LED bulbs by Crane work in household fixtures

Click here to listen to this two-part interview on LEDs:

PART I. LED efficiency versus CFL efficiency

PART II. LEDs vs. CFLs

For this informative interview, Lisa Cohn, of RealEnergyWriters.com talks with Ron Harwood, president of Illuminating Concepts.  Harwood brings the perspective of both an engineer and lighting designer.

Under ideal conditions, Harwood says, LEDs would be about twenty percent more efficient than CFLs. But once you install a CFL into a ceiling fixture, you lose even more efficiency because much of the light is blocked.  Meanwhile, LED lamps are designed to point only in the direction light is needed.

Though he believes LEDs will be the “light source of the future,” there are still drawbacks, including high heat, which must be managed by heat sinks, and the environmental effects of extracting the metals and manufacturing the units.

And Harwood advises listeners to make sure that ANY lamp you install into any fixture is approved for that fixture.

Meanwhile, Lisa Cohn points out, “everything to do with light is a lot more complicated than we think.”  I have to agree.

For more help in deciding which energy efficient light bulbs to choose for your home, sign up for my FREE six-part mini-course: Six Startling Facts You Need to Know BEFORE Changing another Light Bulb.

Free Mini-Course

According to the company, the new bulbs will generate the same light output as standard incandescent bulbs, using approximately 65-70% less energy. They are also fully dimmable and shine instantly will full brightness, unlike most CFLs.

Many people are looking for alternatives to CFLs, due to concerns about toxic mercury, recycling issues, color problems, and even health effects caused by UV radiation, flickering and EMFs.

The new technology, called electron stimulated luminescence, or ESL, shoots a broad spray of electrons onto a white luminescent coating inside the bulb. As the electrons hit the coating, they stimulate its molecules to give off light. By using a unique combination of chemicals in the coating, the bulb glows with full spectrum light, similar to incandescent bulbs. This way the new technology avoids the off-color appearance of objects under some CFLs and LEDs.

Are you prepared for the changeover to energy efficient lighting? Need help in choosing the best energy saving bulb for each light fixture in your home? The Energy Efficient Light Bulb Buyer’s Guide can help!

Vu1 news release on ESL technology demonstration.

The Energy Efficient Light Bulb Buyer's Guide Helps You Save Energy and Money Every Month

Find out more about ALL the energy efficient light bulb alternatives: CFLs, LEDs, energy saver incandescent (halogen) bulbs.  The Energy Efficient Light Bulb Buyer’s Guide will walk you through six simple steps to the best energy efficient light bulb for each of your home’s light fixtures.

Start saving energy and money today.  Download your copy of The Energy Efficient Light Bulb Buyer’s Guide!

Energy Saving Halogen Bulbs save 30 percent of the energy used by incandescent bulbs.

Readers of The Energy Efficient Light Bulb Buyer’s Guide will know that there are light fixtures where CFLs won’t work, and LEDs are not quite ready for prime time.  What’s the solution?

Energy Saving Halogen Bulbs!

These modified incandescent bulbs look very much like standard incandescent bulbs and cost just a bit more, but you can use them anywhere–on timers, with dimmers, in closets, garages, reading lamps, or any other fixture.  And they contain no mercury, so you don’t have to deal with recycling or hazardous waste disposal.

Energy Saving Halogen Bulbs don’t save as much energy as CFLs, only about 30 percent less compared to 75 percent or more for CFLs.  But they do meet the first level of the new efficiency standards for bulbs in the U.S. and the U.K.  And they will start saving you money now.

Warning: Not all halogen bulbs will save you energy!  Even though halogen bulbs are more efficient at creating light from heat, special filters and coatings are used on the inside of the bulb to increase the amount of light coming from the bulb.  A 75-watt halogen bulb still uses 75 watts of energy.

Make sure the halogen bulb package says “energy saver” or gives an actual percentage of energy savings compared to standard incandescent bulbs, typically 25 to 30 percent.  The package should say something like, “53 watts = 75 watts.”

You can find energy saving halogen bulbs at Home Depot and on Amazon.

For more information about how to save money and energy with energy saving halogen bulbs, as well as CFLs and LEDs, order The Energy Efficient Light Bulb Buyer’s Guide today!

Choose the correct energy efficient light bulb for each fixture

Confused about choosing CFLs or LEDs? Or is there another option? How much energy and money can you really save with energy efficient light bulbs?

Get answers to all your questions with The Energy Efficient Light Bulb Buyer’s Guide.   Available for instant download–start saving energy and money today!

This 70+ page workbook includes:

• Quick Start Guide
• Home Light Bulb Survey
• Light Bulb Comparison Worksheets
• Light Bulb Warranty Tracker
• Light Bulb Savings Calculator

The e-book also includes an extensive FAQ section answering every possible question you may have about CFLs, LEDs, and energy saver halogen bulbs.

