Indoor and Outdoor Lighting Tips to Conserve Energy and Save Money

Making improvements to your lighting is one of the fastest ways to cut your energy bills. An average household dedicates 11% of its energy budget to lighting. Using new lighting technologies can reduce lighting energy use in your home by 50% to 75%. Advances in lighting controls offer further energy savings by reducing the amount of time lights are on but not being used.

Indoor Lighting

Use tube fluorescent and energy efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) in fixtures throughout your home to provide high-quality and high-efficiency lighting. Fluorescent lamps are much more efficient than incandescent (standard) bulbs and last about 4 to 10 times longer.

Today’s CFLs offer brightness and color rendition that is comparable to incandescent lights. Although fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps cost a bit more than incandescent bulbs, they pay for themselves by saving energy over their lifetime. Now available are dimmable fluorescent light bulbs, which operate much like incandescent fixtures.

Indoor Lighting Tips

* Look for the ENERGY STAR label when purchasing these products.

* Turn off the lights in any room you’re not using, or consider installing timers, photo cells, or occupancy sensors to reduce the amount of time your lights are on.

* Use task lighting; instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it. For example, use fluorescent under-cabinet lighting for kitchen sinks and countertops under cabinets.

* Consider three-way lamps; they make it easier to keep lighting levels low when brighter light is not necessary.

* Use 4-foot fluorescent fixtures with reflective backing and electronic ballasts for your workroom, garage, and laundry areas.

* Consider using 4-watt mini-fluorescent or electro-luminescent night lights. Both lights are much more efficient than their incandescent counterparts. The luminescent lights are cool to the touch.

* Use CFLs in all the portable table and floor lamps in your home. Consider carefully the size and fit of these systems when you select them. Some home fixtures may not accommodate some of the larger CFLs.

* Recessed downlights (also called recessed cans) are now available that are rated for contact with insulation (IC rated), are designed specifically for pin-based CFLs, and can be used in retrofits or new construction.

* Take advantage of daylight by using light-colored, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room while preserving privacy. Also, decorate with lighter colors that reflect daylight.

* If you have torchiere fixtures with halogen lamps, consider replacing them with compact fluorescent torchieres. Compact fluorescent torchieres use 60% to 80% less energy, can produce more light (lumens), and do not get as hot as the halogen torchieres. Halogen torchieres are a fire risk because of the high temperature of the halogen bulb.

Outdoor Lighting

Many homeowners use outdoor lighting for decoration and security. When shopping for outdoor lights, you will find a variety of products, from low-voltage pathway lighting to fluorescent motion-detector floodlights. Some stores also carry lights powered by small photovoltaic (PV) modules that convert sunlight directly into electricity; consider PV-powered lights for areas that are not close to an existing power supply line.

Outdoor Lighting Tips

* Use outdoor lights with a photocell unit or a motion sensor so they will turn on only at night or when someone is present. A combined photocell and motion sensor will increase your energy savings even more.

* Turn off decorative outdoor natural gas lamps; just eight such lamps burning year-round use as much natural gas as it takes to heat an average-size home during an entire winter.

* Exterior lighting is one of the best places to use CFLs because of their long life. If you live in a cold climate, be sure to buy a lamp with a cold weather ballast since standard CFLs may not work well below 40 degrees F.

* Also consider high-intensity discharge (also called HID) or low-pressure sodium lights.

By implementing some of these tips and strategies, you will save both energy and money. In many cases your home will also be safer due to the decreased fire hazards.

Sick of replacing light bulbs and paying high energy bills? Switch to compact fluorescent lighting and you won’t ever go back.

Technorati Tags: Conserve, Energy, Indoor, lighting, money, outdoor, Save, Tips

I prefer outdoor/nature photography but hope to have one that works well both indoor and outdoor. I do not not have a whole lot of money to spend so I need a cheap but dependable and also durable meter.

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Wouldn’t this save the enviroment and help with energy securiety? Wouldn’t it also save people money? I’m not seeing a downside to more energy, heating and lighting efficient buildings built with more enviromentally friendly less toxic materials, is there one? I know that construction costs would sometimes go up but any initial increase in costs would be offset over a short period of time due to the savings greener construction would generate.
What I was trying to get at was raising that minimum standerd as much as possible.
in terms of enviromental friendliness, and energy efficiency.

Technorati Tags: construction costs, downside, energy efficiency, friendliness, initial increase, money, period of time, short period, standerd, toxic materials

I’m shopping for a new TV and I’m not certain that the LED-LCD back-lighting that some new TVs have is necessarily worth the money.
It seems really cool, and it seems like it improves durability and longevity.
But I just want some second opinions about this.

