Sunlight floods our planet during daylight hours, providing natural lighting, warmth and a clean energy source for things like solar space, heating and energy. Night-time hours are a different story, during which human reliance on energy inefficient artificial lighting sources, is cast into the spotlight.

Traditional lighting options in use today, warm the planet a bit too much for our collective comfort. However technological advances are beginning to provide us with a new view of how our future will be lit.

Lighting is a substantial part of each household’s electricity bill—estimations are that home lighting accounts for an average 15-25% of the total cost. And while natural solar light gives homes, office spaces and schools, room to breathe, light bulbs are the real energy efficient lighting super heroes of the artificial light realm.

The traditional incandescent light bulb shines as it always has since Thomas Edison developed the technology in 1879. The actual light ‘glow’ is created as electricity heats the filament. Simply put, electricity creates heat, and heat creates light. So very simple but not so energy efficient for 90-95% energy used by incandescent bulbs goes into heat, not light. This creates a secondary negative impact by increasing the power load on air conditioning.

 A recent report by the international energy agency claims that the world could reduce its energy use by almost 10% more energy by switching to energy efficient lighting.

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) should be used more in primary areas of energy use—the kitchen, living room and outdoor porch or walkway.High initial cost—thinking long-term here is the key—the higher up-front cost is justified by a longer lifespan.  The difference between an incandescent bulb and LED is that incandescent light is created by use of a filament.

When power is applied, the filament glows, generally heat, in turn, producing light. LEDs’ are the opposite for they create light through a ‘cold process’. When power is applied to semiconductors, they are stimulated by the movement of electrons, thus creating photons, the light that is visibly seen by humans.

LEDs’ don’t have a wire filament. They are diodes; and only allow power to move in one direction. LEDs’ are very energy efficient and consume less power—upto 90% less than incandescent bulbs. This means lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduced air pollution.

This reduces the load on the electrical systems of the house, including battery, alternator and power converter, resulting in direct money saving benefits. LEDs’ generate no heat. Therefore, they can be left on for hours without incident or consequence if touched. Consider real world circumstances where most incandescent bulbs need to be replaced within one year. An LED light will last over 20 years before needing replacement. They are mercury-free, small and extremely durable—made of plastic, not glass, so there’s no waste. And they never need to be replaced.

LEDs’ are vastly becoming the preferred low voltage lighting resource versus incandescent lighting.  all the light showrooms.    The LED is waiting in the wings to claim the ‘most eco-friendly light’ title. However, the disadvantages are that they are currently expensive. And they focus light into one place, as opposed to distributing it in a usable mode.

Fixtures and controls should be energy efficient. For this check that a fixture must:
Use one-fourth the energy used by standard light fixtures.
Distribute light evenly.
Be dimmable for indoor fixtures.
Employ automatic light shut off or motion sensors for outdoor lights.

In some states, the main light in both the kitchen and bathroom must also be operated by motion sensor.
Other types of switches also help to save electricity. A three-way snap switch lets you turn off unused lights from one or more locations.

For an elegant and sophisticated look that inspires nostalgia for historic times gone by, consider eco-friendly light fixtures such as lanterns, made with earth conscious materials. Redouble the ‘lightness’ of your eco-friendly efforts by purchasing lanterns made from materials such as copper. The copper lighting option is more durable, longer lasting than many other materials and is completely recyclable.

The commonly tossed around phrase “Changed a light bulb, save the world” may sound exaggerated but we can do so by switching to energy efficient lighting. To help this effort, all we have to do is take a look around our homes or offices and start counting and replacing.

Fluorescent tubes have always been considered an energy efficient product, but now with new styles, better colour rendering and even more energy efficiency, they’re finding their way into more rooms of your home. Lighting is a very cost-effective way to redecorate and enhance the beauty of your home. Do it with style because light fixtures are more than a collection if miscellaneous electrical hardware and glassware.

Light therapy

* LED therapy is safe for all skin types and ages without any recovery time.
* LED therapy using bulbs and infrared lights, is quick, painless and effective.
* LED light therapy prevents and reduces fine lines and wrinkles.
* Helps scrapes, cuts, wounds and burns heal faster and better.
* Helps minimise scarring and speed up post surgical healing.
* Skin texture improves, age spots can fade and pores can become more refined.

All about LED

* LED stands for light emitting diode.
* LEDs’ appear to be bulbs but in fact are not. They are tiny semiconductors encapsulated in plastic which  protect  their components and help focus the light.
* CFLs’ use 75 % less energy by producing more light per watt.
* Less energy + long life = more savings.

The author is an interior designer and can be contacted at 9845070824 or email: modcconinterior@rediffmail.com