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Lighting Overview

The chances are very good that while you are reading this article, a number of lights are burning around you. Day or night, inside or out; lighting plays an important part of our dayly lives. Lighting can contribute approximately 5% of your monthly electricity bill.

A change in your lighing habits is one of the easier and cheaper ways to start adjusting your lifestyle and environment to be more responsible and ecological sensitive. What are the alternatives to the incadescent (normal) light bulb we know?

There are different options for inside and outside lighting. The following list is a good starting point to find the best solution for your situation.

  • Halogen lights
  • Fluorescent (CFL’s)
  • Light Emitting Devices (LED’s)
  • Solar lights

Halogen lights are twice as efficient as the incadescent light bulb. However, the most efficient and accesable energy saving light on the market at the moment is the Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL). For a small capital investment you can reduce the lighting bill of your house by 75% if you convert from incadescent bulbs to CFL’s.

For more information on a start-up package to convert your property into a more ecological friendly one; please contact Mr Green (Pty) Ltd. This package includes amongst other things the changing of all incadescent light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL’s).

Light Emitting Devices are rapidly gaining ground. It is exponentially more efficient than even CFL’s. At the current moment the drawbacks are a bigger installation bill and the colour of light. Balanced against the pro’s LED’s are definitely the way to go as far as lighting is concerned.

"Solar lights play an important role in outside decorative lighting. Once these lights are installed they generate their own power without the release of any greenhouse gasses. If you want to light up the garden; don’t throw a switch, install solar!!" A lighter Footprint: A practical guide to minimising your impact on the planet. Angela Crocombe 2007

Please keep in mind that many of the energy saving light options needs to be disposed of in a more responsible way once they did their job. Please contact Mr Green for information regarding the disposing of used lightbulbs.