Posted by Dave in Outdoor lighting is a great way to help make your home safe and secure, especially as our nights get longer each fall. But outdoor lights use energy and are often left on overnight for 12 hours or more. To stay safe and save energy, evaluate your lighting needs, limit the hours your lights are on and choose energy saving lighting products.
Evaluate your lighting needs:
- Evaluate dark areas around your home, garage or yard to decide where lights are needed.
- Illuminate the area in a uniform way. Bright lights may enhance the contrast between light and dark, creating even darker shadows and places to hide.
- Reduce the need for extra lights by trimming vegetation— eliminating extra hiding places caused by overgrown trees and shrubs.
- Select dark sky/neighbor friendly fixtures that are designed to direct light down where it is needed without lighting up the sky or shining into your neighbor’s window.
- Make sure your house number is well lit. In case of an emergency, crews can find your house quickly.
Limit the hours of operation
- Use a photocell or motion sensor to reduce hours of operation. Motion sensors are triggered by movement and turn lights on for a limited time. Photocells sense ambient light levels and turn the lights on at dusk and off at dawn. Some new fixtures come with built-in sensors.
Choose energy saving lighting products
- Evaluate both the wattage and lumens of the bulbs you purchase. Higher wattages use more energy. The key to brightness in lighting is lumens, the more lumens the brighter the light.
- Replace incandescent bulbs with energy saving compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). CFLs use 75 percent less energy and last longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. To make sure your bulbs operate properly, be sure to:
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- Purchase ENERGY STAR® qualified bulbs. ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs meet stricter performance standards.
- Ensure the bulb is rated for your specific application. Not all CFLs are rated for outdoor use, photocells or motion sensors.
- Install new ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures. ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures come in many common styles and come in both CFL and light emitting diode (LED) varieties.
For more information visit www.idahopower.com/energyefficiency.
