Taking A Closer Look At Energy-Efficient Lighting Options
Electricity and lighting have benefited us immensely over the course of our lives. In fact, we benefit from lighting on a day to day basis, of this there is no doubt. Proper lighting allows us to make more use of our time, giving us extended hours to work, relax, and live. Without lighting, much of our lives would be different – even if we do not consciously give much thought to lighting and how we use it on a day to day basis.
Even outside of our homes, lighting plays a critical role. For one thing, parking garages utilize lighting to make such spaces safer as well as easier to utilize. In fact, there are many parts of the country in which lighting is legally mandated 24/7 in such spaces. And street lighting is also very important, making driving at night safer than it would otherwise be. Street lighting can have the impact of promoting safety and security within communities as well, making it a must in many parts of the United States.
But, as necessary as lighting has become, the amount of energy is uses is very high indeed. The data that has been gathered on this subject more than supports this claim. This data shows that more than one fifth (around 22%, to be just a little more specific) of all electricity generated throughout the country is utilized for lighting and lighting alone. And of this energy utilized for lighting, up to 18% is utilized for commercial building and just over 10% for residential ones. Ultimately, this can take a toll in a number of ways. For one thing, the environmental impact of energy usage, including electricity used for lighting, can be immense, higher than many even realize. In addition to this, the cost of electricity, both in terms of residential cost as well as commercial cost, is also impressive. Lowering both environmental impact and cost is something that we could all benefit from, of this there is just no doubt. But, from warehouse lighting fixtures to parking garage lighting to roadway lighting to the lights used within the typical home, there are a number of alternative options available.
In many cases, LED lighting provides a viable alternative to halogen lighting for everything from warehouse lighting fixtures to off grid lighting to sports lighting. But why can LED lighting be used so effectively for warehouse lighting fixtures and for just about everything else? For one thing, the light output for LED lighting is impressive, up to 85% better than the output of light given by a halogen bulb. And from warehouse lighting fixtures to low bay lighting fixtures, the amount of energy used for an LED light bulb versus a halogen light bulb is only around 15%.
The potential of LED lighting to save energy is something that is becoming more and more widely recognized. As a matter of fact, it is thought that replacing halogen bulbs with LED bulbs for everything from warehouse lighting fixtures to replacement lamps of all kinds could cut down on overall electricity costs by as much as a full 50%. And if we cut down on such costs this drastically, it is more likely than not that we will see an environmental improvement as well, something that should not be discounted or overlooked in any way.
And while LED lighting for warehouse lighting fixtures and LED high bay light fixtures and many other types of lighting is hugely beneficial, there are even more ways that we can adapt lighting to save money and energy. For instance, solar lighting is growing more and more popular, particularly when it comes to solar parking lot light fixtures, as such fixtures are likely to remain on throughout both day and night, often continuously. Generating energy through solar panels has become quite common on a residential level as well. Solar panels have fortunately grown more affordable than ever before, something that has allowed many to include them on their own homes. In the years that are ahead of us, it is likely that the prominence and prevalence of solar panels will only increase, something that will benefit us all.