Cooperative Living November/December 2017 - 29

gentler overall lighting, while directional fixtures
such as pendants, desk lamps and track lighting
provide task lighting that focuses on areas where
work is done. Not all bulbs can be used in an
enclosed fixture or work outdoors.
As you choose a light fixture, make sure it can
provide the correct level of brightness, with an
appropriate size and number of bulbs. It can be
disappointing to install a ceiling light with the
style you love, only to realize it doesn't provide
enough light for the room; or the opposite, that
your room is flooded with too much light,
which also wastes energy and money. It's not a
good idea to mix bulb types in a fixture, as the
excess heat from an incandescent or a halogen
light can diminish the performance of an LED.
The Lighting Research Center website
(www.lrc.rpi.edu) provides a resource page with
many sample lighting layouts for every room
in the home, which you can find by entering the
phrase " lighting patterns for homes " in their
website's search engine. Home décor sites like
Better Homes and Gardens, Real Simple, HGTV
and similar sites also give excellent lighting
explanations, plans and ideas.
With a little planning, you can have a
well-lit, energy-efficient home you'll enjoy for
years to come! 
HOW
MUCH
DO
W
MUCH
THOSE
DO
LY
ra
cienc
CO T?
Collaborative Efficienc
Source: energy
y.
THOSE
" CHEAP "
BULBS
REALL
S
REALLYLY
ST
BULBS
Source: energy.gov and
Collaborative Efficiency
gov and
cy
y
Bulb
type
typ
LED
CFL
15
12
12
15
HALOGEN
43
ra
1,000
f 11 c
1,000
*Based on two hours per da
electricity rate of 11 c
ay
$4.80
*Based on two hours per day of use, and an
electricity rate of 11 cents per kilowatt-hour
urs per day of use
e,
Sources:
www.epa.gov/cfl/how-energy-independence-and-security-act-2007-affects-light-bulbs
https://energy.gov/energysaver/lighting-choices-save-you-money
www.consumerreports.org/cro/lightbulbs/buying-guide.htm
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=fixture_guide.pr_fixtures_guide_lightquality
www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/01/how-to-get-your-money-s-worth-when-buyingan-led/index.htm
This
column was co-written by Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen of Collaborative Efficiency. For
more information on efficient lighting, please visit: www.collaborativeefficiency.com/energytips.
50,000
50,
000
9, 000
9,000
$1.20
$1
$1
$
Watts
equivalent
60 watt
6 att
i l t
Life p
H
in Hours
espan
in H s
s
Energy
Annual
E
Cost
Co t*
*
gy
www.co-opliving.com
November-December 2017 | Cooperative Living | 27

http://www.lrc.rpi.edu http://www.energy.gov http://www.epa.gov/cfl/how-energy-independence-and-security-act-2007-affects-light-bulbs https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/lighting-choices-save-you-money http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/lightbulbs/buying-guide.htm http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=fixture_guide.pr_fixtures_guide_lightquality http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/01/how-to-get-your-money-s-worth-when-buying http://www.collaborativeefficiency.com/energytips http://www.co-opliving.com

Cooperative Living November/December 2017

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