Bright Ideas in New Light Bulbs

Howard Garrett and I will be shedding some light on the topic of energy-efficient bulbs this Sunday morning on the Dirt Doctor Radio Show, on 660 AM Radio across north Texas.

New Light Bulbs: What's the Difference?

Traditional incandescent bulbs used a lot of energy to produce light which is why they are no longer manufactured.

• 90% of their energy was given off as heat

• That lost energy was money that we were throwing away

Newer energy-saving lightbulbs provide the choices in colors and light levels you've come to expect. The new lights are also much more efficient -- so they save you money.

What Are My Lighting Choices?

CFLs

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are simply curly versions of the long tube fluorescent lights you may already have in a kitchen or garage. Because they use less electricity than traditional incandescents, typical CFLs can pay for themselves in less than nine months, and then start saving you money each month. An ENERGY STAR-qualified CFL uses about one-fourth the energy and lasts ten times longer than a comparable traditional incandescent bulb that puts out the same amount of light. A typical CFL can pay for itself in energy savings in less than 9 months and continue to save you money each month. A CFL uses about one-third the energy of a halogen incandescent.

Fluorescent bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, and they should always be recycled at the end of their lifespan. Many retailers recycle CFLs for free. Visit Earth911.com for more information.

LEDs

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are a type of solid-state lighting -- semiconductors that convert electricity into light. Although once known mainly for indicator and traffic lights, LEDs in white light, general illumination applications are one of today's most energy-efficient and rapidly-developing technologies.ENERGY STAR-qualified LEDs use only 20%–25% of the energy and last up to 25 times longer than the traditional incandescent bulbs they replace. LEDs use 25%–30% of the energy and last 8 to 25 times longer than halogen incandescents.

LED bulbs are currently available in many products such as replacements for 40W, 60W, and 75W traditional incandescents, reflector bulbs often used in recessed fixtures, and small track lights, desk lamps, kitchen undercabinet lighting, and outdoor area lights. They come in a variety of colors, and some are dimmable or offer convenient features such as daylight and motion sensors. LEDs work well indoors and outdoors because of their durability and performance in cold environments. Look for LED products such as pathway lights, step lights, and porch lights for outdoor use. You can also find solar-powered outdoor lighting.

While LEDs are more expensive, they still save money because they last a long time and have very low energy use. As with other electronics, prices are expected to come down as more products enter the market. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that rapid adoption of LED lighting over the next 20 years in the United States could save about $265 billion in energy costs and replace the construction of 40 new power plants. For more information on LED bulbs for the home, visit the Energy Star website.

Halogen Incandescents

Halogen incandescents have a capsule inside that holds gas around a filament to increase bulb efficiency. They are available in a wide range of shapes and colors, and they can be used with dimmers. Halogen incandescent bulbs meet the federal minimum energy efficiency standard, but there are now many more efficient options to meet your lighting needs.

Watch this short video put out by Energy Star for help with choosing the right bulb.

Thanks to Energy.gov for providing information for this blog post.

A FEW EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES:

Finally Light Bulbs create more natural and warm light that other LEDS and cost about the same. Finally™, the first and only light bulb to use Acandescent™ technology, is also the first light bulb to truly replicate the look, reassuring warmth and omni-directional light of the incandescent light bulbs you love.

Luminance LEDs that look like vintage bulbs but are cool to the touch and use very little energy. Choose from a variety of shapes and sizes that even Edison would love!

Sengled Smart Gadgets- this innovative company has several incredible light bulbs including 2 with built-in JBL speakers (that are controlled by your smart phone), a flood light with a built-in motion detector, another with a built-in camera for monitoring outside of your home, and a bulb with a built-in wifi extender. These are all super high quality bulbs that will last from 10-20 years.

New GE Bulbs: LED bulbs are certainly more energy-efficient but they have lacked the warm glow that we loved in our old-fashioned incandescent bulbs. GE’s new high-definition (HD) light bulbs are engineered with a higher CRI, or color rendering index, for greater color contrast and boldness over an average bulb, meaning the colors and features in each room can look even better. And, they offer all the great energy savings and long lifespan of LEDs.

Plus, we all understand the mood that we are trying to create or the room we need bulbs for, but we often struggle with identifying which bulbs meet those needs when shopping. The GE HD series not only helps us align on mood (relax, refresh or reveal) but puts room recommendations on the front of the package to make it even easier for us to shop for just the right bulb.

The bulbs are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and wattages and currently available at select Home Depot and Target stores.