A Guide to Energy Efficient Lighting

Although there are so many priorities in today’s world, climate change continues to be a concern for the future of Americans.  This is a leading threat for future generations.  This reality thrusts many different pressures on us to reduce our carbon footprint.  Breaking habits that we have become accustomed to over centuries is a difficult undertaking.

Another consideration is the increasing cost benefits to being more energy efficient, which are becoming more and more substantial every day.

Tech companies are now inspired to create solutions that we can seamlessly integrate into our every day lives.   For example, the continued manufacturing and improvement of electric cars will one day allow us to convert to something more sustainable without comprising our traveling habits.

We are already seeing this strategy being applied to many everyday items we take for granted. Light bulbs and light fixtures for instance are a convenient and affordable way to begin investing in reducing our carbon footprint. 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.