Order your copy today and see the savings on your next month’s electric bill!

Click here now to order The Energy Efficient Light Bulb Buyer’s Guide.

Save Money and Energy with Energy Efficient Light Bulbs

Join me for a FREE Workshop in Northern Virginia on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 7:30-9:00 p.m.

“How to Save Energy and Money with Energy Efficient Light Bulbs” will be held at the Vineyard Community Church in Nokesville, Virginia.
Location: Corner of Route 28 and Fitzgerald, in the shopping center with Carini’s Pizzeria.

To register, email: Holly@EnergyEfficiencyExplained.com.

I look forward to seeing you there!

NOW AVAILABLE! The Energy Efficient Light Bulb Buyer’s Guide is complete.  Order your copy today!

Energy efficient light bulbs, whether CFLs or LEDs, are a good idea any time of year.  But with long winter nights looming, and electricity rates on the rise, it’s time to stop procrastinating.

Before you go to the hardware store, though, take a few minutes to survey the incandescent light bulbs you want to replace.  How many bulbs of each wattage will you need? How many on 3-way switches? How many flame-shaped candelabra bulbs? How many decorative globes? How many track lights, spot lights, flood lights? And what kind of base for each (standard size, candelabra, bi-pin)?

Any light fixtures on a dimmer switch? Make sure you buy bulbs clearly labeled “dimmable.”  Yes, they are out there, but they cost more than other energy efficient light bulbs, and you might not be satisfied  with the results.  So buy one and test it out before investing in more.

Any lamps on electronic timers or photosensors? Be sure to read the package carefully.  CFLs and LEDs are  different animals than incandescent bulbs and most don’t always work well with these kinds of controls.

Also remember that energy efficient light bulbs don’t come in the same wattages as the incandescent bulbs you’re replacing.  So, if you want to put an energy saving bulb into a fixture that uses a 60-watt incandescent, you’ll need about a 13-watt to 19-watt CFL or LED.  The bulb package will give you an “equivalent” incandescent wattage.  Or you can compare the lumens–the light output–to make sure they are about the same.

Yes, you’ll save money on your electric bill by switching to energy efficient light bulbs.  But take the time to do it right.

For more help with converting your incandescent bulbs to energy efficient light bulbs, click here for my FREE mini-course, Six Startling Facts You Need to Know Before Changing Another Light Bulb.

Photo Source: lgweb, Stock.xchg

It was a “teachable moment” when Alaska Electric Light & Power announced that, until the line was repaired, the utility would use backup diesel generators to provide electricity, passing the high cost of fuel on to consumers.

Overnight, the price of electricity jumped from 11 cents per kilowatt-hour–about the national average–to around 53 cents/kWh. This would have increased residents’ utility bills from an average of about $90 to over $400 per month.

Sticker Shock
The shock drove electricity customers to conserve about 30 percent of the energy they normally would have used. Doing so would cause their monthly payments to drop down closer to $300, still far higher than Juneau residents normally experience.

And how did they do it?

Painfully, one kilowatt at a time, by consciously conserving energy at every turn. Lights in homes and businesses were kept dim or dark, electric appliances were left unplugged, thermostats were turned way down. Some public buildings were closed. Elevators and escalators were turned off. Even airport runway lights were darkened, except for the moments before takeoff and landing.

Over those six weeks, until the power line was restored on June 1, the citizens of Juneau “did without.”

Conservation isn’t Easy
But for all their conscious effort and not a little physical suffering, they only managed to save 30 percent of the energy they normally use to run the city and run their lives. And let’s face it: living in a dark, 50 degree home isn’t anybody’s idea of comfortable.

Looking at Juneau’s energy data soon after the avalanche, the city dropped from using almost 1,000 megawatt-hours per day to a low of 550 MWh per day. Once the cheap hydro-electric power rates were restored on June 1, residents gradually increased their energy use. By mid-July, their daily electric use was still below 2007’s, but within 100 MWh.

So what’s the answer–I mean, the long-term, realistic answer to the inevitable energy rate hikes we will all face in the near future?

That’s right: Energy Efficiency.

One of the first measures Juneau residents put into place during the crisis was installing energy efficient light bulbs–mostly CFLs. One reporter noted that these bulbs flew off the shelves within a few days of the avalanche.

By investing in CFLs, consumers stumbled upon the principle of relying on energy efficiency to reduce the energy we use over the long haul, versus energy conservation measures for short-term emergencies.

Have you tried a few CFLs, but want to know more before investing in a house full of them? I’m putting the finishing touches on my electronic book, The Energy Efficient Light Bulb Buyer’s Guide, which should be available for purchase within the next couple of weeks. Meanwhile, check out my free 6-week course on Energy Efficient Light Bulbs.

Talk to you soon…

Holly Martin, author The Energy Efficient Light Bulb Buyer’s Guide