How to Green Your Lighting
Consider using passive design., Prefer CFL bulbs., Try halogen or low voltage lighting., Look for the LED (light emitting diode)., Seek solar lighting., Look for green light fittings., Switch to a dimmer., Turn it off., Avoid adding to light...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Consider using passive design.
The best source of light, obviously, is natural light – the sun.
And the better use one makes of it, the less lighting you need.
Use passive design by making sure that your windows are south facing if you are in the northern hemisphere (and north facing if you are in the southern hemisphere) which allows as much natural light into the house as possible; keep the blinds up, open the curtains, and put in the odd skylight.
Solar tubes are a new kind of mini skylight that mimics an electric light fixture in appearance, but channels sunlight into inner rooms and cost less than skylights to install. -
Step 2: Prefer CFL bulbs.
Fluorescent bulbs (CFLs or low-energy light bulbs) may cost a bit more than incandescent light bulbs, but they use a quarter of the energy and last a lot longer (some 10,000 hours or 12 times longer than an ordinary light bulb).
Most stores stock CFLs.
Although the color of the light is different from incandescent
-can look cooler or more bright white
- there are new versions of CFLs with "warm" color indicators, which look more like incandescent.
New dimming CFLs are coming out in the market already and this will not only achieve the dimming atmosphere many like but also saves energy.
See the below Warnings on audio, environment, and health considerations before buying CFLs. , Halogen bulbs use less electricity than conventional light bulbs, however, they still use significantly more than CFLs.
The halogen lamp is commonly found in recessed lights in bathroom, kitchens, bedrooms etc. and it will pay to replace these with slightly larger recessed CFLs.
Low voltage lighting systems must be wired correctly, if not, even when the light is off they can still draw a small amount of current.
Low voltage lighting uses a transformer to create a much lower voltage than the voltage commonly found at outlets and light fixtures throughout the home.
To conserve maximum energy, the power switch must control the high voltage "input side" of the transformer, not the lower voltage "output side" created by the transformer.
Otherwise, even when the light switch is "off"
the transformer remains on.
Halogen based standing or "torchiere" lamps and the halogen flood lights (used mainly outdoors)
- the type that have long thin bulbs – often provide significantly more light than needed.
The lamps have relatively short lives, create a great deal of heat and require special handling during installation.
These reasons make these lights and fixtures ideal candidates for replacement. , Now bright enough to use for in-home lighting, we’re counting on technology and the burning need for "green" lighting alternatives to bring LEDs into the limelight soon.
Early LEDs were only bright enough for displays in calculators and digital watches, but they’ve started appearing in the car industry
- that has sworn to replace all incandescent bulbs in cars by the end of the decade.
In the USA they’ve just begun to enter the consumer market, but still cost quite a bit more than CFLs.
However, they use less energy, last far longer (have a lifespan of between 60,000 and 100,000 hours) and are far safer and "green".
They also fit both halogen and normal bulb sockets. , At the moment, this can be used mainly for lighting your garden.
Nonetheless, these little solar lights are cute and do well at night for lighting up enough so that you don’t trip over your feet on the way to the shed. , Keep your eyes peeled for light fittings and lamps made from natural or recycled materials such as metal, glass, plastic and natural materials like wood, cloth, or even reclaimed materials like bottle tops. , By dimming your lights, you use only a fraction of the electricity that you would use at full power.
Dimming not only saves energy, it also extends bulb life, thereby reducing landfill waste and saving you money.
It allows the light level to be tuned to your liking and lets you control how much power you're using.
Dimmers can be used on nearly all lamp types, including incandescent, fluorescent, CFL, and halogen; although some types require the use of lamps designed expressly for dimming (as in the case of CFLs) or require appropriate hardware (as in the case of a special "dimming ballast" to be installed in traditional fluorescent fixtures.
Dimmers are widely available at hardware and lighting stores and are easy to install.
Unlike old rheostat dimmers, modern dimmers are almost 99% efficient, dissipating only a very small amount of energy as heat. , This is a no-brainer: leaving electrical appliances on "standby" mode or double adapters and chargers hooked into the wall, all still continue to draw electricity.
Switch them off at the wall and unplug any adapters, even when devices aren’t switched on.
And get into the habit of switching off lights in any room in which you’re not, even if you’re stepping out for only a few minutes. , According to sustainable home design, light from outside lamps should shine from the fitting at a 30 degree angle, so that no direct light shines up into the sky or onto neighbours.
Apparently a flight over a city like Frankfurt reveals very little light pollution by comparison with South African cities, for example. , These are handy for areas like entrance areas or garages; or storage areas or break rooms at offices.
They are also known as "occupancy sensors.
They turn on automatically when someone enters a room; and then, after a predetermined amount of time, they turn off automatically.
You can vary how long lights stay on after someone leaves, at the time of installation of the sensor. -
Step 3: Try halogen or low voltage lighting.
-
Step 4: Look for the LED (light emitting diode).
