The 5Ls of Lighting

Ah, Monday, Monday...
Trying to get caught up on my Sylvania email newsletters. You can read last month's if you click here:
http://tinyurl.com/3czqg2t/

They featured this great cheat sheet from NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) that I have been meaning to feature here, so that was a nice reminder. You can also go to http://www.lightbulboptions.org/ to see the chart, if clicking on it here doesn't work. It is called the 5 Ls of Lighting, The Consumer's Guide to Choosing Energy-Efficient Lighting. It has great tips on what to look for in a light bulb and how to understand all the new terminology.

There is also a coupon for $1.00 off any Sylvania CFL or Halogen Supersaver product!

Next, here's a link to the newest Sylvania newsletter:
http://tinyurl.com/3mtxfkh/

This one has some great "Energy Saving Tips":

It's time -- to save energy and money! Here are a few easy tips to help to show you how:

Start with Lighting:
Lighting accounts for more than 15% of the electricity used in a home, so you’ll see an immediate difference in your energy bill by changing incandescent bulbs to the more energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or light emitting diodes (LEDs).

The standard incandescent bulbs you currently have in your home have changed very little from Thomas Edison's first light bulb in 1879. Only 10 percent of the energy used by these standard bulbs contribute to light; the other 90 percent is wasted as heat.

ENERGY STAR® -qualified CFLs use 75% less energy than an incandescent lighbulb, so they save you money. ENERGY STAR-qualified LED bulbs use 80% less energy than an incandescent lightbulb and last 25 times longer.

If you’ve never tried a CFL or LED bulb before, you might start by replacing lights that you don’t use directly every day, such as in a fixture you might leave on at night in your house, or in hard-to-reach areas to avoid excess replacements. Not climbing a ladder to replace a lightbulb is a great incentive to try a new technology!

Use Dimmers:
Dimmers can reduce the energy used by halogen and incandescent lamps. Consider using dimmers to control light levels in your home, and save money as well.

Try Automatic Timers:
Putting light fixtures on timers eliminates the possibility of leaving lights on when you don't need them.

Turn Off Monitors:
Most computers today are ENERGY STAR qualified, and will enter a low-power sleep mode when not in use. But 80% of the energy consumed in a system is from the monitor, and that extra energy used in sleep mode can still add up. So even if you don’t plan to turn off the computer, consider turning off the monitor for a little extra savings.

Look for the ENERGY STAR® Label:
ENERGY STAR is a government-backed program that helps consumers identify products that will save energy and money. There are dozens of SYLVANIA CFL and LED products that carry the ENERGY STAR label.

And then they have "Fast Facts About Energy-Saving Bulbs":

Incandescent bulbs as we know them today will begin to phase out beginning in the year 2012. Enjoy some fun facts about efficient lighting options:

LED Bulbs:
LED bulbs can make your life brighter and more energy efficient. Using just 12w, a replacement for your 60-watt incandescent can last 25 times longer and provide 80% energy savings.

LED bulbs are instant-on, dimmable and mercury-free and are ideal for lighting your entire home, from wall sconces to table lamps to ceiling fixtures.

An LED bulb is designed to replace any incandescent light bulb and meets government requirements so consumers can feel good about their lighting choices.

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs):
All CFLs are not created equal. To earn the government's ENERGY STAR mark, a CFL must meet strict energy efficiency standards set by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

SYLVANIA CFLs use 75% less energy and generate less heat than ordinary bulbs .

The SYLVANIA ENERGY STAR qualified micro-mini Twist CFL lasts 12,000 hours or 50% longer than standard CFLs.

SYLVANIA CFLs can prevent more than 400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions each over their lifetime, the equivalent to burning 200 pounds of coal.

Halogen SuperSaver®:
SYLVANIA Halogen SuperSaver bulbs produce a bright light that is the same warm color as incandescent light.

Halogen bulbs turn on instantly, without a warm up time. Plus, they are completely dimmable in any type of lamp.

Thank you to Sylvania & NEMA for such great, easy-to-understand tips & guides!