JOIN THE LED REVOLUTION
If you haven’t switched your home light bulbs over to LEDs, there’s no time like the present to start saving money and energy. Ninety percent of the energy used by an incandescent light bulb is wasted heat and only 10 percent is used to deliver light, according to EnergyStar. The result, says EnergyStar, is “essentially lighting homes with small heaters.”
There are now three more efficient bulbs that are widely available, according to EnergyStar: incandescent halogen, which is about 30 percent more efficient than incandescent; compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), which are about 75 more efficient; and light emitting diode bulbs (LEDs), which are about 90 percent more efficient. For specialty products, traditional incandescent bulbs can still be found.
LEDS: leading the way
While LEDs had long been too pricey to be practical for many homeowners, they are now much more affordable and widely available. The result has been widespread adoption of these much more efficient alternatives to incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. Bulbs equivalent to 40- and 60-watt incandescent bulbs commonly used in homes cost about $2 or less.
The first LEDs to hit store shelves back in 2007 were not ideal replacements for incandescent bulbs, with dim, cool blue light that disappointed consumers, according to EnergyStar. But today’s bulbs come in brighter, warmer colors that are indistinguishable from incandescents when used in homes.
In a trend Goldman Sachs calls “one of the fastest technology shifts in human history,” the global research firm expects LED bulb sales to jump from 1 percent of the market in 2010 to 95 percent by 2025. That number was estimated to hit 69 percent in 2020.
A Department of Energy report titled “Energy Savings Forecast of Solid-State Lighting in General Illumination Applications,” was more conservative, forecasting that by 2030, LED lighting will achieve a market share of 84 percent of the general illumination market. Even that scenario would save more than $26 billion at today’s energy prices, the equivalent to the total energy consumption of nearly 24 million U.S. homes, according to the DOE. look for rebates
In order to spur consumers to adopt LED bulbs, utilities across the country began offering rebates or subsidizing the cost of bulbs at local retailers. Check with your local utility companies about the programs they offer to help offset the costs.
EnergyStar also urges consumers to think about the long-term savings they can achieve with LEDs. While a 60-watt EnergyStar-certified bulb might cost $2 upfront, it can save $6.15 in energy costs in one year of use, meaning it pays for itself in less than four months of use.