LED Home Lighting Not Far Off

Energy conservation, carbon footprints and all things green have taken on a higher priority recently. Many of us are aware of the need to change our behavior to assure future generations a sustainable environment, but the rapid changes in technologies often leave us confused and uncertain how to respond. One of the areas that has been getting a lot of attention is lighting. Lighting for homes, offices and businesses accounts for a substantial amount of our electrical generating capacity and thus our use of natural resources and, in many cases, increased carbon emissions.

With all the attention being given to this problem, it is no surprise that there has been a steep rise in the acceptance of compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) over Edison’s incandescent bulb. Perhaps you received some discount coupons in the mail from Duke Energy offering steep discounts for CFLs. They have been around for several years and do save energy. Some down sides are the light output seems harsh to many and they take a minute or two to reach full brightness when first switched on. Perhaps more disturbing is that each bulb has a tiny amount of mercury. This makes the disposal of CFLs problematic. Don’t just put them out for the Rumpke guy to take away.

There is a whole new generation of lighting now becoming available based on LED technology. LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. LEDs were first developed in the 1920s, but their use as a lighting source only became popular in the 1960s when they began to be used as indicator lights on stereos and other electronic devices. Beginning in the 1990s we saw applications such as automobile tail lights and even Christmas tree lights. They were slow to be developed into practical and affordable products for home and office lighting. That is changing quickly.

There are several companies who have introduced replacement lamps for home use in lamps, ceiling fixtures and other applications based on LED technology. The benefits are outstanding. LEDs use a fraction of energy than used by even the best CFL, they have no mercury and they will last years. The bad news is that they are still very expensive with a LED equivalent of a 60 watt incandescent bulb priced at about $40.

When CFLs first hit the market, they were pricey but as consumer acceptance increased the price dropped. Expect the same to happen with LEDs. It may well not be practical for many of us to run out and replace all our home lighting with LEDs right now, but I think it is a safe bet to expect that within five years LEDs will be an affordable and environmentally prudent choice.

LED Home Lighting Not Far Off

Energy conservation, carbon footprints and all things green have taken on a higher priority recently. Many of us are aware of the need to change our behavior to assure future generations a sustainable environment, but the rapid changes in technologies often leave us confused and uncertain how to respond. One of the areas that has been getting a lot of attention is lighting. Lighting for homes, offices and businesses accounts for a substantial amount of our electrical generating capacity and thus our use of natural resources and, in many cases, increased carbon emissions.

With all the attention being given to this problem, it is no surprise that there has been a steep rise in the acceptance of compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) over Edison’s incandescent bulb. Perhaps you received some discount coupons in the mail from Duke Energy offering steep discounts for CFLs. They have been around for several years and do save energy. Some down sides are the light output seems harsh to many and they take a minute or two to reach full brightness when first switched on. Perhaps more disturbing is that each bulb has a tiny amount of mercury. This makes the disposal of CFLs problematic. Don’t just put them out for the Rumpke guy to take away.

There is a whole new generation of lighting now becoming available based on LED technology. LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. LEDs were first developed in the 1920s, but their use as a lighting source only became popular in the 1960s when they began to be used as indicator lights on stereos and other electronic devices. Beginning in the 1990s we saw applications such as automobile tail lights and even Christmas tree lights. They were slow to be developed into practical and affordable products for home and office lighting. That is changing quickly.

There are several companies who have introduced replacement lamps for home use in lamps, ceiling fixtures and other applications based on LED technology. The benefits are outstanding. LEDs use a fraction of energy than used by even the best CFL, they have no mercury and they will last years. The bad news is that they are still very expensive with a LED equivalent of a 60 watt incandescent bulb priced at about $40.

When CFLs first hit the market, they were pricey but as consumer acceptance increased the price dropped. Expect the same to happen with LEDs. It may well not be practical for many of us to run out and replace all our home lighting with LEDs right now, but I think it is a safe bet to expect that within five years LEDs will be an affordable and environmentally prudent choice.

Some stocking stuffer ideas with plugs and batteries

Last week I gave you some gift giving ideas. Some of the items I suggested were a bit pricey. This week I have a few suggestions that won’t break your budget, but will be used and appreciated all year long by the recipient.

