Lighting: Energy efficiency’s low-lying fruit and the easiest, low-cost way to increase your building’s energy efficiency. Last month, in a blog entitled “The Future’s So Bright,” I outlined the future of energy-efficient LED lighting as discussed at the Santa Barbara Summit on Energy Efficiency. Part of lighting’s future includes an emphasis on providing information to the consumer, in the hope that knowledge will prompt behavior.
While those of us concerned with energy efficiency are acutely aware of the impact lighting can have on energy usage, the average consumer is—pardon the pun—often in the dark.
Currently, 22% of all US electricity consumption is used for lighting, and much of that consumption is consumer-based. Because lighting accounts for one-fifth of the country’s electricity usage, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (enacted in December 2007) requires that, by 2012, all “general purpose” light bulbs 30% more efficient.
As part of the push to standardize energy-efficient lighting, the Federal Trade Commission recently announced a set of new light bulb labeling requirements that will go into effect by the middle of next year. These new light bulbs labels, designed to mimic the nutritional labels we are all familiar with, will include information on brightness (measured in lumens), estimated annual energy cost, the bulb’s life expectancy, and overall light “appearance” (i.e., “warm” versus “cool). The hope is that the new labels will help consumers select the most efficient bulbs that “best fit their lighting needs.”
So what do you think? Certainly, lighting can be a quick and inexpensive way to reduce energy use and cut costs—and smart, sustainable, efficient light bulbs are key piece to that puzzle—but are they enough? And will the per unit price of these smarter bulbs (which are currently up to four times more expensive than traditional incandescents) effect adoption during these tough economic times?