Shed Some Light... On Energy Savings
New high-tech lighting devices are an excellent way to shine on energy savings. About twenty percent of the electricity generated in the United States is used for lighting. Unfortunately much of this energy is wasted due to inefficient or redundant lighting. Within the past few years, architects and construction experts have been applying the advantages and cost savings of florescent and alternative lighting towards home based use. Even building codes are requiring new homes to have a percentage of florescent light usage. Corporations that create lights and lighting fixtures have also begun to create new and more applicable devices to be used in the home market.

Traditional Lighting Problems
The problem with more traditional electrical lighting is that incandescent bulbs provide light by using relatively high amounts of current to burn a filament in a rather inefficient way. Light is produced, but so is wasted heat and energy.  The solution to this abysmal waste of energy comes in the form of new efficient compact florescent bulbs that use micro-electronics and smaller electrical currents to excite an illuminating gas.  Some bulbs even combine gas and filament technologies to use less energy while providing more light.

Halogen Lights... One Bright Spot
One savings solution may be to use an incandescent alternative such as halogen light bulbs. Halogen gas filament bulbs were originally developed for television studio lights, but today you can find them in many households.  These bulbs use a burning filament encased with halogen gas which creates a hot bulb, while producing a greater degree of light per watt used then the traditional incandescents.  In addition, halogen bulbs also produce a more natural white spectrum of light.  Halogen bulbs do use large amounts of energy, but unlike most compact florescent bulbs they can be used with a dimmer switch, to reduce the amount of current when needed. Halogen bulbs also have the advantage of lasting much longer.  Some high-tech versions last about 3 times longer, but are slightly more expensive at the time of purchase. 

Hot Halogen Can Ignite Fires
The problem with traditional halogen bulbs, unlike incandescent bulbs, is that these bulbs must be handled carefully.  The slightest touch with your fingers will leave oils that will cause the bulb to bubble and explode, wasting your investment. Newer high-tech designs have encased halogen bulbs inside additional glass bulbs to avoid this problem, but other problems exist. For example, if not used properly, these bulbs can pose a serious fire threat. See NBC Dateline Story  Many unfortunate homeowners have suffered fires when halogen fixtures came in contact with drapes or other flammable materials. The best use for these bulbs are with illuminating large spaces when only a few fixtures or outlets are available or when a more natural spectrum of light is needed for reading and other needs. 

Compact Florescents Save Money
Today’s integrated electronics have changed florescent bulb technology. In years gone by, florescent bulbs were only available in long sizes with big electronic ballast boxes. New compact florescent bulbs have changed the size limitation problems and provided new opportunities, but until recently, compacts have had their own limitations. Compacts didn’t turn on instantly, didn’t fit many fixtures, and couldn’t replace three-way light bulbs.  Now many of those drawbacks have been resolved. Compacts can be placed in a variety of fixtures, and in a variety of locations. Those changes put compacts on the front lines of tightwad savings.  Just by changing a bulb, you can save 75% to 80% of your energy costs while using a bulb that will last through a dozen or more incandescent bulbs.  Imagine brightening your house while lowering your energy bills!

Try Before You Buy!
I tried many compact florescent bulbs and found most of them to be very good.   Some specific brands took extra time to turn on, but some "instant-on" brands didn’t turn on immediately either. A few brands turned on quickly, but didn’t burn at full brightness until more than a minute had passed. For those reasons, some energy saver compact florescent may not be best suited for places that need instant lighting, such as hallway areas.  I found many brands were not completely truthful about their representations. Before you purchase a compact florescent light, always check the retailer’s refund policy. Be absolutely certain the light you bought will shine instantly and install into the fixture spaces available. Save your receipt and open the package carefully.

Compare Apples to Apples...  Lumens to Lumens
Remember to check for the actual volume of light delivered, which is measured in lumens. A lumen is a measurement of light output that realistically depicts the actual volume of light you’ll be receiving. A watt is only a measure of power used and heat generated. You’ll want the most lumens for the least watts with a light that will last the longest and perform the quickest. For example, a typical 100 watt incandescent bulb will generate about 1400 lumen output, while a typical 28 watt compact florescent will generate about 1600 lumen output. Therefore, a typical compact florescent would give you a savings of 72 watts and an increase of 200 lumen of light. A better deal, especially when you figure the longer life of the bulb. Although initially more expensive, compact florescents are cooler and burn-out much less frequently. Many manufacturers have done the math for you and advertise proposed savings on the outside of their packaging. Watch the advertiser’s assumptions when comparison shopping. They normally figure the cost of your electric energy provider as 10 cents per kilowatt hour, which may not be correct. They also figure the average life of the product, which is just an average. UL rated products are likely to have a more accurate product life estimate.