I should mention that the purpose of this TV would be largely for console gaming. Also would be streaming HD video from my PC.

I need to see this actually in use in the store
- and I need to have time to fiddle with the picture settings on other TVs because they *do* set TVs picture settings to a poorer quality when they’re not trying to promote them as much -
But I need to see this for myself because I really haven’t.

Anyway I’m torn between 2 options at about a similar price
* Get a 46" TV with LED-LCD
* Get a 55" TV without LED-LCD

That’s a big TV at 55 inches, and I don’t care what size of room you’re in the bigger the better right? I’m only sitting about 8 feet away from my TV in my small apartment but a gigantic TV is what it’s all about isn’t it?

But I could get a smaller TV at a similar price that boasts very crisp black levels, even lighting, and high contrast.

What can you tell me about the quality of the LED back-lighting?
Your thoughts on my options?

Technorati Tags: durability, fiddle, hd, high contrast, longevity, money, new tv, quot, small apartment, tvs

Illuminate Your Garden With Solar Lights – Save Money, Feel Better About it

The warmth and light of the sun nurtures all of the living and growing things in a garden and while the sun shines the beauty of the flowers, shrubs, trees and structures can be easily seen and enjoyed. What about after dark? There are many ways to accentuate a garden’s beauty without the brilliant light of the midday sun, and this can be easily achieved through the use of solar powered garden lights.

Why solar powered garden lights? There are several major reasons for selecting a solar powered fixture over a traditional “hard wired” option. For instance, in order to use and operate a hard wired fixture a home or property owner may have to hire a professional electrician to install the proper exterior fixtures and wires. Then there is the need to mark the areas where wires are located in order to avoid accidentally severing them or disturbing them during normal garden maintenance. Of course this also means the use of electricity to operate the lights and any sensors or timers that they require, which means additional monthly expense. Finally, most hard wired fixtures will also require frequent light bulb replacement which can add up to a lot of money in a short period of time.

Solar garden lights however can be installed by almost anyone with only minimal tools and experience required. The fixtures themselves can be relocated whenever and wherever the gardener desires, without the need for any professional assistance or associated expenses. Additionally, the majority of modern solar lights use LED bulbs, which operate for exceedingly long periods of times, some for decades, before requiring replacement. Finally, they operate strictly on the energy received from the sun, which means they operate entirely for free!

What kind of outdoor solar lights are available? A gardener could easily, and at a relatively affordable cost, light their entire yard or garden. There are sets of lighting fixtures intended to line an entire sidewalk or pathway, and there are also lighting fixtures meant to be used as accent or solar spot lights to illuminate a particular area of the yard or a specimen tree or bush, and there are even lights intended to be attached to flag poles and properly light a flying flag during the hours of darkness.

One of the major benefits of using solar powered lighting fixtures for the yard or garden is that their cost free operation will almost immediately “repay” the owner the initial cost of investing in the lights. This means that a beautiful yard can be enjoyed both day and night thanks to the power of the sun!

Interview by Bryan Garner of WPTV Newschannel 5, regarding Sol Inc.’s donation of solar lights for Haiti earthquake relief and recovery. Aired on WPTV Newschannel 5 on January 19, 2010

Technorati Tags: About, Better, Feel, Garden, Illuminate, Lights, money, Save, Solar

The old light bulbs — which were round and used 60 to 100 watts are being phased out in Canada –(I forget which year they will no longer be available for purchase)

As a result the old light bulbs are on sale everywhere

Ontario Hydro , top scientist David Suzuki and so on are advocating for the new energy efficient light bulbs

Suzuki has been putting the message into a Canadian format and spreading it

"Less electricity equals more beer"

The say you can save about 45 dollars a year per light bulb — so I thought make that 36 dollars a year or 3 dollar a month times 10 light bulbs –30 dollars a month or 360 per year

I have been buying them with the idea that I will save money on my next hydro bill ( more money for beer) and that I am doing something good to reduce power consumption

———– Here is the only draw back to using them I have found — there can be up to a 5 second delay when turning them on to lighting the room — other than that it appears brighter than the regular bulbs for slightly less than 1/4 of the electricity 13 watts compared to 60

Has any of this all of this or some of this het the US yet ?
This bulb —

I like Sukuki’s message better – but the above link is far more informative

Technorati Tags: amp, canada, david suzuki, electricity, energy efficient light bulbs, hydro bill, light bulb, money, new energy, nr, ontario hydro, power consumption, scientist, suzuki, watts

How to Save Money and Energy in Home Lighting

Stylish home lighting has become popular all over the world. All kinds of indoor lighting and outdoor lighting are being used extensively for enhanced home décor and interior design purposes. However, these lights and lighting fixtures can often be neither easy to find and install, nor cheap. With regard to the current economic climate, many home owners will be looking to save money. It is important that you consider your budget when choosing your lighting and fixtures. You may wish to choose lighting which is not only in vogue but also doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket, or you may wish to save costs by using lower energy options.

There are several home lighting options that can save you a lot, without sacrificing the style aspect of your home even one bit! We will discuss some tips and tricks to maintain a short and clean budget and yet be right on top of the fashion fiesta.

Using Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs can light your home in a much livelier way, and yet be really low on the power costs. Energy wastage and pollution also is avoidable to a much larger degree than it is with conventional light bulbs. However, using a CFL lamp makes the ambience much more radiant in its own unique way, with the light being much more on the whiter side. It can work wonders as accent lighting, with paintings and colored features coming out in their correct contrasts.
Another way to save money while incorporating indoor lighting and outdoor lighting in your interior design budget is Do-It-Yourself home lighting. Pendants, LED lighting, light fixtures, spotlights, and other lighting types can be fixed by you yourself, albeit with some guidance. Employing professional resources in regard to lighting is very expensive, to say the least.

Not only this, if you wish to use two lighting styles in a single room, you can do so in an inexpensive way as well. Flooding the room with CFL bulbs, (which incidentally is a great way to keep costs of lighting to a minimum) you can use chandeliers or spotlights to help best features of the room stand apart form the ordinarily lit areas. Recessed lighting too, can be implemented in the same way.

However, always remember that cheap lights might not do the trick. It is only through wise selection and shopping around that you can keep your budget in check and yet sure of high quality and service. There are several online portals that offer home lighting options, which are not only of the highest quality available but also are affordably priced. One of the best sites in the fray is LightMyHome, offering an eclectic mix of elegant lighting designs and products, all within the reach of regular consumers with a restricted budget. Ideal home lighting, after all, isn’t that expensive and as tough to achieve as it seems!

Find More OUTDOOR HOME LIGHTING Articles

Technorati Tags: Energy, Home, lighting, money, Save

Save Your Money with Solar Outdoor Lights

Often times you may want to light up your house at night, whether to have an evening outdoor meeting, to feel safer while you sleep at night, or to simply enhance the architecture of your home. But, with all the other electrical appliances that run within a household, lighting up a yard at any point of the day doesn’t seem feasible. Well, it no longer need to be a luxury, thanks to solar outdoor lighting, which, due to its cost-effectiveness, is being seen decorating more and more homes’ exteriors.

What are solar outdoor lights?

Solar outdoor lights, unlike traditional lights that require a bulb and wiring, are made up of a small solar cell. This cell absorbs energy from the sun and converts this energy into electrical energy. This energy is then used to charge the battery that the light runs on once it is dark outside.

You need to leave your solar lights in an outdoor location that it is exposed to plenty of sunlight. Once nightfall comes around, the battery is ready and able to switch on your solar outdoor lights.

How can they help me save my money?

The obvious advantage of buying solar lights is that you only make an initial investment. Regular lights need wiring that uses up electricity. There’s no such hassle with solar outdoor lights as they do not require any electricity to light up.

The solar outdoor lights that you find in modern age use light emitting diode (more commonly referred to as LED) light bulbs, which last much longer than regular bulbs or incandescent bulbs, which burn out rather quickly and do not give you that much light to start with. LED light bulbs, on the other hand, produce a much brighter light while using up no electricity. The new batteries used in solar outdoor lights are able to take and hold charge much better than lead-acid ones.

You might pay a significant price to get a set of high quality solar outdoor lights, but you can be assured that you will be saving much more money than the initial cost of payment in the long run. A good product will last longer and be brighter, so that you won’t have to spend money on improving them.

It’s not just the mechanism of the solar outdoor lights that will save you money. You can do a lot more to reduce your electricity bill with their help. Why not purchase a solar outdoor light and stand it in your front porch? You’ll never have to keep your porch light on through the night.

Solar outdoor lights come in the form of solar deck lights, solar path lights and solar address lights, so that there are many ways in which they can be used to save you hundreds of dollars in electricity bills. Solar outdoor lights have a low initial payment, no running costs and easy installation. Not only are they an environmentally friendly option, but they are also very easy on your pocket.