-
Step 5: Seek solar lighting.
-
Step 6: Look for green light fittings.
-
Step 7: Switch to a dimmer.
-
Step 8: Turn it off.
-
Step 9: Avoid adding to light pollution.
-
Step 10: Use Motion Detector Light Switches in Selective Areas.
Detailed Guide
The best source of light, obviously, is natural light – the sun.
And the better use one makes of it, the less lighting you need.
Use passive design by making sure that your windows are south facing if you are in the northern hemisphere (and north facing if you are in the southern hemisphere) which allows as much natural light into the house as possible; keep the blinds up, open the curtains, and put in the odd skylight.
Solar tubes are a new kind of mini skylight that mimics an electric light fixture in appearance, but channels sunlight into inner rooms and cost less than skylights to install.
Fluorescent bulbs (CFLs or low-energy light bulbs) may cost a bit more than incandescent light bulbs, but they use a quarter of the energy and last a lot longer (some 10,000 hours or 12 times longer than an ordinary light bulb).
Most stores stock CFLs.
Although the color of the light is different from incandescent
-can look cooler or more bright white
- there are new versions of CFLs with "warm" color indicators, which look more like incandescent.
New dimming CFLs are coming out in the market already and this will not only achieve the dimming atmosphere many like but also saves energy.
See the below Warnings on audio, environment, and health considerations before buying CFLs. , Halogen bulbs use less electricity than conventional light bulbs, however, they still use significantly more than CFLs.
The halogen lamp is commonly found in recessed lights in bathroom, kitchens, bedrooms etc. and it will pay to replace these with slightly larger recessed CFLs.
Low voltage lighting systems must be wired correctly, if not, even when the light is off they can still draw a small amount of current.
Low voltage lighting uses a transformer to create a much lower voltage than the voltage commonly found at outlets and light fixtures throughout the home.
To conserve maximum energy, the power switch must control the high voltage "input side" of the transformer, not the lower voltage "output side" created by the transformer.
Otherwise, even when the light switch is "off"
the transformer remains on.
Halogen based standing or "torchiere" lamps and the halogen flood lights (used mainly outdoors)
- the type that have long thin bulbs – often provide significantly more light than needed.
The lamps have relatively short lives, create a great deal of heat and require special handling during installation.
These reasons make these lights and fixtures ideal candidates for replacement. , Now bright enough to use for in-home lighting, we’re counting on technology and the burning need for "green" lighting alternatives to bring LEDs into the limelight soon.
Early LEDs were only bright enough for displays in calculators and digital watches, but they’ve started appearing in the car industry
- that has sworn to replace all incandescent bulbs in cars by the end of the decade.
In the USA they’ve just begun to enter the consumer market, but still cost quite a bit more than CFLs.
However, they use less energy, last far longer (have a lifespan of between 60,000 and 100,000 hours) and are far safer and "green".
They also fit both halogen and normal bulb sockets. , At the moment, this can be used mainly for lighting your garden.
Nonetheless, these little solar lights are cute and do well at night for lighting up enough so that you don’t trip over your feet on the way to the shed. , Keep your eyes peeled for light fittings and lamps made from natural or recycled materials such as metal, glass, plastic and natural materials like wood, cloth, or even reclaimed materials like bottle tops. , By dimming your lights, you use only a fraction of the electricity that you would use at full power.
Dimming not only saves energy, it also extends bulb life, thereby reducing landfill waste and saving you money.
It allows the light level to be tuned to your liking and lets you control how much power you're using.
Dimmers can be used on nearly all lamp types, including incandescent, fluorescent, CFL, and halogen; although some types require the use of lamps designed expressly for dimming (as in the case of CFLs) or require appropriate hardware (as in the case of a special "dimming ballast" to be installed in traditional fluorescent fixtures.
Dimmers are widely available at hardware and lighting stores and are easy to install.
Unlike old rheostat dimmers, modern dimmers are almost 99% efficient, dissipating only a very small amount of energy as heat. , This is a no-brainer: leaving electrical appliances on "standby" mode or double adapters and chargers hooked into the wall, all still continue to draw electricity.
Switch them off at the wall and unplug any adapters, even when devices aren’t switched on.
And get into the habit of switching off lights in any room in which you’re not, even if you’re stepping out for only a few minutes. , According to sustainable home design, light from outside lamps should shine from the fitting at a 30 degree angle, so that no direct light shines up into the sky or onto neighbours.
Apparently a flight over a city like Frankfurt reveals very little light pollution by comparison with South African cities, for example. , These are handy for areas like entrance areas or garages; or storage areas or break rooms at offices.
They are also known as "occupancy sensors.
They turn on automatically when someone enters a room; and then, after a predetermined amount of time, they turn off automatically.
You can vary how long lights stay on after someone leaves, at the time of installation of the sensor.
About the Author
Kayla Kennedy
Experienced content creator specializing in practical skills guides and tutorials.
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