Before you purchase the lights, I advise that you visit every room in your house and discover what lighting needs and requirements actually exist. If one room is used primarily for reading or detailed work, you may wish to install spot lighting at a specific desk area or place used according to people’s activities. Don’t buy more then a few bulbs without a place to install them. You’ll wind-up storing extra bulbs along with the corresponding risk of breakage and loss of your investment. Below, I have listed a few brands of bulbs that are carried by several major home warehouse chain stores. I found these bulbs to be satisfactory, but you’ll want to evaluate them yourself.

Possible Purchases
The Lights of America manufacturer has several types of smaller "instant-on" technology bulbs that can fit into traditional incandescent bulb sockets. The size of some other manufacturer’s compact florescent bulbs can be a problem. Many bulbs come in awkward sizes and don’t fit in traditional or older fixtures. Most Lights of America fit well. In addition, when I replace my incandescent bulbs, I prefer to use a 75 watt compact florescent equivalent, to replace a 60 watt incandescent bulb. This way I get more light and I still get plenty of cost savings. In addition, since the compact florescent use much less power, they are also cooler to the touch. Because of that fact, I have found that I can replace higher lumen output compact florescent lights into sockets that are rated for lower incandescent watt bulbs. In one case, I replaced a 40 watt incandescent bulb (550 lumen) in my kitchen stove with a 100 watt equivalent (1600 lumen) that uses a mere 28 watts. The increase in light was so great, that I could use my stove light instead of my overhead kitchen light, and still have more light where I really needed it. Many times I skip turning on the kitchen light and I save money by not using redundant lighting.

The "Single Solution" Lights of America Bright Idea bulb #2726 is a compact florescent bulb that operates in a 3-way socket at 8-16-28 watts and saves approximately 75% on lighting costs. This bulb has instant-on electronics technology, soft warm light technology and one bulb outlasts 13 ordinary bulbs. It is a 3-way replacement using three power modes. The 8 watt mode is the equivalent of a 30 watt bulb with a 450 lumen output, the 16 watt is a 70 watt equivalent, at 1100 lumens, and the 28 watt mode is the equivalent of a 100 watt bulb at 1650 Lumen output.  Lights of America boast an electronic ballast life rated at over 10,000 hours, with a cost savings of $72.00, based on operating costs over it's rated life at an assumed 10 cents per kilowatt hour.

Another Lights of America bulb #2730 allows for replaceable bulbs inserts and is a 3-way replacement using 34 watts instead of 150 watts.  They claim it will save $140 over the life of the bulb.  The bulb ballast is rated at 65,000 hours and is UL approved, with a Good Housekeeping replacement & refund guarantee.  For more information on Lights of America bulbs you can contact them at their web site: www.lightsofamerica.com

Another manufacturer, Phillips, has created a 15 watt "earthlight universal electronic energy saving bulb" which saves $45 in energy costs and lasts up to 7 years and is equivalent to 60 watt incandescent bulb. It uses a mere 15 watts, but has a 900 lumen output, which translates into 75% less electricity. It has a stable output over a broad range of temperatures and in various horizontal and vertical positions, however, there is a caution against using it with dimmers, timers and motion detectors. For more information, contact Philips Lighting  or call 1-800-555-0050.

As you begin your spring cleaning this year, make a decision to replace those old energy vampires with new energy saving compact florescent bulbs. As you begin your replacements, first just invest in a few lights and see how they do, then decide how much you can replace on your budget. Take it slow and use up your old bulbs, and soon you’ll see bright savings on the horizon.

- Here's a late note from one tightwad - Make sure your electrical wiring is up to code, many compact bulb brands will burn-out prematurely if you have poor electrical power, such as power surges, ultimately busting your investment.

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