Holiday Lighting Tips To Keep You In The Green

(Image: Wikipedia)

‘Tis the season to make spirits bright with holiday lights- but that doesn’t mean you have to go broke paying high energy bills this winter! While decorating the tree, house, or garland, a whole section of lights can go dark – along with holiday spirits, and light outages can be frustrating and time-consuming to repair.

To help reduce the frustration of decorating, the LightKeeper Pros have produced a list of holiday lighting tips- which we’ve reproduced, below. Plus check out these great ways to winterize your home and maximize energy savings via Green Living Ideas.

Holiday Lighting Tips

Measure: To estimate the number of lights needed for your tree, plan on an average of 100 lights per every foot of tree height.

LED vs. Incandescent: LED lights are more expensive than incandescent, but typically last longer. Due to their low voltage, more sets of LED lights can be strung together end-to-end than traditional sets. Be sure to use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL).

Inspect: Before stringing lights check for broken bulbs and sockets, frayed cords, burned out lights and loose connections. Replace and repair any damaged light sets. For sets with bulb outages, use a light tester to find and fix the problem in seconds.

Connect: Connect no more than three strands of mini string sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs. Read the manufacturer’s instructions for the safe number of LED strands to connect. Use no more than three light sets on any one extension cord.

Indoor vs. Outdoor: Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use. Outside lights are exposed to water, so they should be rated for outdoor use. Wrap connections with electrical tape when two or more light strands are being used. Outdoor lights should be plugged into circuits protected by ground-fault-interrupters (GFCIs).

Live and Artificial Trees: To string lights on an evergreen tree, begin at the top of the tree and wind the strands through its center, widening with the tree’s shape. For deciduous trees, work your way up. Wrap lights around the base of its trunk, moving upward in a spiral formation. If you use an artificial tree, choose one that is tested and labeled as fire resistant. Artificial trees with built-in electrical systems should have the UL label.

Replace and Repair Lights: To get the most out of your light sets, do occasional visual checks for any bulbs that are no longer working. Replace those bulbs as soon as possible. If a light set stops working or a section goes dark, use a light string tester to find and solve the issue in seconds.

For those who need more help or have a specific question, Ulta-Lit Technologies, maker of the LightKeeper Pro and LED Keeper testers, has set up a hotline for your pressing holiday lighting questions that’s available 7 days a week between Thanksgiving and Christmas at 888-858-2548.

Source: Green Building Elements. Original article by Dawn Killough.

Related articles

 

• 8 Energy-Efficient LED Light Strands for the Holidays
• BGE offers holiday safety tips
• New self-dimming light bulb conserves energy

New LEDs light the way to a Brighter Future

Light-emitting diode (Photo: teraminato)

LED light bulbs can be brighter and more energy efficient than ever, thanks to a high performance LED driver newly developed by researchers from the Department of Electronic and Information Engineering.

The new driver powers LED light bulbs with an innovative approach called multi-level PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation), which delivers remarkable improvements in terms of light quality and energy efficiency, when compared to pulse width modulation and linear driver approaches currently used in LED products.

By traditional method of pulse width modulation, LEDs are fed pulsed current instead of steady DC. The drive current is turned ON and OFF at a rate faster than being perceptible by human eyes. Powering LEDs in pulses makes their light output easily controllable.

The research team, formed by Dr Lai Yuk Ming, Dr Loo Ka Hong and Prof. Michael Tse, gives the PWM method a new twist. The pulsed operation is redesigned in a way to maximize light output while minimizing wasted energy in the form of heat. The result is higher lumen per watt. Dr Loo Ka Hong said they achieved additional energy saving by up to 15%.

Single LED module consisting of 32x32 LED pixels

When used in a large scale application, it can save a lot of energy. The LED billboard on One Times Square in New York is a good example. The math goes like this: The giant display uses 12 million bulbs and 250 KW of power. If the billboard is on for 16 hours a day, the energy bill comes to US$18,000 a month. A 12% drop in energy consumption means US$2,160 in energy savings. That’s something to roll your eyes at.

Furthermore, it has lowered cooling requirements and needs smaller size heat sink compared to conventional methods. That means LED systems can be made smaller. With excellent dimming capability, the new MPWM driver allows manufacturers to create fully dimmable LEDs, which can be dimmed down to 0 watt of power. These superior qualities pave way for brighter, smarter and more versatile LED lighting solutions.

The world is switching to LEDs for huge environmental benefits. If all the traditional light bulbs in the world were replaced with energy-saving ones, lighting energy use could be cut by 40%, according to Worldwatch Institute [1]. The Energy Saving Trust has similar projections [2], which said the resultant carbon saving would be the equivalent of taking 70,000 cars off the road.

Council House in Perth, Western Australia, lit up by LED lights installed on the window frames. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As the greenest alternative to incandescent lamps, LEDs are a popular choice of lighting but they are not perfect. Consumers are looking for a brighter and more natural glow matching up to incandescent light bulbs. The demand for brightness is even more pronounced in high power applications such as automobile headlights and architectural lightings. LED research worldwide is looking to build a perfect substitute to incandescent. It is exciting to have advanced LED lighting with a simple solution such as MPWM that brings about significant energy saving.

