Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

by Littman Bros Lighting

It’s been a hot summer, and you’re sure to have felt the burn in your most recent electric bills. As we head into the humid days of August, we need to find ways to keep ourselves cool without running our air conditioning non-stop. One way to do this is by transitioning to energy-efficient lighting.

Compact Fluorescent vs. Incandescent

Traditional incandescent lamps work by heating a tungsten filament to a point where it gives off light. However, about 90% of this energy is lost as heat rather than emitted as visible light. In a compact fluorescent light bulb, electricity excites a gas trapped within to produce ultraviolet light, releasing only 30% of the energy in the form of heat. In addition, CFL lamps use about 1/4 of the electricity than that of incandescent bulbs. While they initially cost more than incandescent lamps, CFLs last up to 10 times longer and can save around $30 in energy costs over their lifetime. By conserving energy with CFL light bulbs, you are helping the environment while also reducing the need to constantly run the AC.

Compact fluorescent bulbs fit into most light fixtures, including recessed fixtures, table lamps, track lighting and a variety of ceiling lights. If you want use CFLs in your outdoor light fixtures, make sure that they are safe to use in both cold and wet locations.

Other manufacturers of energy-efficient light fixtures include:

• Access Lighting
• Craftmade
• Dolan Designs
• Hinkley Lighting
• Hubbardton Forge
• Kichler Lighting
• Kovacs Lighting
• Maxim Lighting
• Murray Feiss
• Progress
• Quoizel
• Quorum

Visit the Littman Bros. Showroom or call a lighting expert at (877)237-9098 to learn more about energy-efficient lighting solutions.

Tags: CFL, compact fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescent light bulbs, eco-friendly lighting, energy-efficient lighting, environmentally friendly lighting