|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
New
Lighting Standards in 2012
As
part of the Energy Independence
and Security Act (EISA) of 2007,
the
"light bulb law" is designed
to remove unnecessarily wasteful
products from the market. Under
the new standards, screw-based light
bulbs will use fewer watts for
a similar lumen output. Any type of
bulb can be sold as long as it
meets the efficiency requirements. Common
household light bulbs that traditionally
use between 40 and 100 watts
will use at least 27% less energy by
2014. The law applies to the manufacture
date and began affecting 100-watt
bulbs in January 2012 and will
end with 40-watt bulbs in January 2014.
Based on U.S. Department
of Energy estimates, with
the new EISA standards, U.S.
households could collectively
save nearly $6 billion in 2015
alone.
|
|
Increasing your lighting efficiency
is one of the fastest and easiest ways to
reduce your energy costs. Fortunately, the
variety of energy-efficient lighting options
continues to grow. You can choose from a wide range of bulbs depending on what works best for your
needs and budget.
Lumens and Watts
Efficiency is measured by the number of lumens
per watt a bulb provides. Lumens tell you how bright a light is, while watts tell you how much energy
the bulb uses. For example:
- The standard 60 watt incandescent light bulb provides 13 to 14 lumens per watt.
- An equivalent CFL provides between 55 and 70 lumens per watt.
- An equivalent LED can range between 60 and 100 lumens per watt.
Which Bulb is Right for Your Home?
You have a range of better bulb choices,
including CFLs, halogens and LEDs. This chart can help you determine which bulb will offer you the
best fit in terms of brightness and efficiency-based savings.
Lighting Tips
- Turn off lights when leaving a room.
- Use "task" lighting so work and leisure activities can be carried on without lighting
up an entire room.
- Choose lighter colors for walls, ceilings, floors and furniture since dark colors require higher
lamp wattage for illumination.
- Locate floor, table and hanging lamps in the corner of a room where they can reflect light from
two wall surfaces and give more usable
light.
- Clean lighting fixtures regularly. Dust on lamps and reflectors impairs lighting efficiency.
- Make sure that outdoor lighting is turned off during the daytime by installing photoelectric controls
or timers.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
