Lighting

The advantages and disadvantages of options to consider to reduce electrical consumption of the lights within your house.

Energy savings

Fluorescent lighting saves up to 75% of the energy of an equivalent incandescent light. Energy-efficient compact and standard fluorescent lamps can be justified in many locations in your new home.

Standard fluorescent light fixtures are commonly installed in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry, and other workrooms. Use T8 lighting systems wherever possible. When installed with an electronic ballast, energy saving and performance benefits can be realized. Compared to the standard 1.5" diameter T12 design, the slim 1" diameter T8 permits a greater portion of the light to escape the fixture as usable light, produces more light per watt input, and requires less power to operate.

Screw in compact fluorescent lamps can be installed in most fixtures. They can cost up to 10 times as much as a regular incandescent bulb but can last 10 times as long, use far less energy, and give off less heat. As a general rule, a higher priced compact fluorescent bulb makes economic sense in any light fixture that is in use for three hours a day or longer. Turning fluorescent lamps on and off for short durations of use (> three hours) will shorten their life expectancy. In a typical Manitoba winter when the sun goes down at 5:00 p.m., many interior and exterior lights operate until late in the evening surpassing this three-hour guideline.

Reduced maintenance

With ceiling heights getting higher in new homes, compact fluorescents may make sense purely on the basis of their extended life. Rather than climbing a large stepladder on a regular basis to change burnt out ceiling mounted incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs last 10 times as long and thus require one tenth of the effort to change them.

Reduced air conditioning load

Did you ever try to touch an incandescent light bulb when it's turned on? It's unlikely you did so without using gloves to protect your fingers from getting burnt as they produce a large amount of heat. In winter months that heat is simply used to displace furnace operation but in the summer months it adds to your air conditioning load and costs you money.

Fluorescent lamps produce far less waste heat when operating. In some rooms for instance, where a considerable amount of ceiling mounted pot lamps are installed, compact fluorescents can make a significant comfort difference and reduce cooling costs in summer months.