How to Find the Best Types of Energy-Efficient Lighting For Your Home
Lighting your home may look like it’s an easy task to do, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. Lighting is for aesthetics, ambience, tasks, and seeing better in your home. Using creative yet energy-efficient lighting doesn’t just look good, but it also maximizes the functionality of your living space, saving you energy costs. The idea of “energy efficient” actually means that you are taking steps to use less natural gas and cut your energy bills. Here are some creative energy-efficient lighting fixtures to do in your home.
Choose Top Energy-Efficient Bulbs
To get the best effects from light bulbs, you have to consider more than the bulbs themselves. Usually, the best energy-efficient light bulbs have LED or CFL technology. If you want to go for the latest technology in your light bulb, opt for LED and CFL.
LED or Light Emitting Diode are commonly thin, long, and efficient solid bulb which emits light in a specified direction and lasts up to 15 to 25 years. The LED bulb is an excellent choice for recessed down lights and is usually used in bathrooms, kitchens, or as task lights.
While CFLs are a miniature version of full sized fluorescent, it uses 25 to 35 percent less energy than incandescent. CFLs are curly bulbs and give off light similar to incandescent bulbs, and they are usually screwed into standard lamp sockets.
New Energy-Efficient Halogen Bulbs
Halogen bulbs are starting to appear more and more in homes. Halogen light is environmentally friendly and stands out for its brilliance. Halogen bulbs offer up to 20 percent greater energy efficiency, improved light quality, and longer service life.
Halogen bulbs use an infrared coating to redirect the light back then reduces waste heat and improving efficiency by up to 30 percent over a standard incandescent bulb.
This new energy-efficient variety of halogen bulbs creates rich contrasts and light spaces with a clean and bright ambiance. Halogen bulbs offer top-tier efficiency, but they are still not as efficient as CFLs which are around 75 percent more efficient than standard bulbs.
Timer-Controlled Lighting
No one likes a high electric bill, and it is also not environmentally conscious. With the increase of available technologies, there is an easy way to lower the costs such as timer-controlled lighting.
Using timers conserves lots of energy because you are making sure that the lights are on only when you need them to be. Timers are also beneficial if you are away since you can set the timer to turn on the lights and potentially prevent a break-in.
As a general rule, it’s best to set a timer so that the lights will go on at dusk and off at dawn.
Stylish Energy-Efficient Lighting Fixtures
There are many elegant lighting fixtures which give off a pleasant and comfortable vibe and also conserves energy. Such examples are pendant lights and recessed lights. Hence, it is essential to consider the appearance because creating a lighting environment provides an inviting feeling and saves on energy.
Energy efficient recessed lighting fixtures and pendant lighting are among as the favorite and modern solution for having a bright space. Those lighting are commonly used in bathrooms, kitchen, and hallways because of its strong illumination.
Dimmer Switches for Saving Energy
The energy saving power of lighting has quickly grown over the years up until now. A dimmer switch is a good example. An energy-efficient dimmers control the amount of light emitted to a bulb, which means that you are only using the amount that you need.
Dimmer switches are a quick and cost-effective way of offering multiple lighting levels in rooms that have a limited amount of lighting arrangements. Installing adjustable dimmer switches can improve the functionality of your place.
Furthermore, a dimmer light switch provides adjustable voltage to a light fixture which controls the brightness allowing it to fade in brighter or dimmer lighting. Dimmer switches not just save energy, but it also controls the lighting and makes the lights last longer.
Take Away
Lighting is a high-priority when considering a home design. Having creative and energy-efficient fixtures, bulbs, dimmers, and timers all help in reducing the electricity demand and is a cost-effective method of the lighting system.
Psalm Papio is a freelance writer and blogger. In his spare time, he browses sites such as Astral Energy to gain some insights and inspiration on what to write and post in his blog.
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