Climate change is the leading threat to our future and more specifically, the future of our children. This reality thrusts many different pressures on us to reduce our carbon footprint. This can be difficult; we have become accustomed to very wasteful habits over the centuries. Breaking these habits isn’t as easy as recognizing them.
There is another important factor to consider: Cost. The cost benefits to being more energy efficient are becoming more and more substantial every day.
These pesky habits we have has inspired tech companies to create solutions that we can seamlessly integrate into our culture. For example, the thought of not driving a car because of its CO2 emissions is not a viable option for most people, however, the proliferation of electric cars will one day allow us to convert to something more sustainable without comprising our traveling habits.
This strategy has been applied to many everyday items we take for granted. Light bulbs and light fixtures for instance. Follow these tips in selecting the best energy efficient light bulbs and light fixtures for your home.
Light bulbs:
-First thing’s first, toss all your energy wasting incandescent light bulbs and stick to light emitting diodes (LED’s) or compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL’s).
-Another good strategy is to install dimmers if you don’t already have them. I would recommend dimmers even if energy efficiency wasn’t a concern. Being able to adjust the lights depending on mood or to create a specific ambiance for entertaining is a benefit for every homeowner.
-Even when switching to LED’s and CFL’s, any given brand has different levels of efficiency. Always look for the ENERGY STAR symbol to ensure you are purchasing the most energy efficient light bulbs.
Lighting Fixtures:
-When shopping for a lighting fixture, the variety of different styles can pair with different colors in LED lights. Don’t just buy any bulb; get the color that suits the fixture you have chosen. The colors available include soft white, neutral white, daylight and more.
-LED lighting fixtures are now available in a wide variety of designs and are becoming the standard. There are several different options available. Hardwired home lighting is a standard. In addition to that, you can find an expansive collection of outdoor lighting options, such as wall lights, post lights, hanging lights, ceiling lights, motion sensors and security lights. We’ve progressed to a point where even portable lanterns and flashlights are available in LED.
Conclusion:
We have truly turned a corner in lighting efficiency. Not too long ago it was difficult to obtain energy efficient lighting in the styles and varieties that you fancy. Today, if you walked into a hardware store, you would be hard pressed to find lighting that isn’t energy efficient. Always remember, even if you are strictly sticking to LED’s and CFL’s – while they are all better than incandescent lighting, they range in efficiency. Always look for the EPA’s ENERGY STAR symbol to ensure you are buying the most efficient products.
Original article found at: http://dreamcasa.org/living/design-and-decorate/spending-too-much-on-energy-a-guide-to-energy-efficient-lighting/