Holiday Lighting
Do you think you are paying too much to decorate your home during the holidays? Try energy efficient holiday lighting; you'll enjoy substantial savings on your energy bill while you contribute to the energy efficiency of your entire community. What better way to share the spirit of the season? So put up the tree, decorate your home or business, and light up the night with energy efficient Holiday lights. It's the Energy $mart way to a happy holiday!
Light Emitting Diode (LED) Holiday Lighting
LED holiday lights are a new energy-efficient lighting technology that will save you money during the holiday season making them ideal for decorations for your home or business. Virtually indestructible, LED holiday lights will last longer than standard holiday lighting strings and reduce the risk of fire in your home. LED holiday lights will stay lit if a single bulb burns out imagine never having to search for burnt out bulbs again!
LED holiday lights are constructed from solid-state chips that convert electricity into light without using a filament or glass bulb. LED candles are another holiday lighting option, emulating the flicker of a real candle, but without the problems created by a real flame. Smoke, dripping wax and fire hazard are also eliminated because there is no actual flame.
See how much you can save this season with LED holiday lighting!
| COMPARISON OF LIGHTING COSTS (2007) |
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| BULB TYPE | # OF FEET USED * | ENERGY USAGE (WATTS) | AVERAGE OPERATING COST** |
| C7 | 500 | 3500 | $547.05 |
| C7 LED | 500 | 116.8 | $18.26 |
| MINI INCANDESCENT | 500 | 900 | $140.67 |
| LED MINI | 500 | 67.5 | $10.55 |
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*Typical amount of lighting used on the exterior and interior of a home for one holiday season |
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Fiber Optic Lighting
Fiber optic technology uses fiber optic cables to carry light to the point of illumination. It allows the illumination of multiple light points from a single lamp source, and is therefore extremely economical and energy efficient. Fiber optic cabling permits lighting access to locations that may otherwise be difficult to light, and where lamp maintenance might be problematic, such as paths, trees, decks, patios and vaulted ceilings. Fiber optic lights are cool to the touch, as only light is transmitted from the fiber, and not heat.
Fiber optic trees offer an energy-efficient alternative for Holiday decorations. They typically use a single bulb (ranging from 5 to 20 watts) built into the base of the unit that transmits light through a fiber optic cable containing hundreds of tiny fibers. A rotating color wheel is frequently included to change the colors emitted from the fibers. Because only one bulb is used, fiber optic trees offer an extremely economical alternative to traditional trees.
Candelabra Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs)
Great for candlesticks and menorahs, candelabra CFLs are available in a variety of styles and wattages, each using a small E12 candelabra base. Candelabra CFLs use about 80% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs while producing the same lumens. With a typical 8,000-hour life, candelabras generally last 10 times longer than the average incandescent bulb.
Rope Lights
Rope lighting is comprised of miniature incandescent lights spaced about 1 apart and enclosed in ½ diameter flexible plastic tubing. The tiny bulbs use approximately 0.5 watts of power per foot, and are rated to last over 20,000 hours. Available in multiple colors, rope lights are suitable for indoor and outdoor use and are ideal for decorating trees or for outlining doors and windows.
Photo of Christmas lights in a residential neighborhood in Champaign, Illinois by Daniel Schwen, used courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
