lightingLighting Efficiency

Don’t stay in the dark about efficient lighting, and take this advice: 

  • LED lighting is the most energy-efficient choice.
  • Energy Star certified bulbs use up to 90 percent less energy than standard bulbs. They save about $80 in electricity costs over the lifetime of each bulb and provides the same brightness (lumens) with less energy (watts). 

 

When you take a look at LED bulb packaging, you are going to notice some new features. The package now has labeling designed to help you understand what you are really purchasing and resembles a nutrition label.

The standard of buying bulbs by wattage, a measurement of energy usage, will one day be a thing of the past. LED bulbs are measured by brightness, or lumens. The more lumens, the more light you will have.

A 60 Watt incandescent bulb will typically be replaced by a bulb that offers 800 lumens and uses about 9 Watts. A brighter 100 Watt incandescent bulb can be replaced by an LED bulb offering 1,600 lumens and uses about 14 Watts.

Energy Star bulbs last 15-25 times longer and labels will express a bulb’s life expectancy and average yearly cost.

Light appearance is measured in Kelvins (K). A bulb yellow in color (2,700-3,000 K) is considered warm and preferred for living spaces. While a white-blue colored bulb (3,600-5,500 K) is considered cool and preferred for reading. 

Click here for Energy Star's Choosing a Light Guide.

  • Living Room Lamps. Table or floor three-way lamps using LED bulbs provide 620, 1,600 or 2,150 lumens of soft white light and deliver up to 25,000 hours of light. 
     
  • Kitchen. Dimmable recessed LED conversion lights add a warm glow of up to 1,200 lumens for kitchen workspaces and add far less heat. 
     
  • Bedrooms and Hallways. Long-life LEDs are ideal for ceiling fixtures. A 9-watt LED produces the same 800 lumens of light as a 60-watt incandescent, and uses about 80 percent less energy. 
     
  • Bathrooms. Omnidirectional LED globe bulbs provide a warm glow ideal for bathrooms. A 6-watt bulb produces 450 lumens and lasts up to 15,000 hours. 
     
  • Outdoors. A 6-watt, 500 lumen LED bulb can replace a 40-watt incandescent bulb. The LEDs last up to 30,000 hours, so it could be a one-time switch.