Introduction to Lighting
Lighting in your home accounts for 5 to 10% of your total energy use. While this may not seem like a lot, multiply all of that energy being consumed by the hundreds and thousands of homes in our neighbourhoods, communities, and towns and the numbers quickly become significant.
The majority of indoor and outdoor lighting in the home is provided by incandescent lamps, commonly referred to as conventional "light bulbs". Incandescent lamps are a potential source of significant energy savings, as less than 10% of energy used by incandescent lamps actually produces visible light (the rest ends up as heat.)
There are many things that you can do to reduce the amount of energy used to light your home and conservation is key to achieving significant energy savings. Conservation may mean changing the way you use lighting, the amount of lighting you use, or even the types of lighting in your home.
The following are some of the various types of lighting available today.
Types of Light Sources
Incandescent:Incandescent lamps are the most widely used light sources in homes. The common light bulb has changed very little over the years. It is the least expensive lighting product to purchase but it is also the most energy consuming and inefficient light source.
Halogen: Halogen lamps are a type of incandescent lamp. They have a longer life than conventional light bulbs, but they are only marginally more efficient. Halogen lamps are best suited for lighting areas where a direct focus of light is required.
Linear fluorescent: Fluorescent light sources produce more light than many other light sources. These lamps are the most common source of lighting in commercial facilities and can be found in many homes. Linear fluorescent lamps and fixtures have improved greatly over the last ten years. These lamps vary in size from 2 feet to 4 feet in length for home use.
Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs):Compact fluorescent lamps are of the same technology as linear lamps, but they are much smaller. The smallest CFLs are just 4 - 5 inches long and 1.5 - 3 inches in diameter. Unlike linear lamps, CFLs can be screwed into light sockets to replace incandescent lamps. Although CFLs are more expensive to buy than incandescent bulbs, they use up to 2/3 less energy and last up to eight times longer. Over their life, CFLs will actually save you money.
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Lighting Comparison
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| Incandescent | Halogen | Linear Tube | CFL | |
| Efficiency | Poor | Poor | Good | Good |
| Light output per watt |
8 to 20 lumens | 15 to 25 lumens | 20 to 90 lumens | 36 to 70 lumens |
| Purchase Cost | Inexpensive | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Lamp Life | Poor (750 to 1,500 hours) | Moderate (2,000 up to 4,000 hours) | Good /Excellent (10,000-20,000 hours) | Good (6,000- 15,000 hours) |
General Tips
- Make the most of natural daylight. A small amount of day light can provide enough light for an entire room and can be the equivalent of dozens of incandescent lamps. You may need to rearrange some things to make the best use of daylight, but it’s well worth the change. Consider adding a skylight to bring more sunshine to darker areas. Lighter coloured interiors also help to make the most of natural daylight as well as other lighting.
- Turn off the lights when not in use. Make it a habit to turn off the light when you leave a room. A fun idea for children is to assign them the responsibility of "light police". Consider installing occupancy sensors, which automatically turn lights out when no one is in the room. Timers can be useful when you're out for the evening or on vacation. Use motion sensors on outdoor security lights.
- Keep light bulbs and fixtures clean – dirt will reduce light output.
- Small Voltage incandescent lights are less efficient. It takes two 60-watt bulbs or four 40-watt bulbs to provide the same amount of light as one 100-watt bulb. Follow manufacturers' directions for maximum wattage requirements. Also, use the minimum wattage necessary. Consider using dimmers in areas where full lighting is not always required.
- Use task lighting wherever possible.You can save energy by reducing background lighting and focusing light right where it’s needed through the use of “task” lighting . Turn off ceiling lights and use table lamps, track lighting, and under-counter lights in work and hobby areas as well as in kitchens.
- Replace incandescent lights with compact fluorescent lights.As previously discussed, fluorescent lighting is the most economical choice in the long run. Almost all lighting in the home can be provided by CFLs without modifying your existing fixtures. Note that standard CFLs cannot be used with dimmer switch fixtures; however specially designed and marked dimming CFLs can be used with these dimmer switches.
- Insulaterecessedpot lights to reduce heat loss into the attic.
- Outdoors: use compact fluorescent floodlights, metal halide, or high-pressure sodium lights. High-pressure sodium lamps use 70% less energy than a standard incandescent floodlight and last up to 10 times longer. Use photo-cell controls to turn lights on at dusk and off at dawn.
- Install linear fluorescent light fixtures for general lighting in kitchens, laundry or utility areas. If you are remodeling or even planning a new home, install permanent fluorescent fixtures where design permits. There are a wide variety of fluorescent fixtures and lamp colours on the market today. Consult with a lighting designer or visit a lighting showroom to determine what's best for your application.
