energy efficient lighting for new homes and remodels
Artificial lighting accounts for around 12-15% of average home’s energy bills. A huge amount that can be reduced by 50% to 70%. Energy-efficient lighting and lower light bills should be a top priority in new rooms and remodels.
The main Choices
To maximize energy-efficient lighting you must consider some crucial choices in some basic areas:
- maximize daylighting (by getting better daylight and longer use of it);
- replace old and inefficient incandescent technology with new fluorescent or LED technology;
- use appropriate, approved and qualified fixtures and lamps;
- use lighting controls;
- use task and accent lighting proficiently;
- choose proper locations for your fixtures.
Maximizing daylighting
Extending the use of natural lighting, and getting better natural light is crucial. Daylighting – the use of windows and skylights to bring daylight into the home’s rooms – is very important to get lower lighting bills.
Advances in the design and types of glass allow windows and skylights to reduce the need for artificial lighting without unwanted heating or cooling. The size and location of windows (and skylights), and the shape of the building should also be considered carefully in new construction.
Relatively large south-facing windows (or north-facing ones, in southern-hemisphere countries) is often a clever option, if complemented with proper summer shading...
North-facing windows (the opposite in southern hemisphere countries) can also be a good source of natural light with little glare and no-unwanted summer heat gains, but it may pose unwanted heating problems.
For details: Daylighting basics
New light fixtures and lamps
Incandescent lights and fixtures are energy-inefficient and increasingly outdated. They are being banned in Europe and other regions, and are going to be phased out in USA, starting in 2012.
And there is a good reason for it: CFL/fluorescent and LED lights use at least 3-4 times less energy and last several times more.
Approved and qualified fixtures and lamps
Not all LED and fluorescent lights are created equal. And not all fixtures are equally good. Prefer qualified fixtures and lights when building a new home or implementing a remodel. UL and Energy Star certified lighting products are an easy way to get quality, longer warranties and… lower energy costs.
Also prefer dedicated light fixtures. They will make the fluorescent and LED technology truly efficient. Using them in old incandescent fixtures will not yield the same results.
Proper fixture location
It’s rather obvious: the right fixture in the wrong place or a fixture providing the wrong quantity of light will not yield efficiency.
See: Lighting projects
Lighting controls
Do not trust too much in yourself or on the members of your family to turn off the lights. To slash lighting bills a little more, bet on lighting controls.
See: Lighting controls
Use of task and accent lighting
Modern ambient lighting is basically a backdrop for more specific types of lighting, and should not provide high levels of light. To enhance some indoor features, or to get better light in the kitchen under counters or on the bathroom mirror, or to get quality light to read and write you should use task lighting...
Modern ambient lighting may also involve accent and decorative lighting and techniques like indirect lighting and wall-washing lighting.
See also: