Clear Home Lighting

While the incandescent light bulb has provided illumination to countless homes worldwide and was clearly innovative in its day, the design was not energy efficient. Back then, providing light was the goal.  Today, the goal has been upgraded to providing light that is energy efficient. With the current emphasis in the United States on energy efficiency, new energy standards have been mandated by Congress, and the non-energy efficient incandescent light bulb will be phased-out of the consumer markets in the United State over the next few years.

Incandescent light bulbs will be replaced with energy efficient bulbs, such as the newer high-efficiency compact fluorescent and light emitting diode, to provide lights for the home. With the use of incandescent light bulbs, the emphasis has tended to be on the wattage used by the bulb.  Watts is a measure of energy consumption.  It is not a measure of the brightness of the light emitted by the light bulb. Lumens is a measure of  bulb brightness.  However, with the incandescent light bulb, the higher the watts used by the light bulb, on the home light fixture, the brighter the light emitted by the bulb tended to be.

With current energy-efficient technology, fewer watts are needed to provide  equal or more lumens. The difference in energy consumption between energy efficient and non-energy efficient light design is significant.  For example,  as previously mentioned,  compact fluorescent light bulbs tend to be more  energy efficient than incandescent bulbs, consuming less energy, while producing the same or greater amounts of light than an incandescent light bulb. This fact can be illustrated by the following information provided by a light bulb manufacturer:  a common incandescent  60 watt light bulb puts out about 840 lumens and has an estimated life expectancy of about 1,000 hours. By comparison, a compact fluorescent light bulb that uses 14 watts puts out about  900 lumens and has an estimated life expectancy of about 10,000 hours.

Notice the significant difference in energy consumption, 60 watts versus 14 watts.  Moreover, notice the significant difference in the amount of illumination time the lights are reportedly designed to illuminate, 1,000 hours versus 10,000 hours.   In other words,  an incandescent light bulb that provides 840 lumens and consumes 60 watts tends to last about 1,000 hours. By comparison, a compact fluorescent light bulb that uses 14 watts provides 900 lumens and is estimated to last 10,000 hours.  Clearly, the implication for how these energy efficient light bulbs will impact the consumption of energy used by home lighting fixtures is evident, whether it is used in exterior habitat lights or interior habitat lights.

Consumers may also want to make special note of the life expectancy of the bulbs given that energy-efficient bulbs tend to last longer.  The life expectancy of the light bulb is  significant not only because fewer light bulbs need to be bought by consumers given that they last longer,  but also due to the fact that if fewer light bulbs are used, fewer need to be disposed, which is better for the natural environment.

In addition to the upcoming phasing-out of inefficient incandescent light bulbs in the United States,  the Federal Trade Commission announced that changes to the  package labeling on the bulbs is also occurring.  One of the main differences on the package labeling will be the emphasis on lumens instead of watts on the front of the package label.  The new packaging information that will be provided starting in 2011 will  include the following information to help consumers pick the best light bulb to meet their  lighting needs: (1)  brightness, as measured in lumens; (2)  estimated energy cost; (3)  estimated life expectancy; (4)  wattage; (5) whether or not the bulb contains mercury.  As of this writing, it is not yet clear if new package labeling will also apply to candelabra light bulbs, such as the ones used in some home light fixtures that hang from the ceiling.

Thus, while Thomas Edison made having home light  possible for millions of households worldwide with his incandescent light bulb, technology has improved lighting, making it possible to use lighting significantly more efficiently.   As a consequence, the incandescent light bulb will be phased-out of the United States  market place, and new labeling on light bulbs that emphasize lumens instead of watts will be used.

Following: motion sensor lights.

© 2009 Clearhomelighting.com. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Different styles and applications of home lighting are abundantly available for shoppers in the United States when they are considering adding or changing their habitat lighting fixtures.  In fact, numerous choices in designs are available for both the interior and exterior of homes. Moreover, different types of light bulbs are also available when choosing the type of  home light homeowners wish to use in their residence.

One type of light bulb available for lighting home interiors and exteriors is the light emitting diode, also known as LED.  Popular uses of LED home lighting include solar pathway lighting and low voltage pathway lighting, among other applications. Listed below are ten factors about LED home lighting consumers may wish to consider before purchasing lighting for the home that uses light emitting diode light bulbs in the lighting fixture’s design:

(1) Light emitting diode light (LEDS) are very energy efficient.

(2) LEDs tend to have a much longer life span than incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs.

(3) Unlike incandescent light bulbs, LEDs do not tend to get hot, since they release little heat.

(4) LEDs tend to be ecologically friendly, not only due to their energy efficiency, but also due to the fact that they do not contain mercury.

