Practical information for consumers on going green.
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Tuesday, December 31, 2002
Reduce electricity use in the home by installing compact fluorescent bulbs
The average home in the Denver area uses 1,055 kWh per year for lighting. Lighting accounts for about 10 percent of a home's total energy use (the largest category being heating and cooling). (In the United States as a whole, light accounts for about one-quarter of the nation's electricity budget, or $37 billion dollars per year.) If you install compact fluorescent bulbs, which typically consume about one-fourth the energy of an incandescent bulb, you can reduce your energy use for lighting by about half and your total energy use by about 5 percent.
The best way to save energy (and money, in the long run) is to buy compact fluorescent bulbs to replace burned-out bulbs in light fixtures turned on for at least two hours per day (overhead kitchen lights, living room lamps, and outdoor lights that are on all night). If you are pleased with the results, you can eventually replace all your light bulbs with compact fluorescents. You should see a reduction in the kilowatt hours used on your electric bill (depending on how many bulbs you replace), but the most immediate benefit is that you don’t have to replace light bulbs for years!
When buying compact fluorescents, please keep in mind that generally they cannot be used with dimmers, timers, and photocells. In addition, they sometimes take a few seconds to warm up. With regard to color, I have found bulbs that give off both white and yellow hues. Check out different brands to get one that produces a light color that pleases you.
Compact fluorescents are available at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and at least one King Sooper’s store (in Broomfield, Colorado, at Miramonte and 287). King Sooper's has recently expanded its selection of compact fluorescents, but home improvement stores still have the best selection.
The most important issues with these bulbs are cost and size. I have found bulbs priced anywhere from $4 to $20 (often for the same wattage, though cost does rise with wattage). In general, at Home Depot, I have found that the smaller bulbs that fit more readily in table lamps are more expensive, but make sure to ask about sales. The higher the wattage you want, the larger (usually, longer) the bulb. Please note that if the bulb you buy sticks out of your lamp or won’t fit underneath the lamp harp, you can buy a longer harp to accommodate the bulb, but afterward the lamp harp may show beneath the lamp shade. I have returned bulbs to Home Depot after prying them from those ridiculous plastic packages, so if they don’t fit, take them back and try to find something smaller!
posted by Beth at 10:11 AM
bapartin@yahoo.com
Monday, December 30, 2002
If you're looking for ways to be more green, check out this site. It is designed to provide practical information to consumers so that they can take steps to protect the environment, save energy, reduce waste and pollution, and possibly save money.
posted by Beth at 4:21 PM
bapartin@yahoo.com
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