LIGHTING BASICS

Improve your existing lighting to get energy savings. Larger consumes can be easily reduced by 50% or more...

Lighting improvements

To get immediate energy savings...

- Use fluorescent lights and CFL's (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) in rooms and places where lights are on for more than 2 hours a day. Alternatively, in some cases, use LED lights.

- Use fluorescent light fixtures for ceilings and walls of kitchens, living rooms and other most-used rooms – bathrooms, bedrooms… - whenever lights are on for more than 2 hours a day. LED fixtures are also an alternative for some uses (the problem with LED products is on their prices...).

- Prefer Energy Star, UE, UL and other certified lighting products. More efficient lamps and fixtures provide a lower wattage for the same light output.

- Install lighting controls (motion detectors and other controls can automatically turn lights off...);

- Verify the wattage of your lamps and replace those using to much light. The quality of lighting do not coincide with large amounts of it.

- Use task lighting or accent-decorative lighting instead of overhead fixtures. See: Indoor lighting design.

- Use qualified dedicated fixtures. Though Compact Fluorescent (CFLs) and LEDs bulbs can now be used in incandescent fixtures, the use dedicated fluorescent or LED fixtures will allow higher energy savings, and a better light, reliability and also a longer service life. See: Light fixtures

Lighting design, Types of Lighting and projects

Lighting a room shouldn't begin by the selection of fixtures. It should begin by a project or concept, taking into account the different types of lighting and lamps, and energy efficient issues and daylighting features.

See:
Indoor lighting Project
Indoor lighting Design
Ambient Lighting
Task Lighting
Accent Lighting
Indirect Lighting
Wall Washing Lighting
Decorative Lighting
Recessed Lighting
Track Lighting
Portable Lamps
Undercabinet Lighting

Daylighting strategies

Other more structural lighting improvements involve designing new homes with an energy-efficient focus, taking into account details related with passive solar techniques, windows, skylights, or the shape and sun exposure of the house.

And also improved indoor lighting design and outdoor lighting design.

Fluorescent and LED Lights

Fluorescent lamps (including CFL's) are significantly more expensive than incandescents, but they are about 3 to 4 times more efficient and last 10 times more, on average.

LEDs are a new and promising technology that may even replace the fluorescent one, though not on the short run.

See:
LED basics
Fluorescent Lights: fixtures, uses, shapes, types

Fixtures

To get high quality light and energy efficiency prefer qualified light fixtures.

Light quality

Incandescents are no more a benchmark in light quality. Fluorescents and LEDs can produce high quality lighting with different tones (warmer or cooler)

See: Light quality

Indoor Lighting Principles

Whenever possible...

- use task lights instead of ambient lights;
- use light colors on the walls: it will reduce the need for lighting.
- maximize the use of solar passive techniques to achieve a longer and better day-lighting;
- Use skylights;
- Use energy-efficient lamps and controls (Energy Star, UE and other eco-labeled lighting products).

Outdoor Lighting design

Outdoor lighting is often a cause of light pollution. See: Outdoor lighting basics.

Outdoor solar lighting is a good and cheap solution in many garden and landscape lighting. Low-voltage lighting is the other major solution for landscape lighting.

Lighting Controls & Energy-Efficiency

Lighting controls like photo-sensors, dimmers, motion-sensors and timers are important elements for energy-efficiency and electricity savings.

See, for details: Lighting controls.