Eco-Friendly Lighting: Illuminate Your Space
© Federica Giusti
With global energy consumption increasing and electricity bills skyrocketing, going green and lighting up a home in an energy-efficient way is imperative. Although it may not seem like a big step for you as an individual, choosing energy-efficient lighting is a big step you can take to reduce your carbon footprint. Here is a list of five eco-friendly lightning solutions.
Install motion-sensor lighting to conserve energy
One of the best ways to conserve energy and light up your living space is by installing motion-sensors.
Especially for all of us who tend to forget to turn off the lights. Motion-sensors detect any movement that is made in an area where they’re installed, light up, and then go off when there’s no movement. This is especially useful for those situations when you’re, for example, unloading the car after grocery shopping and your hands are already full. Motion detectors are usually installed above the garage door, at entrance points, and in basements, allowing you to expand your ring of security and make your home burglar-proof, all the while being an efficient way of saving energy.
Green up your old and dated lighting fixtures
A great way to make your household more green and light up your home more efficiently is to update your old lighting fixtures. Add dimmer switches to your existing lighting fixtures so that you can easily adjust the brightness of the light in the room and choose the light level that accommodates your needs. Not only does this help reduce the consumption of energy, but it also lowers the amount of heat your lighting bulbs give off when they’re burning, thus making them last longer.
In addition, you can also go a step further and layer your lightning so you can make use of one lighting source instead of lighting up the entire room with one flip of a switch. Lighting up a certain area of the room that you’re using will help save electricity and it can also be used to create a pleasant ambiance.
Cut your utility bills by installing LED lights
More and more households are making a switch from incandescent light bulbs to LED bulbs as their eco-friendly alternative.
Compared to their more wasteful counterparts, LED bulbs don’t consume as much energy as incandescent bulbs do. They also have a much, much longer lifespan. While the former lasts for only around 1000 hours, the latter can last from 25 to 50 times longer, making them an investment worth considering. Switching to the greener alternative is also a great way to lower your electricity bill. With the help of LED-supported sconces, chandeliers, and lamps, you can illuminate your entire living space and cut your energy consumption significantly. Whether you choose to go with statement chandeliers or bold lamps, LED-supported custom lights will enrich your living space and act as the perfect finishing touch to the room’s design.
Be smart – install smart bulbs
One of the perks of living in a modern age is that there are always innovations in a variety of fields. Lighting solutions are no exception. Smart bulbs are one of those innovations. They let you set lighting schedules according to your needs and manage your home lighting system even if you’re away from home. This allows you to control the time when the lights go on as well as the intensity of the light remotely by using a phone app for this specific purpose. Similar to LED bulbs, these last anywhere from 25000 to 50000 hours on average. Their only drawback is the cost that can be up to $50, which might be too much for some. To others, it might not sound like too big of a price to pay given that they’ll be able to program their lights to go on and off according to their habits and needs while also reducing energy wastage.
Maximize sunlight as much as you can
Last but not least, the greenest lighting solution there is, natural light needs to be maximized if you want to cut down on your monthly utility bills. When the living space is well-lit and there is enough sunlight coming in, there’s no need to keep the lights on during the day, which can affect your energy consumption significantly.
Roll up the blinds, remove the curtains, and let sunlight fill your space. If you were planning on renovating, consider adding skylights, windows, or solar tubes on your to-do list. In addition, hang mirrors around the house to reflect the light during the day and opt for a light color scheme to maximize the use of natural light.
These are just some of the options you should consider implementing into your daily life. Soon enough, you might find yourself adopting more eco-friendly habits, thus helping with the preservation of the environment.