The lighting world has advanced and our energy consumption is at an all time high. Here are some tips on how to choose the right lighting:
(sourced from energy.gov)
The Lighting Facts Label
When shopping for lighting, you can now use the Lighting Facts label and lumens to compare bulbs and purchase a bulb with the amount of brightness you want.
The Federal Trade Commission requires the Lighting Facts label on all light bulb packages to help consumers easily compare energy-efficient bulbs. The label includes:
– Brightness, measured in lumens
– Estimated yearly energy cost (similar to the Energy Guide Label)
– Lifespan
– Light appearance (from warm to cool)
– Light appearance, measured by correlated color temperature (CCT) on the Kelvin (K) scale, from warm to cool.
Like the helpful nutrition label on food products, the Lighting Facts label helps you to understand exactly what you are buying and to buy the lightbulbs that are right for you.
Lumens: A New Way to Shop for Light
In the past, we bought lightbulbs based on how much energy, or watts, they use. Wouldn’t it make more sense to buy lights based on how much light they provide?
When you’re shopping for lightbulbs, you can choose your next lightbulb for the brightness you want by comparing lumens instead of watts. A lumen is a measure of the amount of brightness of a lightbulb — the higher the number of lumens, the brighter the lightbulb.
If you’re replacing an inefficient 100W bulb, look for an energy-saving bulb that puts out about 1600 lumens. To replace a 60W equivalent, look for a bulb with about 800 lumens.
So when you’re looking for a new bulb, look for lumens or how bright the bulb is.
New Lighting Standards
Beginning in 2012, the efficiency standards of the bipartisan Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) required the common light bulbs we use to be about 25% more energy efficient.
The standards took effect as of January 1, 2012, to make traditional 100 W incandescent light bulbs unavailable to consumers. This standard extended to traditional 75 W incandescent bulbs as of January 1, 2013, and to traditional 40 W and 60 W incandescent bulbs as of January 1, 2014. However, you have many lighting options that are EISA-compliant and will save you money.
If you need any assistance with finding a light bulb replacement or have any questions regarding our LED and CFL bulb offerings, please don’t hesitate to contact us.