Obviously, the novel technology allows a better product to be made. High illuminating performance combined with good thermal protection allowed manufacturers to create compact lighting solutions with a very high lumen output. And the additional cost is little because all of these qualities could be achieved with the use of low cost ICs. This could be music to the ear for LED manufacturers.

This innovative applied technology has already aroused the attention of the international market. Recently it has won a Gold Award at the 41st International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva in April of 2013

Story based on materials provided by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, via ResearchSEA.

Related articles

• The Life And Progression Of LED Bulbs Light
• Tips for Choosing LED Light Bulbs for Home
• LIFX Wi-Fi LED Light Bulbs Get You One Step Closer to Living Like the Jetsons
• Designer David Grass 3D-Prints Light Bulbs in the Shape of Modern Cityscapes

How Many Congressmen Does It Take To Change A Light Bulb?

Image via Wikipedia

Compact Florescent Lamp

Quite a few, apparently, because congress has battled incessantly over the "constitutionality" of implementing the nationwide industry shift to energy-saving Compact Florescent Lamps (CFLs). The change is finally scheduled to come about this January, barring a last-minute attempt to derail the measure.

The facts are clear and extremely important in this energy and carbon challenged era: If every household in the US would switch to CFL or LED usage, it would be the equivalent of taking one million cars off our roadways. There are a multitude of reasons for the change such as this.

Likewise, the EPA ran a great post this week on their Greenversations blog, which highlighted the efforts of one astute woman who understands the significance and is taking matters into her own hands (literally) by making sure that her home lighting is thoroughly energy smart. Even her daughter is in the know about home energy conservation.

So let's see - a bright-minded child versus a House full of bickering congressmen. I'll go with the kid's advice any day.  Read More

------------


Being The Change, From The Ground Floor Up.
  

Yikes web design's eco efficient new digs.

Fishtown people can be nosy neighbors. Maybe it's because we're watchful folk who look out for each other. Or perhaps it's that we have an insatiable and profound curiosity for the world around us that leads us to snoop a bit.

Whichever the case, when YIKES, a sustainable web design business and certified B corporation, hung out their sign on Girard Avenue, I felt that curiosity rise - especially after hearing that Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter had attended the grand opening of their eco-fabulous new office.

What is sustainable web design? What is a B corporation? And why does the mayor like them so much? YIKES co-founder Tracy Levesque sat down recently with us to answer these questions and more. Her dreams and goals tell of a wonderful story well on its way to coming true.   Read More

---------

 

Winter Gardening?

 

Although it seems light years from spring, there are things to do to on a cold winter day to get your garden set for green season. The Philadelphia Orchard Project will host a workshop on January 28 to teach "correct pruning for maximum health and production of your fruit trees and berry bushes," according a description listed on their site.

Thoughts of spring.

The organization strives to help build green-spaces throughout the city and provide advocacy for "a healthy, sustainable, and just food system in Philadelphia." Some recent accomplishments include an edible landscape at Philadelphia's Ogden Gardens, a home for young adults with autism who participate in care of the landscape, and 25 events last spring alone that included five new orchard plantings and eight expansions.  

Commenting on the project's efforts, Orchard Director Phil Forsyth eloquently stated in a recent Philadelphia Magazine interview, "kids are more likely to eat something they pulled off a tree themselves than something you just hand to them."

Mr. Forsyth will be the instructor for the workshop, and says to dress warmly. "A good portion of the class will be held outdoors in Grumblethorpe’s gardens." For more information visit www.phillyorchards.org.

----------

Recycle Your Way To A Greener Block.

Need some good facts and reasons to help encourage your neighbors to recycle? Here are a few quick ones:

Image via Wikipedia

Philadelphia neighborhood.

1. Recycling saves money. It costs less to recycle a ton of material than to put it in a landfill. This means reduced disposal cost for you. Also, many neighborhoods allow you to earn points based on the number of people recycling there. Philadelphia currently has such a program in place through its Street and Sanitation Department. You can find more on this and other helpful green tips it at Sustainable 19125.

2. Recycling saves energy. Recycling one aluminum can save enough energy to run a TV for three hours. A glass bottle will light a 100-watt bulb for 4 hours. Every ton of paper could heat and cool a home for 6 months.

3. Don't recycle? It could cost you. Recycling is the law in several cities. If you don't recycle, you could face fines. Check your local ordinances for specifics. But we don't want to scare anybody into recycling. There are plenty of incentives and other reasons to encourage you to reduce, recycle, and reuse, and help make a healthier, happier planet.

Actions you can take: Recycle all paper, plastic and glass. Recycle electronics, light bulbs and batteries. Compost food waste, yard waste, and holiday trees... Speaking of holidays, have yourself a wonderful one. We'll catch up again in the new year.

----------

 

Images by D.A. DeMers, unless otherwise noted. Free to use via CC license 3.0. Visit our main blog, Designer in Exile, for insightful feature posts and interviews with leaders and innovators in the art, design, and sustainability world.

 

Related articles

• Making Healthy Homes (designer-in-exile.blogspot.com)
• Innovation Week 2011: Five Creative Ways to Deal with the Switch to Green Lighting (curbed.com)
• Have You Switched to CFL? (smarthome.com)
• GOP's Dim Bulb Obsession Threatens Government Shutdown (thinkprogress.org)
• LifeBulb: an LED that can match a 60W incandescent? | Hanna Gersmann (guardian.co.uk)