The Less You Burn, the More You Earn

Outline Thesis: In order to save money and cut costs, it is imperative that one uses different kinds of energy-efficient lights. * Light Fixtures * Light fixtures are the devices that hold the light bulbs you use * In order to have a light in your house you have to have a light fixture to hold it. * Since there are many different types of light bulbs there must be different light fixtures * I. e. , fluorescent, LED, and your basic incandescent, etc. * Light Bulbs * Light bulbs are what give you that wonderful emission of light. Light bulbs vary from different sizes to different shapes and different colors * They also are rated different wattage and voltage * Depending on the bulb these key factors could jeopardize your energy bills * Types of Light Bulbs * There are several types of light bulbs that are used for different reasons * Incandescent Bulbs- these are the standard bulbs that most people are familiar with. Incandescent bulbs work by using electricity to heat a tungsten filam ent in the bulb until it glows. The filament is either in a vacuum or in a mixture of argon/nitrogen gas. Halogen Bulbs- halogen bulbs are a variation of incandescent bulb technology. These bulbs work by passing electricity through a tungsten filament, which is enclosed in a tube containing halogen gas. This halogen gas causes a chemical reaction to take place which removes the tungsten from the wall of the glass and deposits it back onto the filament. This extends the life of the bulb. * Fluorescent Bulbs- These bulbs work by passing a current through a tube filled with argon gas and mercury. This produces ultraviolet radiation that bombards the phosphorous coating causing it to emit light.Bulb life is very long – 10,000 to 20,000 hours * Compact Fluorescent Lamps- compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) are a modern type of light bulbs, that work like fluorescent bulbs, but in a much smaller package. Similar to regular fluorescent bulbs, they produce little heat and are very effic ient. They are available to fit screw type base fittings and pin type (snap-in). Most CFLs either consist of a number of short glass sticks, or two or three small tubular loops. * High-Intensity Discharge Lamps- High Pressure Sodium (HPS), Metal Halide, Mercury Vapor and Self-Ballasted Mercury Lamps are all high intensity discharge lamps (HID).With the exception of self-ballasted lamps, auxiliary equipment such as ballasts and starters must be provided for proper starting and operation of each type bulb. Compared to fluorescent and incandescent lamps, HID lamps produce a large quantity of light from a relatively small bulb. * Low-Pressure Sodium Lamps- Low-pressure sodium lamps have the highest efficacy of all commercially available lighting sources. Even though they emit a yellow light, a low-pressure sodium lamp shouldn't be confused with a standard high-pressure sodium lamp.Low-pressure sodium lamps operate much like a fluorescent lamp and require ballast. * LED (Light Emitting D iodes)- Light Emitting Diodes (LED) are bulbs without a filament, that are low in power consumption and have a long life span. LEDs are just starting to rival conventional lighting, but unfortunately they just don't have the output (lumen) needed to completely replace incandescent, and other type, bulbs just yet. Never the less, technology is advancing everyday, and it will not be long until the LED bulb will be the bulb of choice for most applications in the home and work place.Different Lights Can Save Energy and Cut Costs Different lighting can attack someone’s budget, both positively and negatively; positive is what we aim for. There are a variety of bulbs, or lamps, that save people money. There are LED’s, CFL’s and many more. Budgeting a person’s lighting in their home can save individuals money to explore other fun activities on their off time, like going to the beach, or buying a new car or investing in a top notch lighting system for their home. All possibilities when one simply switches a bulb.Let's first take a look at a typical home fixture for general lighting. â€Å"Let's say consumers currently have 60-watt incandescent bulbs and are used six hours a day. The average U. S. home electricity price is 12 cents per kilowatt-hour the kilowatt-hour (symbolized kWh) is a unit of energy equivalent to one kilowatt (1 kW) of power expended for one hour (1 h) of time, according to the most recent data from the U. S. Energy Information Administration. So if consumers pay 12 cents per kWh, and that light bulb uses 60 watts x 6 hours x 365 = 131. 4 kWh a year, that's costing them $16 a year. (Kremer) In order to save money and cut costs, it is imperative that consumers use different kinds of energy-efficient lights. It may be confusing but everyone should know what happens to their electrical bill when they have certain lights. In fact, the average household should know what kinds of light bulbs and how much money they are spendin g on this utility. There are different types of lights and they each have different characteristics, which you should take notice and research accordingly. Light bulbs branch in different directions, whether it is bar lighting, to household lighting, or supermarket lighting to club lights.But these lights have to be carefully selected to save money. Light bulbs come in various shapes, sizes, and even colors. Given what size of light bulb you have also judges what wattage and voltage you have on your lights, which in turn will make those kilowatt-hours go up. There are several kinds of light bulbs, and different companies make them. They are incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, compact fluorescent lamps, high-intensity discharge lamps, low-pressure sodium lamps, and LED (Light Emitting Diodes). Depending on what light bulbs you prefer you may not get the right energy saving light bulbs you cry out for.Incandescent, these are the regular bulbs that most people are familiar with. Incand escent bulbs work by using electricity to heat a tungsten filament in the bulb until it glows. The filament is either in a vacuum or in a mixture of argon or nitrogen gas. Most of the energy spent by the bulb is given off as heat, causing its lumens per watt performance to be low. Because of the filament's high temperature, the tungsten tends to disappear and move to the sides of the light bulb. The natural faultiness in the filament causes it to become thinner quickly.When a bulb is turned on, the sudden flow of energy can cause the other areas to heat up