Every time you replace a burned-out light bulb, you're making a decision that affects the environment. Energy production and use are directly associated with our biggest environmental problems such as, urban smog, oil spills, acid rain and global warming.
       Energy saving, compact fluorescent light bulbs help improve the quality of the environment and they reduce business and home energy bills. Lighting uses roughly 10-20% of the energy in commercial buildings. Energy saving, compact fluorescent light bulbs also usually have a longer rated life than less efficient light bulbs, so maintenance costs are reduced.  In homes, lighting consumes 5% - 8% of the total energy bill. Substituting compact fluorescent energy saving light bulbs for a standard incandescent bulbs will use approximately 70% less energy for nearly the same amount of light output, as well as, the energy efficient light bulb lasting about 10 times longer.  Replacing a 100-watt incandescent with a 32-watt compact fluorescent bulb can save at least $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. 
     To save the most energy and money, replace your highest used fixtures or the light bulbs in them with energy-efficient models. The five highest used fixtures in a home are typically the kitchen ceiling lights, the living or family room table and floor lamps, and outdoor porch or post lamp.  By replacing the five most frequently used light fixtures in your home with energy efficient models, you can save $70 each year in energy costs. Energy-saving lighting fixtures not only distribute light more efficiently and evenly than standard fixtures, they generate 70 percent less heat, so they're safer to operate.  A great energy saving fixture is solar energy powered outdoor lights. They look great and they don't require any electricity from the grid.  During the day, a photovoltaic (PV) panel collects energy from the sun and stores it in a battery. At night, the stored electricity is used to power the lights. You can get models that turn on automatically by light sensing controls (i.e. turn on when it gets dark) or motion sensing controls (i.e. turn on when movement is detected).  These light fixtures combine quality and attractive design with the highest levels of energy efficiency available today.  

Qualified lighting fixtures and replacement bulbs can be found at home improvement and hardware stores, lighting showrooms, and other retail stores, including on-line outlets.   

FACTS ON THE EFFECTS OF LIGHTING:

• If every household in the U.S. replaced one standard light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb, it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing one million cars from the road.

• The energy used in the average home can be responsible for more than twice the greenhouse gas emissions of the average car. Compact fluorescent light bulbs provide high-quality light, smart technology and design, requiring less energy while lasting longer than typical incandescent bulbs.

• Replacing a single incandescent bulb with a CFL will keep a half-ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb.  Saving electricity reduces CO2 emissions, sulfur oxide and high-level nuclear waste.

•  We would save close to $8 billion each year in energy costs, and together we would prevent the greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 million cars.

• The energy used in the average home can be responsible for more than twice the greenhouse gas emissions of the average car. When you use less energy at home, you reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and help protect our environment from the risks of global climate change.

     
Common Bulb Replacements:  9W compact fluorescent light bulb replaces a 40W standard bulb
13W compact fluorescent light bulb replaces a 60W standard bulb
23W or 24W compact fluorescent light bulb replaces a 100W standard bulbGreen, Property, solar panels, weatherproofing, green roofs, LED lighting, air conditioners, low cost, energy saving, utility bills,  electric bills, insulation, contractors, residential, commercial, Philadelphia PA.   

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