ENERGY STAR® Lighting

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Did you know that the energy used to power an average home ultimately produces more than twice the greenhouse gas emissions of an average car? If every household in America replaced the five light fixtures that are most frequently used with ENERGY STAR® approved lighting, energy costs would be cut by nearly $8 billion per year, and the greenhouse gas emissions prevented would be equivalent to that of 10 million cars.


ENERGY STAR® Qualified Lighting:

• Uses roughly 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs.

• Produces 75% less heat.

• Lasts 10 to 20 times as long as an equivalent incandescent lamp.

• Qualifies for government rebates.



ENERGY STAR® and the Environment
According to the Department of Energy (DOE), in 2003 the US as a whole consumed 3,883 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), or 13,868 kWh per person, based on a population of 280 million. A single kWh of electricity is responsible for releasing an average 1.34 lbs of harmful CO2 into the atmosphere. At 100 kWh consumed per 1,000 hours of use, one standard 100 watt incandescent bulb will generate 134 pounds of CO2. One equivalent ENERGY STAR ® certified Compact Fluorescent Bulb (CFL) only consumes 23 kWh per 1,000 hours of use – resulting in a difference of 103.2 lbs of CO2 prevented. Since one CFL replaces 10 standard bulbs, a single CFL can be responsible for preventing the release of 1,032 lbs of CO2 over its lifetime!

The DOE also reports that in 2002, 160 tons of mercury was released from coal-fired electrical plants in the US. Additionally, 63 million tons of mercury was emitted as flyash – a byproduct of smoke. Put into perspective, just 1/70th of a teaspoon of mercury is enough to contaminate all the fish in a 20-acre body of water, making them toxic to humans. Reducing energy consumption also helps reduce the ecological impact of non-renewable energy generating processes.


How You Can Help
By choosing ENERGY STAR® rated products and reducing your kWh usage, you’ll not only help save the environment, but you’ll also save 30% or more on your total energy consumption. In a typical US household, which spends about $1900/per year on energy bills, that adds up to a savings of $600/year!

A typical U.S. home contains between 50-100 light bulb sockets. If that number seems high to you, go through your house and count each bulb used in each fixture – you might be surprised to discover how much electricity is used to light your home. At a rate of 7.54 cents per kWh, a CFL with a lumen output equivalent to a 100 watt standard incandescent bulb saves $58.10 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. So if swapping out just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR® certified CFL can start an energy-saving revolution, imagine the energy we could conserve by changing 10, 20, or even all 50!

Who knew that these small changes could add up to such a big difference? You can do your part to help save the environment (while saving hundreds on your energy bill) by going green with ENERGY STAR® lighting.



Learn More About Eco-Conscious Lighting

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