(5) LEDs tend to provide less light (lumens) when, for example, compared to incandescent light bulbs. Consequently, with the current techology in use, several LEDs are needed to provide adequate lighting.

(6) LED technology continues to develop.

(7) The quality of LED light bulbs vary.

(8) LED light bulbs that are ENERGY STAR listed have met ENERGY STAR’s high standards for lighting.

(9) LEDs do not tend to burn out abruptly at the end of their life. They start to dim.

(10) White LEDs do not attract bugs, due to the fact that they do not emit ultra violate light.

Thus, just as there are many choices when selecting lighting for the home, choices are also available when it comes to the type of light bulb the lighting fixture uses.  Homeowners may therefore wish to consider if the light emitting diode is a good choice for the application for which they plan to use the lighting.

Next, motion sensor lights. 

© 2009 Clearhomelighting.com. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Plentiful home lighting options are available to consumers these days when they are considering  purchasing lighting for the home. This article presents brief information about three types of home lighting. These three popular types of home light include light emitting diode (LED) home lighting, solar home lighting, and low voltage home lighting.  While these three types of lighting are also available for indoor use, the focus of this article will be on lighting home exteriors. Each type of habitat lighting is briefly presented below.

(1) LED home lighting is a type of light that lasts significantly longer than incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs. These types of  lights start to dim gradually instead of burning out completely when the life of the lighting is consumed. With white LEDs, bugs are not attracted to them, since they do not emit ultraviolet light. LEDs are energy efficient and contain no toxic mercury. However, when compared with incandescent home lighting, they do not provide as bright a light. Therefore, multiple LEDs tend to be  needed to provide adequate lighting. LED lighting is available in solar home lighting as well as in low voltage home lighting, among other types of lighting for the home, including motion sensor lights.

(2) Solar home lighting works by harnessing the sun’s energy during the day and emitting it at night. In order for the solar lighting to work as designed, the solar panel component of the lighting must be placed in the direct sun light. Therefore, the solar panels cannot be blocked by any object. The solar panels also need to be kept clean. Solar lighting is a source of reusable energy, given that it uses the sun’s energy and rechargeable batteries in its design. Thus, solar lighting tends to be ecologically friendly. Consumers will want to be aware that  with the current design of solar lighting, however, it does not tend to be a reliable form of home lighting if placed in areas that do not receive abundant direct sunlight and/or in climates that are not sunny.

(3) Low voltage home lighting uses a low voltage power source.  In other words, it converts the standard home voltage to low voltage, usually via a transformer.  Since less energy is used with low voltage lighting, it tends to be better for the natural environment. The lighting also tends to be more reliable than solar lighting, since it does not depend on needing direct sunlight to work. However, since the voltage is low, low voltage lighting does not tend to be bright.

Common usage of LED, solar, and low voltage lighting include home garden lighting and home landscape lighting.  Examples of LED home garden lighting include LED string lights and LED pond lights. Examples of  solar home garden lighting include solar stepping stones and solar pathway lighting.  Examples of low voltage  home garden lighting include flood lights and bollards.

Similarly, examples of LED home landscape lighting include pathway lighting and spotlights.  Examples of solar home landscape lighting include solar deck lights and rock flood lights.  And examples of low voltage home landscape lighting include flood lights and path lights.

An important commonality among LEDs, solar, and low voltage home lighting is their reduced or non-use of electricity. As previously mentioned, LEDs are energy efficient, using significantly less electricity when compared with incandescent lighting. Similarly, with low voltage lighting, given that the home voltage is reduced, less electricity is consumed. Solar lighting uses no electricity. Thus, all these forms of lighting can help consumers use less electricity, and thus reduce their electricity bill. Moreover, because LEDs, low voltage, and solar home lighting use less or no electricity when compared with incandescent lighting, they tend to be better for the natural environment. Consumers will want to keep in mind, however, when shopping for garden and/or home landscape lighting, that the quality of the components in the home lights vary.  Therefore, consumers may wish to get more information about the quality of the light fixtures they are considering purchasing, prior to buying them.

Nonetheless, whether it is LED home lighting, solar home lighting, or low voltage home lighting, many choices are available to consumers from which to select the type of home lighting fixtures they wish to install and enjoy on the exterior of their home, whether they are installing new outdoor home lighting throughout their property, or adding to the exterior home lighting they already have. Moreover, as previously mentioned, the types of home lighting aforementioned use less electricity or no electricity, and thus tend to reduce the negative impact on the natural environment. Indeed, home lighting facilitates enhancing the ambiance of the home, by helping to create just the right illumination homeowners seek.

© 2009 Clearhomelighting.com. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.