Eco Lighting
You must have often wondered how you, as an individual, can contribute to making the Earth greener and more eco-friendly. You don’t have to clean your street everyday to show your environmental concerns. Instead, small changes in your lifestyle – like the bulbs you use – can make a big impact on the environment. For example, the normal incandescent bulbs that you use convert only about 5 to 10 percent of electricity into light. The rest of electricity consumed is released as heat. This is not only harmful to the environment, but also to the people who use these bulbs. So by using green lighting, or eco lighting, we are not only saving our environment but also saving ourselves from the harmful effects of ordinary bulbs.
Compact fluorescent lamps, or CFL bulbs, are the best known low energy light bulbs. These bulbs light your room with the same intensity as an ordinary bulb but consume 66% less energy. These bulbs use less electricity so you end up saving about £100 per bulb per year. These bulbs also last 15 times longer when compared to ordinary incandescent bulbs. So by using CFL bulbs you not only save on your energy bills but also help in reducing global warming.
Halogen bulbs like CFLs consume low energy when compared to standard bulbs. The bulbs come in various shapes and sizes and can be easily used in your ceiling and wall lighting fixtures. These bulbs last 3 times longer than your ordinary bulbs, which more than justifies the price that you pay for them.
Light Emitting Diodes, or LEDs, are energy efficient and long-lasting light bulbs. These bulbs consume only 80 to 90 percent of the energy consumed by ordinary bulbs, and last up to 100,000 hours. LED’s are a bit expensive when compared to standard bulbs, but this high price is compensated by the energy saved and long life of the bulb.
Krypton bulbs can be found in chandeliers, ceiling lights and automobile lights. The bulbs are filled with Krypton gas, which allows the filaments present in the bulb to burn at high temperatures, thereby emitting whiter light. These bulbs last longer and are energy efficient when compared to standard bulbs.
You can use these low energy bulbs in your ceiling and wall lighting fixtures. Ceiling lights are attached to ceiling as hanging or mounted. Examples of ceiling lights are recessed lights, chandeliers, pendant lights, track lights and flush lights. Wall lighting on the other are fittings that are either pressed against or attached to the walls. The lighting can be attached to dimmer switches and motion sensors to reduce the consumption of electricity. Some manufacturers provide for the use of energy saving lights in their fittings to help you save on your electric bills. These eco-friendly light fixtures and lamps play an important part in greening your lighting.
Conserving electricity through the efficient management of your lighting is of prime importance. By conserving electricity we prevent burning fossil fuels, which have adverse affects on our environment. Also, the heat released by incandescent lighting is known to cause global warming. Energy saving bulbs are a tad bit expensive, but when you compare the energy saved and the life of the bulb, it’s actually a good investment. So save your environment – and your money on bills!