Friday, 10 July 2009

Using Home Improvements to Cut Down Energy Costs

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.

It is possible to literally lower your energy costs by hundreds of dollars each year by simply changing the kind of light bulbs you use. Many don't even know the differences between the types of light bulbs and unfortunately that means that they don't know how much they can actually save.

It is important to realize that there are several different types of lighting out there. You can actually separate each type of lighting into three different types including incandescent lamps, discharge lamps, as well as light-emitting diodes. The oldest type of lighting is incandescent laps that have glowing filaments within them. These have been the most common types of light bulbs used in homes and offices throughout the country in recent years. These are by far the least efficient type of light bulbs on the face of the earth.

Discharge lamps are another type of light bulb that is a little more efficient. Understanding how discharge lamps work is important. Fluorescent lamps and high-intensity lamps are also in the discharge lamp category. These three different types of lamps are categorized for using glowing gas.

Light-emitting diode light bulbs are not used in homes that often. It's important to understand that discharge lamps use glowing gas, while incandescent lamps use a glowing filament. The glowing gas is actually significantly more energy efficient.

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.

It is important to realize that there is also a term that is used to describe lamp efficiency. The term that is used to describe lamp efficiency is referred to as efficacy. There is actually a formula that you can use to figure out what the efficacy is. The formula is actually a ratio between the amount of light that a lamp produces and the amount of power that it needs to produce 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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