The way that we provide lighting for our home and work spaces can make a big difference in the way we feel and the way we work.  Additionally, the type of bulbs, power, light fixtures and habits we develop all add up to make a big impact on the environment.

Incandescent light bulbs have been the most familiar type of light bulb used in our homes for many years. Unfortunately, the incandescent light bulb is also the least efficient type of lighting we have available to us today. This type of light bulb uses an electric current to heat up a metal filament to make it glow white-hot and give off light. Only 5% of that electricity is actually used to produce light and the remaining 95% ends up as heat. Many countries are beginning to phase out the use of the incandescent light bulb – some by legislation and some voluntarily. Brazil and Venezuela started to phase them out in 2005 and other nations are planning scheduled phase-outs: Australia, Ireland and Switzerland in 2009; Argentina, Italy, Russia and the United Kingdom by 2011; Canada in 2012; the European Union by September 2009 and the United States between 2012 and 2014.

So, although we thank Thomas Edison for his great contribution to society, it is time for all of us to begin finding alternatives to the light bulb we grew up with.  We have many more choices available to us now and costs are beginning to come down. Arming ourselves with information will help us decide which lighting choices are best for our home and work spaces.

Compact Fluorescent Light [CFL]

Compact fluorescents come in a myriad of different shapes, sizes, and colors of light and use about 65% less energy than standard incandescent light bulbs and last 10-20 times longer (usually around 10,000 hours). CFLs cost a bit more than an incandescent [typically $3-8 each and now come in all shapes, colors and sizes. It is estimated that a CFL pays for its higher price after about 500 hours of use.

You can now buy CFLs for indoor and outdoor use and you can now find types to fit almost any light fixture in your home. Unlike fluorescents of the past, modern advancements in CFLs have enabled them to produce a warmer and welcoming ambiance. Choose a good brand that has an Energy Star label and pay close attention to the color temp of the bulbs on the package. Look for something in the 2500-3000K range of color temp - 2700K is most similar to yellowish incandescent light. For general usage, 1 watt of fluorescent lighting equals the light output of 4 watts of incandescent lighting. What isn’t really great about compact fluorescents is that they actually contain mercury. You should NEVER just throw your compact fluorescent in the trash. Pay close attention to the recommendations on the package or your local recycling center.


Light Emitting Diodes [LED]

LEDs, or light emitting diodes, are a technology that allows for extremely energy efficient and extremely long-lasting light bulbs. LED lights are much more expensive but prices are coming down and they are much less expensive to run. A high quality LED will generally last 70,000 hours or longer. Most LED lamps on the market do have the bulbs built into them so that you will buy the whole unit. However, you can now retrofit your current light fixtures with LED bulbs. If quality of light is important, then stick to the major manufacturers - different companies have different quality control in how they pick their LEDs. An off-brand might look too yellow or too blue and not really white - which has to do with the quality of the LED batches. With a Color Rendering Index (CRI) of 92, the superior color quality of LEDs enhances the appearance of people, room surfaces, furnishings and merchandise. Dimming capability is standard, so you have more ways to modify the look of your space. A 7-watt LED bulb will be roughly the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent bulb.

LEDs do not have filaments and are powered instead by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material. A LED bulb can last 10,000 or more hours [about 10 years] and dim as they approach the end of their life rather than flicker or suddenly burn out. They are very rugged because they resist vibration and shock. LEDs are an energy-efficient, reliable, low-maintenance and environmentally friendly choice because they consume much less energy than other sources and minimize landfill waste. LEDs do not contain mercury but the jury may be out on their disposal.

Halogen Lighting 

A halogen lamp is a type of incandescent lamp in which a tungsten filament is sealed into a compact transparent envelope filled with an inert gas and a small amount of halogen such as iodine or bromine. They were once considered the light of the future. A halogen bulb is great for long periods of use because they do last for a long time.

Although some halogens use up to 20 percent less energy than regular incandescent lights and last anywhere from 2,000 to 6,000 hours, they are far less efficient than compact fluorescents. To produce the same amount of light, look for a halogen with about 70% of the wattage of the incandescent it will replace.

They have a capability of being able to focus light energy for very precise lighting and that makes them ideal for display cabinets or special effects lighting. They also emit more light per unit of energy compared to incandescent bulbs and their bright pools of light are perfect for reading a book or focusing on a work station. Halogens do burn hotter than other lights, so keep them at least six inches away from all flammable materials.

Fluorescent Light

Fluorescent tube lighting has been around for quite a long time and are a mainstay in many offices around the world. Although not as "pretty" as some lighting, the fluorescent tubes also can have a reasonable and energy-efficient application in residential homes.

