Light your home efficiently!

A space becomes cosy with appropriate lighting. We do not often pay much attention to everyday things, and one of them is lighting, which we take for granted, without appreciating its role in our life.

Research shows that we spend most of the day (around 90%) indoors, so everyday life without artificial lighting seems implausible. Electricity bills also reflect that, so it is important to choose properly designed lightning, paying attention to the choice of bulbs, placement of the lighting in the space and using it efficiently.

Currently, the most energy-efficient bulbs are LED or light-emitting bulbs, the light source of which is light-emitting diodes. Although the initial costs, if compared to other types of light bulbs are higher, the investment pays off long term, as they are up to 70% more efficient than halogen bulbs. However, using inefficient light bulbs, their consumption may amount to even 30% of the total power consumption of the house.

Incandescent lamps, halogen lamps and compact fluorescent lamps are used more commonly, however the LED lamps have become available quite recently. This is possibly the cause for different myths, mostly about their efficiency, quality, brightness of light and durability. We have collected the most widespread.

LED bulbs have low power and they are not bright enough

Wats are not decisive. The brightness of a LED bulb is characterised by the luminous flux, the unit of measurement of which is the lumen (lm) – the more lumens, the more light the bulb emits. In the case of incandescent bulbs, bulb wattage (W) is directly related to light output. However, for LED bulbs the main factor that determines the amount of the emitted light is the lumen (lm) output, the more lumens, the brighter the bulb. Watts allow comparison of the power of the LED bulbs and the power consumption amount. For example, a 60 W incandescent bulb and a 9 W LED bulb will be equally bright, as both produce 800 lm of luminous flux. Which means, that consuming less electricity, the LED bulb provides equally bright lighting.

LEDs emit only cold (bright white) light

Often, when purchasing LED bulbs, we do not pay attention to the information indicated on the bulb packaging, including the light bulb colour temperature, which is measured in kelvins (K). The less kelvins, the yellower the light produced, the more – the bluer.

While incandescent bulbs emit only yellowish, warm white light (around 2500 K), LED bulbs have a wide colour range – from warm white (2700 K) to bluish (6500 K).

LED bulbs have warm white light in the range between 2700 and 3200 K, while white light in a bulb is between 3200 and 4000 K. If the bulbs have more than 4000 K, they will emit a bluish white light similar to daylight. Bulbs with more than 6000 K on the packaging have a bluish light and are mostly chosen in various public and industrial facilities, as well as in spaces where people need encouragement to stay alert.

This is one of the advantages of LED bulbs – it is possible to provide warmer or cooler lighting adjusting it to different spaces and operational areas. For a particularly modern solution, it is possible to purchase smart LED bulbs with a built-in special mechanism that regulates the lighting according to the settings. So, for example, if watching a movie at night you can switch to warmer lighting, but for reading you may use colder light. There are also bulbs that can be connected to the internet and controlled via a virtual assistant, choosing a specific colour, matching music and performing other functions.

LED bulbs are expensive and serve only for short periods of time

The initial costs of LED bulbs are higher, yet the purchase of each LED bulb pays off, as they consume less electricity, and also the time spent on changing the bulbs is saved. Actually, the operating lifetime of LED bulbs is much longer – they can work for more than 25,000 hours. That's more than twenty times longer than an incandescent bulb and five times longer than most CFLs.

In order to fulfil the desires above, it is important to choose a certified product from a well-known manufacturer, carefully familiarise yourself with the information indicated in the bulb package, paying special attention to the CE marking, which confirms that the product meets the specified quality requirements. It should be remembered that LED bulbs have a two-year warranty, so it is recommended to always keep both the purchase receipt and the bulb packaging.

LED bulbs are harmful to health

By choosing high-quality and certified LED bulbs, safety is guaranteed for both people and the home. However, there is a myth that LED bulbs can cause health damage due to the blue light they emit. LED white light bulbs are based on a blue light emitting diode, on which layers of yellow tones are arranged and whose composition and thickness provide the opportunity to obtain the required light colour – from cool bluish to warm, yellowish white light. Studies have not proven the increased danger of LED blue light, it does not significantly differ from similar technologies with the same light colour temperature (K). However, their effect depends on the time spent near a specific light, as well as the distance to the light source.

How to find the one and only LED?

An LED bulb is a case when you shoul “judge the man by his hat” (like in the popular Livonian proverb), more precisely – by the package. To choose the most suitable light bulb, you have to carefully study several parameters indicated on the light bulb packaging box.

• The most important parameter is the brightness of the LED bulb, which is indicated by lumens (lm). The more lumens, the more light the bulb emits.
• The colour temperature of light bulbs is measured in degrees Kelvin and denoted by the letter "K". The less degrees Kelvin, the yellower the light, the more – the bluer.
• Energy efficiency label. A is the highest energy efficiency class, while G is the lowest. When choosing a class A bulb, its operating time will be the longest and electricity consumption will be the lowest. The lower part of the label indicates the electricity consumption of the bulb in kilowatt-hours (kWh) when it is operated for 1,000 hours (h).
• Power. The measurement unit of light bulb power is watts (W). To calculate the daily, monthly or annual electricity consumption of a bulb in kilowatt-hours (kWh), the power (W) must be divided by 1,000 and multiplied by the duration of the bulb's operation in hours (h).
• The colour rendering index denoted by Ra describes the colour reproduction of an object in the light of a lamp compared to the same colours in daylight. The closer Ra is to 100, the more accurate the colour of the subject in the light of the lamp is.
• Number of switching cycles. In places where it is necessary to turn the light on or off frequently, you should choose bulbs with a higher number of switching cycles.
• Operating time. The manufacturer's predicted operating time of the bulb is indicated in hours (h), however, at least 50% of the bulbs work even after exceeding the indicated time.
• Power-on time. This indicates how long it will take the bulb to reach 100% light output, i.e. whether it will happen gradually or with a 1 second delay or some other unit of time.
• Bulb and socket dimensions. When buying a new bulb, the type of base, the size of the bulb and the angle of light emission must be taken into account, so it is recommended to take the bulb you want to replace with you to the trading venue.

In order for the lighting in the home to serve as a source of well-being and to inspire, it is important to take care of its functional use, paying attention to the placement of the lights, the colour of the lighting, and the intensity according to the requirements of the space.

Are there any other ways to reduce electricity consumption for lighting?

Clearly, a light bulb that is turned off uses the least amount of electricity, so the easiest way to reduce electricity consumption is to use daylight as much as possible and avoid turning on artificial lights, as well as turning off lights when not needed. In addition, it is also possible to use lighting control devices and smart technologies.

• Light intensity regulator

It is a special switch, a built-in mechanism in the bulb or in the mobile app, which allows you to change the brightness of the bulb, also reducing electricity consumption.

• Motion sensors

A variety of motion sensors that are able not only to respond to motion but also to keep the lighting on while a person is in the room are available. There are light bulbs with built-in motion sensors that allow the functionality of the motion sensor to be used even without mounting a separate sensor.

• Smart technologies

You can buy smart bulbs that can be turned on/off remotely via a mobile app, virtual assistant or voice. Certain models will also provide the ability to set light intensity modes and change the colour of the light according to preferences and mood.

Use lighting efficiently and get additional inspiration for energy efficient everyday life - look here.