Friday, 26 June 2009

Home Improvements Can Help You to Save Energy

By Tom Sanderrs

It is a known fact that the worldwide energy crisis is growing and for that reason governments and environmental protection organizations are trying to motivate people to cut down their use of energy. Among the best ways to accomplish this is to use energy efficient light bulbs. These bulbs not only reduce the amount of energy needed, but as an added bonus they also save you money.

All you have to do is change the light bulbs you use and replace them with energy efficient ones in order to reduce your electric bill by hundreds of dollars every year. There are many differences, though, between the various types of light bulbs and it is a fact that most people don't know about this orof how they can save money using them.

The first thing you need to do is become familiar with the various kinds of lighting available. Lighting can be separated into three general types and they are incandescent, discharge and light-emitting diodes. Incandescent lamps are the oldest variety and are easily recognized by the glowing filaments inside of them. They are the most common type of lighting used, but are also the least efficient of all the options.

Discharge lamps are also a kind of lighting and are more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs. However, you must understand how they work since they make use of a glowing gas. Examples include fluorescent light bulbs and high-intensity discharge lamps.

Light-emitting diode light bulbs are the third kind, but are not often found in homes. Knowing that discharge lamps use glowing gas and incandescent lamps use a glowing filament is important, especially since the glowing gas is the much more energy efficient choice.

A deeper understanding of energy efficiency is still important, though. Consumers have to know and understand a product before making a purchase and this way they can save a lot of money in the long run. When it comes to light bulbs, the term luminous flux refers to the amount of light that is emitted from a lamp and this can guide you when making a purchase.

Luminous flux is a measurement which is measured in lumens and is abbreviated as lm. Incandescent light bulbs with 60W have emissions of around 700lm, whereas a 58W tubular fluorescent lamp emits roughly 5000lm. It is obvious that although the two different bulbs cost around the same, they have different quantities of light emissions.

Another significant thing to understand is the word that is used when referring to lamp efficiency. Efficacy, is a term used when describing lamp efficiency. If you want to figure out what the efficacy is there is actually a formula that is used to accomplish that. The formula to do this is simply the ratio between the amount of light produced by a lamp and the amount of power that is needed to make that amount of light.

In order to lower your electric bills, you will have to choose light bulbs that are energy efficient. This way you not only keep more money in your pocket, but you also conserve energy which in turn is good for the environment.

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