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Energy Efficient Home Lighting

Thursday, March 6, 2014

To save energy, convert incandescent fixtures to fluorescent wherever practical. Fluorescent tubes illuminate more efficiently than incandescent bulbs. To make sure that bulbs in remote places (attic, basement, garage, or closets, for example), aren't left burning install automatic switches that shut off the lights in a room when the door is closed. Another way to monitor lights in remote areas of the house is to install a switch with a red pilot indicator. When the red light glows, you'll know lights in the basement, garage, etc.

have inadvertently been left on. These remote switches are available from hardware stores. Three-way bulbs, like dimmers, let you adjust lighting intensity to your needs and can save electrical energy. If a fixture won't take a 3-way bulb, reduce the size (wattage) ifyou need the bulb only for general light.

If you install bright security lights, consider controlling them with a photoelectric cell or timer that turns the lights on at dusk and off at dawn, this means you can avoid burning the lights unnecessarily. It is important that light fixtures be kept clean, because a dusty or dirty light fixture will absorb light, decreasing the amount of illumination reaching areas where it's needed. A dirty fixture may therefore prompt family members to turn on additional lights that shouldn t be necessary.

Energy Efficient Home Lighting
Getting rid of a decorative outdoor gas lamp can save you money in energy costs. However, if you need outdoor light for visibility or security, consider converting a gas lamp to electricity. This will reduce energy consumption considerably, especially if the lamp is turned on only when necessary.
To save energy, use onr large bulb father than several smaller ones. It requires six 25-watt bulbs to produce the light of a single 100-watt bulb. If you turn a 3-way bulb to the lowest level while watching television you'll both save energy and reduce glare in the room.

White or light-colored lampshades capitalize on the light produced by lamp bulbs. With such shades, a lower-wattage bulb can produce the same amount of light as a higher-wattage bulb screened with a dark-colored shade. Fifty-watt reflector floodlights are recom-mended for directional lamps such as pole or spot lamps. They require half the wattage of standard 100-watt bulbs, yet provide nearly the same amount of illumination.

The smallest diameter recommended for a lampshade is 16 inches. Anything smaller will waste electricity by not diffusing enough light to be functional. In high-intensity portable lamps, you can substitute 25-watt reflector bulbs for the 40-watt bulbs normally used, you 11 get approximately the same illumination while consuming less energy.

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