Technorati Tags: Lights, money, outdoor, Save, Solar

Save Your Money with Low Voltage Outdoor Lights

Today, there are many kinds of lighting. All of them can show or get easily in many manufactures surround you. The main purpose of light of course to give lighting for our home, office and other places. If you realize that light use electric power. It means that you must pay of electric bill per month. Therefore, there are such manufactures try to create a light, which is low voltage. Low voltage outdoor lights are very important in this life. The reason is that most people should no other thing.

In addition, having low voltage outdoor lights are the best way to minimize our money. What will happen if you have a low voltage light? Yes, that is right; your electric bill per month will be cheaper. Talking about outdoor light, you will remember that there are many types, models and color of it. You can search them from the internet, moreover in the magazine. Low voltage outdoor lights will be your solution of saving. The reason is that people plan many things. If you want to choose a low voltage lights, you can find it both interior lighting and exterior lighting.

Interior lighting is special for interior only. The models and material may be different with exterior light. You must underline that low voltage outdoor lights can be found easily in any electric shops. If you ask the quality of the light, you should determine the brand. Each brand has different quality. Moreover, it has a different price. Low voltage outdoor lights do not seem a low price. Low voltage may be has an expensive price. Therefore, you should be careful with this one. The reason is very simple, if you get a low voltage of course there is a special component that create it be economical.

In summary, low voltage outdoor lights are very important for our plan. Besides that, not all low voltage is low price; however it has a contrast meaning.

More LOW VOLTAGE LIGHTING Articles

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Outdoor Solar Lights Can Beautify And Illuminate Any Property – While Saving Tons Of Money!

There are numerous ways to use outdoor solar lights effectively. They can be used to illuminate your gardens or walkways so your home becomes a nighttime play land or brighten your driveway for daytime enjoyment. They deliver a relaxing, enjoyable mood whether used on the porch, deck, or other areas of your property.

Solar lights are also used as part of security systems that bring peace of mind every homeowner deserves. They are used to brighten darker areas surrounding the home, often with motion sensor lights. They can also be used to light utility sheds and other small structures on your property.

Adding outdoor solar lighting is one the fastest and most effective ways to start saving on your energy bill. These freestanding lights require no electrical wiring, since they are fueled solely from stored energy of the sun.

Think of the money and energy to be saved just by eliminating outdoor lights running on your electrical currents all night long, every night!

So, how does solar lighting work?

Each light soaks up energy from the sun during daylight hours using a small built-in solar panel. That natural energy is then converted to stored electricity in a rechargeable battery which is used at night.

Many outdoor solar lights have a built-in timer which allows them to come on automatically when it gets dark. This makes them extremely convenient and easy to use.

Solar lights use LED (light emitting diode) lamps, which have been proven to last longer because they do not have filament and they don’t give off heat wastefully. Many solar lights also have multiple LED’s and a reflector inside which enables them to give off more light and to distribute that light evenly.

Will my lights run all night, every night?

That depends on multiple factors, such as the amount of daytime sunlight exposure. Obviously, the more sunlight the light receives the more energy it will absorb for nighttime use. So, place them in the sunniest locations if possible.

You can also turn the top solar panel on your light south or southwest to increase its sun exposure. Many lights will run 12-15 hours with about 8 hours of direct sun exposure.

When placing your lights, consider any possible shading that may occur from nearby trees, bushes, buildings, etc. Lights in the shade will put out less light at night.

Other factors to consider…

Your geographic location can affect how bright and how long your solar lights run, since locations receive fewer hours of sunlight than others. The time of year can also make a difference for the same reason.

Solar landscape lights will usually not be as bright as your typical outdoor lighting; however this is often a benefit, especially if you want to create a low key, relaxed, or even romantic mood in your garden, patio or around the pool.

The biggest benefits of solar outdoor lighting:

Extremely affordable, fast and simple to install Cost effective, no recurring expenses to run. Solar garden lighting and solar yard lights can be used where standard lighting would be too expensive or literally impossible to use safely. No wiring worries, saving time and money. Up to 1000 nights of lighting with each rechargeable, replaceable battery. Outdoor solar lighting uses led lights, which are energy efficient, give off limited heat, and emit no greenhouse pollution. Solar patio lights are very fashionable- traditional styles to more fun, creative styles to fit every home. Many solar lights allow a choice of colors that will be illuminated, including white, blue, amber, green and red.

Obviously, there are many different options when it comes to selecting solar lighting, and there are many great benefits to going solar as well.

Want more ideas on how to use outdoor solar lights on your property? Explore below to find creative ways to save money while doing your part to clean our environment.

Technorati Tags: Beautify, Illuminate, Lights, money, outdoor, Property, Saving, Solar, Tons