How does the fluorescent tube work? When you turn the lamp on, the current flows through the electrical circuit to the electrodes. There is a considerable voltage across the electrodes, so electrons will migrate through the gas from one end of the tube to the other. This energy changes some of the mercury in the tube from a liquid to a gas. As electrons and charged atoms move through the tube, some of them will collide with the gaseous mercury atoms. These collisions excite the atoms, bumping electrons up to higher energy levels. When the electrons return to their original energy level, they release light photons. In a fluorescent lamp, the emitted light is in the visible spectrum - the phosphor gives off white light we can see. Manufacturers can vary the color of the light by using different combinations of phosphors.

What is the difference between fluorescent tubes and CFLs? The primary difference is in the ize of the light. Compact fluorescent bulbs are made into special shapes that will fit in standard household light sockets. They also have an integral ballast that is built into the light bulb. Most fluorescent tubes require separate ballasts independent of the bulb. Both fluorescent types offer energy-efficient light. However, the fluorescent tube also does contain mercury and should be disposed of carefully.

The link below from American Fluorescent  provides a chart that  gives the general comparison of fluorescent lamps to the incandescent lamps listed on the left.

http://www.americanfluorescent.com/afl_content.cgi?id_num=18

¹ How Stuff Works; http://home.howstuffworks.com/fluorescent-lamp2.htm

Solar Powered

Another great way to save energy and money is to use solar energy to power your outdoor lighting. These solar powered lights use a photovoltaic (PV) panel to collect energy from the sun and store it in a battery. The stored electricity is used to power the lights at night. There are many designs available for your garden, your pond and general outdoor lighting. Additionally, you can purchase models that turn on automatically by light-sensing controls or motion-sensing controls.

Daylighting

The sun provides free full-spectrum light all day and making use of this free resource just makes sense. If you are building a new home or making renovations, plan to put as many south-facing windows in the plan as possible. Install skylights or solar tubes for additional daylighting in your home. Let the sun shine in your home in the mornings and close your blinds or drapes, either manually or automated, in the afternoons to control lighting in your home.

Good Lighting Habits

• Turn off the lights! It does make a difference if you are not going to be in a room for an extended period of time.
• Keep your light fixture and bulbs free of dust to get the most lighting efficiency
• Install dimmers to control the light levels in your rooms
• Retrofit your light fixtures and lamps with compact fluorescents, LEDs or halogen light bulbs.
• Consider installing occupancy sensors to automatically turn lights off after you leave the room
• Painting your walls a light color helps you use natual lighting more efficiently
• Set up task lighting around your home and concentrate light where it is actually needed instead of turning on all the overhead lights in a room. Install lighting [halogen is great for this] on your desk, your favorite reading chair or kitchen table to focus light just where you need it.
• Use a power saving smart strip for your lamps and other electric devices. These power strips have a one-touch remote switch that powers off up to six devices plugged into the "remote switched outlets". There are also two "always on" outlets that allow you to keep devices like your telephone, fax machine, answering machine or router powered on constantly.

Where To Buy Resources

Eco-Lights - large selection of energy efficient lighting fixtures including indoor and outdoor lights, lamps, chandeliers and pendant light, Energy Star and solar lights. A USA company based in California.

LEDtronics - an extensive selection of  industrial direct incandescent replacement based LED light bulbs: Low-cost, Snap-in, and Relampable Panel Mount LED lamps; High-Intensity Sunlight-visible Discrete LEDs; PCB LEDs; Circuit Board Status Indicators; Surface Mount Diodes SMT LEDs; Full-Spectrum Rainbow RGB LEDs; Ultraviolet (UV) LEDs; and Infrared (IR) LEDs. A USA company based in California.

Mule -  extensive array of solid state led lighting products for a wide range of applications, from exit fixtures and emergency lighting units to decorative, accent and general purpose lighting. A USA company based in Rhode Island. They acquired LiteCor in 1970 to manufacture their products.
 
Smart Home - good selection of solar and energy-saving lighting products as well as home automation products. A USA company based in California.

1000bulbs.com - enormous and easy-to-find selection of compact fluorescent, halogen and LED light bulbs. The site also offers an extensive knowledge base and product spec sheet selection. A USA company based in Texas.d d'

Texa company based in a a  selection
Designer Options

Vessel - the company has a line of beautiful soft-glow rechargable lights powered by LEDs and made of  of recycled plastic

jGoodDesign - beautiful hand-blown glass lighting. Offers products made with partially recycled, recyclable, and environmentally sustainable materials. These materials include the glass itself, aluminum hardware made without harmful finishes, and hardwood alternatives such as bamboo. Made in USA.

