The world is ever-evolving, and the demand for electricity is at an all-time high. Apart from this, homeowners and building managers are finding it more difficult to keep power costs at bay, due to the increasing load requirement. For this purpose, energy efficient light bulbs could be your quick and easy solution to manage your power usage.
What is an Energy Efficiency Light Bulb?
As its name suggests, an energy efficient lightbulb is a device that emits light at a lower power requirement than others. This special kind of light bulb is designed to minimize electricity usage without reducing the amount of light that it generates. Energy efficient light bulbs have become extremely useful these days, since a significant portion of the electrical load is used for lighting.
Types of Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
Here are some of the most common types of energy efficient light bulbs:
Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL)
The bulb works by heating up the components inside the tube, and is designed to use up only a quarter of the power required by incandescent bulbs. Most CFLs can last up to 10,000 hours.
Cold Cathode Bulbs
This is a special type of CFL that works well even in low temperatures (where most conventional CFLs won’t be able to function). It doesn’t use a filament to heat the tube components, but instead relies on a metal thimble that makes this bulb last as long as 25,000 hours.
Light-Emitting Diode (LED)
A more modern approach to lighting makes use of LED technology, producing much brighter light at significantly lower electricity usage. LED lamps are much more energy efficient that CFLs, and may last up to 50,000 hours. This is probably the reason why LEDs are more expensive than CFLs and incandescent bulbs.
Additional Tips on Energy Efficiency for Lighting
If you want to maximize the energy savings from your lighting, choose bulbs with an ENERGY STAR label. These lamps have passed the energy efficiency standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. You don’t have to replace all of your existing bulbs at once. Just make sure that when your old lamps burn out, replace them with energy efficient light bulbs.
It’s also a good practice to turn off unused lights. That way, you can really save up on unnecessary energy expenses.
Being wise in choosing lightbulbs may involve some research and an increase in initial costs. However, energy efficient light bulbs will turn out to be cheaper in the long run. This is especially when you consider the power savings that you will incur.
Do you need help in choosing the perfect lighting option for your facility? If you’re looking for an electrical contractor to set up your lighting system, contact us at Wire Craft. We’ll send a professional to bring your lighting ideas to life.