – clear or slightly frosted glass is much  better than coloured glass which often cuts light output by up to half
• turn off any unnecessary lights – including fluorescent lights
• use timer controls or daylight or movement sensors
• light coloured paint will reflect more light, meaning that you use less
• use modern dimmer controls
• use desk, table, or standard lamps to direct light where it is most needed, reducing the need for general lighting throughout the whole room
• keep your lamps and fittings clean

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