Bright Ideas for Home Lighting

(Page 6 of 7)

April/May 2007
By Megan Phelps 
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“Something simple a person can do to start enjoying daylighting is to move their reading or work space closer to the window,” Beeler says. It’s worth taking some time adjusting the furniture or shades to make the workspace comfortable. Painting a room a light, more reflective color can help improve the natural light — especially important with the ceiling, which will reflect more light the closer it is to pure white.

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If you’re remodeling a house, one option is to put in taller windows, or to add skylights. Another option is solar-tube lighting. These are small skylights, paired with long reflective tubes that can bring sunlight deep into a home. However, before you purchase any of these products, do your research. An improperly installed skylight or window can allow heat to leak out of your home. And unless you correctly size and position a solar tube, it may not provide enough light to meet your needs.

With a little planning, a combination of energy-efficient light bulbs and natural lighting will not only save energy, it will also make your home more comfortable. “In our modern lives we spend so much of our time indoors,” Beeler says. “We didn’t evolve that way. To me, there’s a real incentive to make it a better environment for everyone.”

HOW MUCH CASH DO LIGHT BULBS BURN?

Although you pay more up front for energy-efficient light bulbs, you’ll pay much less for electricity and need to replace bulbs far less often. See a comparison of three light bulbs suitable for an overhead light, and one of the brightest available LEDs.

MORE IDEAS FOR ENERGY SAVINGS

Energy Star

Daylighting Collaborative

The Home Energy Diet by Paul Scheckel

Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Jennifer Thorne, John Morrill and Alex Wilson

 

SOURCES

Real Goods

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