Who doesn’t need a flash light? Who hasn’t reached into the glove compartment or trunk only to find a flashlight with dead or weak batteries or bad light bulb? There are several models of LED flashlights on the market. LEDs are more durable, longer lasting and energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs. LEDs do not have a filament, so if you drop them they are not prone to failure. They have dramatically lower power requirements, so batteries will last 10 to 15 times longer than models with incandescent bulbs. You can get them at Small’s Do It Best Hardware. Prices range from as little as $15.00.

For those “road warriors” who use cell phones a lot, there are several small back up power devices that use standard AAA batteries to recharge a cell phone’s dead battery. They can be purchased locally at Biggs and K-Mart as well as from the big electronics stores. Be sure that you have the model number and make of the phone, since there are several different plugs for connecting the charger to the phone.

For the “green minded” there are similar devices that use solar energy. They are available at several vendors on line. Try http://solarstyle.com or www.amazon.com

For computer enthusiast data storage is always a good bet. The price of flash drives and memory sticks continues to drop. You can get a 1 GB drive for as little as $15.00. Some of the 250 MB models are as inexpensive as $3.00. For the photography buff, you might consider a SD Flash Card. You can never have enough cards for your camera when you are on vacation. Like calculators, these cards and drives are showing up on display at check out counters next to the candy bars.

For those who don’t want to spend a lot on an iPod™, there are several portable media players from companies like ScanDisk™ for as little as $49.00. They can store MP-3 music files, have a FM radio tuner built in and can be connected to your home computer for file sharing.

Why not get rid of the “gaggle” of remote controls piled high on your coffee table. A single universal remote can control your cable or satellite box, your VCR, DVD, audio system and TV. With the proper equipment it can even control the lights in your family room. They are priced from $20.00 to several hundred dollars. Try Radio Shack® or Mirco Center®

If you need to purchase new Christmas lights this year, why not go green? The new LED lights last forever and use only about 25% of the energy used by traditional lights.

I hope that these suggestions are helpful and make your shopping a less hassled experience.

Some stocking stuffer ideas with plugs and batteries

Last week I gave you some gift giving ideas. Some of the items I suggested were a bit pricey. This week I have a few suggestions that won’t break your budget, but will be used and appreciated all year long by the recipient.

Who doesn’t need a flash light? Who hasn’t reached into the glove compartment or trunk only to find a flashlight with dead or weak batteries or bad light bulb? There are several models of LED flashlights on the market. LEDs are more durable, longer lasting and energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs. LEDs do not have a filament, so if you drop them they are not prone to failure. They have dramatically lower power requirements, so batteries will last 10 to 15 times longer than models with incandescent bulbs. You can get them at Small’s Do It Best Hardware. Prices range from as little as $15.00.

For those “road warriors” who use cell phones a lot, there are several small back up power devices that use standard AAA batteries to recharge a cell phone’s dead battery. They can be purchased locally at Biggs and K-Mart as well as from the big electronics stores. Be sure that you have the model number and make of the phone, since there are several different plugs for connecting the charger to the phone.

For the “green minded” there are similar devices that use solar energy. They are available at several vendors on line. Try http://solarstyle.com or www.amazon.com

For computer enthusiast data storage is always a good bet. The price of flash drives and memory sticks continues to drop. You can get a 1 GB drive for as little as $15.00. Some of the 250 MB models are as inexpensive as $3.00. For the photography buff, you might consider a SD Flash Card. You can never have enough cards for your camera when you are on vacation. Like calculators, these cards and drives are showing up on display at check out counters next to the candy bars.

For those who don’t want to spend a lot on an iPod™, there are several portable media players from companies like ScanDisk™ for as little as $49.00. They can store MP-3 music files, have a FM radio tuner built in and can be connected to your home computer for file sharing.

Why not get rid of the “gaggle” of remote controls piled high on your coffee table. A single universal remote can control your cable or satellite box, your VCR, DVD, audio system and TV. With the proper equipment it can even control the lights in your family room. They are priced from $20.00 to several hundred dollars. Try Radio Shack® or Mirco Center®

If you need to purchase new Christmas lights this year, why not go green? The new LED lights last forever and use only about 25% of the energy used by traditional lights.

I hope that these suggestions are helpful and make your shopping a less hassled experience.