Energy Efficient Lighting Is The Way To Go!The trusty incandescent light bulb does not score well in the energy efficiency department any more, making it necessary to find smarter ways to light up our homes, and specifically – the kitchen. The trend towards kitchen lighting is now towards compact florescent lights, LEDs and the high energy-efficiency halogen bulbs. The good news is that all these are great in terms of quality as well as cost of lighting. Let us now look at each of these more closely: LED Lights The light emitting diode is one type of energy efficient lighting that illuminates through the movement of electrons, so there is no filament like the incandescent bulb, therefore no wastage of energy in the form of heat. Also there is a multitude of options with LED lights. You can get LED bulbs that can be fitted on to any standard socket. LEDs were used only in electronic equipment earlier, but now, they are available for a variety of uses. The advantages of LEDs are that they are almost 90% more energy efficient than other lighting options. There are no harmful gases or heat to worry about. Added to this LEDs are durable. On the flip side, LEDs are more expensive to buy. But there are manufacturers who offer different kinds of incentives if you plan on remodeling and installing new lighting. Manufacturing under cabinet LED lights that can work on just 8 watts of energy to produce the same lighting as an 80 watt halogen light are in the pipeline. Compact Florescent Lighting CFLs are more affordable, energy efficient light and easily available. They also last a lot longer than the conventional incandescent bulbs, resulting in big savings on the energy bill. Unfortunately CFLs contain mercury and this means getting rid of used bulbs must be done with care. In spite of this, the advantages are more than the risks since the lighting is more efficient and cost effective. Halogen Lighting Halogen bulbs are twice as efficient as traditional incandescent bulbs and use less energy while burning twice as long as a white bright light. There are efficient halogen bulbs that last three times as long as the regular bulbs. For those who still prefer the traditional bulb, these bulbs are also being improved to use less energy and last longer. Of course, the best lighting of all is daylight, which is natural and free. In any case, whichever energy efficient technology you may use, it is recommended that you check the Energy Star label that will tell you how energy efficient your lighting fixture is. This will help you install the best lighting for your kitchen. Energy Efficient Lighting to Kitchen Lighting
|
