LIGHT RIGHT
Every year, Americans buy over a billion incandescent
fightbulbs. That's three acres of
bulbs every day.
BACKGROUND
Flip a light switch on and off .. and consider that you're
affecting the environment. It may seem strange, because we're used to thinking
of lighting as a domestic matter; it happens in our homes, not outside them.
Yet ac, cording to the World Resources Institute, lighting accounts for 1/5 of
all the electricity consumed in the U.S. which means that our lighting habits
and choices have a significant impact on the Earth. The more electricity we
use, for example, the more industrial emissions we generate, contributing
heavily to problems like the "green house effect" and acid rain.
There are several simple ways to "light right."
The most obvious is conservation diligently turning lights off when they're not
in use. But a less obvious and more effective method is to choose and use your
lightbulbs with energy conservation in mind.
LIGHT READING
The Compact Fluorescent:
Most Americans are unaware of the development of the compact
fluorescent lightbulb. This amazing bulb screws into standard sockÂ
ets, and gives off light that looks just like a traditional
(incandesÂ
cent) bulb not like the fluorescents we're used to seeing in
schools, offices, etc. "Electronic" compact
fluorescents with "solid
state" ballasts are the best; they come on instantly
and produce no
flicker or hum.
o Compact fluorescents are big energy,savers. They last
longer and
use about 1/4 of the energy of an incandescent bulb. For
example:
A 60 watt incandescent bulb lasts about 750 hours; a
fluorescent
bulb with 1/3 the wattage will generate the same light and
bum for
7,500 to 10,000 hours in five to ten Kears of normal use.
* Substituting a compact fluorescent light for a traditional
bulb
will keep a half ton of C02 out of the atmosphere over the
life of
the bulb.
9 Money talk: Compact fluorescents are considerably more
expenÂ
sive than traditional incandescents initially (about $20).
But
\IV ,/
doret compare that to the cost of one incandescent bulb. You
will need 13 incandescents to last for the same 10,000 hours. * Over its
lifetime, a compact fluorescent uses about $ 10 worth of electricity; during
the same period, equivalent incandescents gobble about $45 of electricity. So
you save $35 per bulb which is like earning 25% to 50% interest on your
investment.
0 Compact fluorescents areet suitable for every type of
lighting situation. One factor is size; they won't work, for example, in small
lamps or certain covered fixtures. Another factor is frequency of use. They
make the most sense if they're used in places where they're left on for at
least 2 hours a day.
* You can't get compact fluorescents everywhere; you may
have to look around a bit. Check hardware and home stores.
RESULTS 0 There are 100 million households in America. If a
single compact fluorescent was installed in each Of them, the energy saved
would be equivalent to all the energy generated by one nuclear power plant
running full~time for a year.
BRIGHT IDEAS 9 Interestingly, one large incandescent bulb is
more efficient than two small ones in a multi,bulb fixture. A 100 watt bulb,
for example, puts out as much light as two 60s ... and it saves energy.
* In light fixtures that take three bulbs, try using only
two. But for safety's sake, put a burned~out bulb in the last socket. * Try
more efficient incandescents such as krypton filled, tungsten halogen, or
infrared reflective coated.
SOURCES
Horne Energy magazine, 2124 Kittredge St. #95, Berkeley, CA
94704. The best magazine in America on home energy. Write for subscription
info; send $2 for their excellent "Consumer Guide to Energy. Saq~ing
Lights," a highly recommended first resource.
Rising Sun Enterprises, PO Box 586, Snowmass, CO 81654. Mail
orders energy saving lightbulbs, including some compact fluorescents. Send $5
for their consumer guide / catalog.
LIGHT RIGHT
Every year, Americans
buy over a billion incandescent fightbulbs. That's three acres of bulbs every day.
BACKGROUND
Flip a light switch on and off .. and consider
that you're affecting the environment. It may seem strange, because we're used
to thinking of lighting as a domestic matter; it happens in our homes, not
outside them. Yet ac, cording to the World Resources Institute, lighting
accounts for 1/5 of all the electricity consumed in the U.S.‑which means that our
lighting habits and choices have a significant impact on the Earth. The more
electricity we use, for example, the more industrial emissions we generate,
contributing heavily to problems like the "green house effect" and
acid rain.
There are several simple ways to "light
right." The most obvious is conservation‑diligently turning lights off when they're not
in use. But a less obvious‑and
more effective‑method is to choose and
use your lightbulbs with energy conservation in mind.
LIGHT READING
The Compact Fluorescent:
Most Americans are
unaware of the development of the compact fluorescent lightbulb. This amazing
bulb screws into standard sockets,
and gives off light that looks just like a traditional (incandescent) bulb‑not like the fluorescents we're used to seeing
in schools, offices, etc. "Electronic" compact fluorescents with
"solid state" ballasts are the best; they come on instantly and
produce no
flicker or hum.
Compact fluorescents are
big energy,savers. They last longer and use about 1/4 of the energy of an
incandescent bulb. For example: A 60‑watt incandescent bulb lasts about 750 hours; a fluorescent bulb
with 1/3 the wattage will generate the same light and bum for 7,500 to 10,000
hours in five to ten Kears of normal use.
Substituting a compact
fluorescent light for a traditional bulb will keep a half‑ton of C02 out of the
atmosphere over the life of
the bulb.
Money talk: Compact
fluorescents are considerably more expensive
than traditional incandescents initially (about $20). But
compare
that to the cost of one incandescent bulb. You will need 13 incandescents to last
for the same 10,000 hours.
Over
its lifetime, a compact fluorescent uses about $ 10 worth of electricity;
during the same period, equivalent incandescents gobble about $45 of
electricity. So you save $35 per bulb‑which is like earning 25% to 50% interest on your
investment.
Compact fluorescents areet suitable for every
type of lighting situation. One factor is size; they won't work, for example,
in small lamps or certain covered fixtures. Another factor is frequency of use.
They make the most sense if they're used in places where they're left on for at
least 2 hours a day.
You can't get compact fluorescents everywhere;
you may have to look around a bit. Check hardware and home stores.
RESULTS
There are 100 million households in America. If
a single compact fluorescent was installed in each Of them, the energy saved
would be equivalent to all the energy generated by one nuclear power plant
running full~time for a year.
BRIGHT IDEAS
Interestingly, one large incandescent bulb is
more efficient than two small ones in a multi,bulb fixture. A 100‑watt bulb, for example,
puts out as much light as two 60s ... and it saves energy.
In light fixtures that take three bulbs, try
using only two. But for safety's sake, put a burned~out bulb in the last
socket. * Try more efficient incandescents such as krypton‑filled, tungsten‑halogen, or infrared‑reflective coated.
SOURCES
Horne Energy magazine, 2124 Kittredge St. #95,
Berkeley, CA 94704. The best magazine in America on home energy. Write for
subscription info; send $2 for their excellent "Consumer Guide to Energy.
Saq~ing Lights," a highly recommended first resource.
Rising Sun Enterprises, PO Box 586, Snowmass, CO
81654. Mail orders energy‑saving lightbulbs,
including some compact fluorescents. Send $5 for their consumer guide /
catalog.