Graypants -  discarded corrugated cardboard boxes reach a more enlightened plane of existence once reincarnated as Scrap Lights. The lamps come in three shapes. Made in USA.

Lighting Manufacturers

Phllips Lighting - Headquartered in Somerset, N.J. Philips Lighting markets more than 3,000 lighting products to the retail, industrial/commercial, consumer and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) markets. Philips Lighting innovations have included ALTO low-mercury lamp technology, the compact fluorescent lamp, QL Induction Lighting and the halogen automotive headlamp. As part of the largest lighting company in the world, Philips Lighting employs almost 10,000 people in manufacturing, sales and distribution facilities throughout the United States. 

Sylvania -- OSRAM SYLVANIA, a Siemens company, together with their parent company -- OSRAM GmbH of Munich, Germany and its affiliates are the second largest light and materials company in the world, serving customers in more than 140 countries. The company manufactures and markets a wide range of products, electronic and magnetic ballasts, precision materials and components for business, industry, consumers, for the automotive industry, and for the computer, aerospaceand other major industries world wide. It employs about 11,350 people through out the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico. OSRAM SYLVANIA is headquartered in Danvers, Massachusetts. Their manufacturing plants for home and business lighting are located in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Illinois, Canada and Mexico.

General Electric - GE traces its beginnings to Thomas A. Edison, who established Edison Electric Light Company in 1878. In 1892, a merger of Edison General Electric Company and Thomson-Houston Electric Company created General Electric Company. GE, multi-faceted conglomerate  infrastructure, is  a finance and media company with products and services ranging from aircraft engines, power generation, water processing and security technology to medical imaging, business and consumer financing, media content and industrial products. They serve customers in more than 100 countries and employ more than 320,000 people worldwide. Lumination is a GE company producing LED signs, LED traffic lights, display lights for use in refrigerated food displays at supermarkets and high power white LED Light Bulbs. One note -- the vast majority of General Electrics' CFL bulbs are manufactured in China. We cannot find definitive information at this time on where General Electric manufactures their LED light bulbs. However, in the last decade, GE has closed over fifteen factories and downsized numerous others in Ohio, once a large manufacturing state for light bulbs and the headquarters [in Cleveland] for GE's lighting division.

Westinghouse Lighting Corporation - based in Philadelpia, Pennsylvania, the company has distribution facilities around the world stocking over 5,000 items. In 2003, Angelo Brothers Company, a leading manufacturer and marketer of light bulbs, ceiling fans, light fixtures and decorative lighting hardware, changed its name to Westinghouse Lighting Corporation. Westinghouse Electric Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Viacom Inc, is the owner/licensor of the famous Westinghouse trademarks. We can find no information as of this time about the location of manufacturing plants for their products.

The generations of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation can be very confusing. In 1997, the Western Electric Company changed its name to CBS Corporation. In 1998 the company CBS Corporation sold its nuclear business to BNFL (British Nuclear Fuels Limited) who starts to operate it as Westinghouse Electric Company. The same year, CBS Corporation creates a new subsidiary company called Westinghouse Electric Corporation to manage the Westinghouse brand. Although these products advertise the Westinghouse name, they are neither manufactured by the historic Westinghouse company nor are the quality standards necessarily actively maintained by WEC.

In 2006, BNFL sold Westinghouse Electric Company to to Toshiba Group Company, offers a wide range of nuclear products and services to utilities throughout the world, including nuclear fuel, service and maintenance, instrumentation and control and advanced nuclear plant designs. Is your head spinning yet?  It seems that Toshiba now also has lighting products. Their Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation manufactures [in Thailand and China] fluorescent and compact fluorescent bulbs. They also have established division called New Lighting Systems featuring the E-CORE LED light bulbs. No information yet on where these light bulbs are manufactured but it is a safe bet that they will not be made in the USA.

Technical Consumer Products, Inc. (TCP) is headquartered in Aurora, Ohio and provides lighting innovation for commercial, industrial and residential applications. The head of TCP was born in China and moved to the United States many years ago. As the leader in energy efficient lighting, TCP manufactures the most compact fluorescent lamps in the industry, offers one of the largest number of ENERGY STAR approved products and distributes them throughout North America and abroad. The company’s extensive product line includes compact fluorescent lamps, cold cathode, linear and high bay systems, HID, fixtures and LED lighting products and solutions. TCP manufactures 70 percent of the CFLs on the market through name brand, private label and other lighting manufacturers, including n:vision at The Home Depot. The company has four factories in and around Shanghai that produce more than one million compact-fluorescent bulbs a day. Most are shipped to the U.S. and sold under private labels by Home Depot, Walmart and other retailers. General Electric and Sylvania also also resell TCP fluorescent bulbs under their names, along with manufacturing their own.