faster than the rest of the bulb, which in turn causes the filament to break and the bulb to burn out. A regular incandescent bulb can last up to 1000 hours. (West) Halogen bulbs are a variation of the incandescent bulb. These bulbs also use a tungsten filament, which is enclosed in a tube containing halogen gas. This halogen gas causes a chemical reaction to take place which removes the tungsten from the wall of the glass and dep osits it back onto the filament. This extends the life of the bulb.In order for the bulbs reaction to create the bulb needs to be hotter than the regular incandescent bulb. The bad news is that the hotter the bulb, the quicker your throwing that bad boy away. â€Å"Care must be taken not to touch the glass part of the bulb with our fingers. The oils from our fingers will weaken the glass and shorten the bulb’s life. Many times this causes the bulb to burst when the filament finally burns out. † (Kremer) Fluorescent lamps are also used in household environments as well as commercial. These lamps work by passing a current through a tube filled with argon gas and mercury.These bulbs also last quite some time up to almost 20,000 hours of light. (West) Fluorescent lamps are also very efficient, producing very little heat, unlike halogen or incandescent bulbs. Fluorescent lamps require a ballast to stabilize the current through the lamp, and to provide the initial striking v oltage required to start the arc discharge. This increases the cost of fluorescent light fixtures, even though one ballast is shared between two or more lamps. A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor chip that emits light when conducting current. LED’s are very useful due to their ability to emit nearly all varieties of light.This has led to their use as a light source for a wide range of applications from: status indicator lights to traffic signals. LED’s are the most bizarre and energy-saving lights you can have that produce the same amount of light as any other incandescent or fluorescent lights. Although, LED’s that produce a spectrum of visible light have been under constant development since the 1960’s, only recently have LED’s seen mass production for household products, making the energy-saving idea more serious. (Energy Star) Retrofitting, the process of changing lights from old to new, is a big part of the electrical business.When doing retro fit work, there are many opportunities for replacing obsolete lamps with newer cost-efficient lamps. This will not only result in reduced energy costs, but usually provides equal- or better-quality lighting. Energy Star, the leading program in energy efficiency and environmental safety, is a branch of the U. S EPA and the DoE. In 1992 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced Energy Star as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Computers and monitors were the first labeled products.In 1995 they slowly started to move towards heating and cooling equipment. In 1996 they partnered with the DoE to focus on more particular product categories. Through 2011, nearly 20,000 organizations have partnered with EPA, improved efficiency, and realized significant financial and environmental benefits. Americans, with the help of Energy Star, prevented 210 million metric tons of greenhous e gas emissions in 2011 alone, equivalent to the total emissions of 41 million vehicles, and reduced their utility bills by $23 billion. (Energy Star) In 2008, U. S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W.Bodman introduced the joint of the Department of Energy and Defense campaign to challenge military bases nationwide to change their incandescent light bulbs to energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in on-base housing. (Energy Star) The Energy Star campaign, called Operation Change Out, will help bases across the country increase energy efficiency, save money and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. As of today they have saved millions of dollars in electricity costs and they save an average of 12% electricity each year. (Scoggins) The most important part of the equation is the money.On average you buy a box of 20 incandescent light bulbs for about $3. 56. So if you pay your electricity bill and add in the total for the bulbs you’re paying around $2268. 84 a year. Thatâ⠂¬â„¢s with buying bulbs every month. Now let’s say for instance you upgrade to a more energy-efficient bulb, for instance a Philips (60-W) A19 LED Bright White light bulb. These bulbs go for at least $15, but have a lifespan of 18. 3 years, based on 3 hour usage. Now if one uses these bulbs, your electric bill that was once $90 a month, may now seem more like $80.Based on average you could save anywhere from $10-$25 a month just by switching a bulb. Not only that, if you turn your original switch into a dimmer you could be saving hundreds of dollars a year. Just one 100 watt bulb produces about 2 watts of light and 98 watts of heat. The heat is what is boosting your electric bill. The incandescent bulb takes 100 watts but half of that is heat. (Scoggins) The more bulbs one has the more your bill will be. The most cost efficient way to roll these days is to buy LED lights or CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lights). Most electricians will tell one to go with LED’s because of t heir cost-efficiency.One incandescent bulb uses up to 100 watts of electricity, whereas a LED typically uses 2-17 watts. Even though CFL’s are energy saving and cost efficient, they are not as good as LED’s but provide just about the same, CFL’s put off about 6-25 watts. If one switches their incandescent with CFL’s one can dim their switch and save electricity and money. Energy saving has become a big issue over the years. Energy Star has expressed their utmost concern on the ideal way to efficiently light one’s home. Over 200 gigawatts of energy are wasted annually in America each year. Kraemer) Over the span of time since LED’s have been placed on the market, consumers have decided that these are the best, although expensive. With the advances in technology and the research that is taking place, in a matter of years consumers could be, should be, using lights that save them money. Works Cited . â€Å"CFL Key Product Criteria. † Ene rgy Star. U. S Enviromental Protection Agency, 02 2011. Web. 8 Nov 2012. . . â€Å"Energy Efficient Lighting. † Eartheasy: Solutions for Sustainable Living. Eartheasy. com, 10 2011. Web. 0 Dec 2012. . â€Å"Energy Savings Calculator. † Lutron. Lutron Electronics Co. , 12 2012. Web. 18 Dec 2012.