Lightning

Types of home lighting

Electric light is one of the most important energy needs in the home and represents 18% of energy consumption in this area.

There are different types of luminaires: halogen, incandescent, fluorescent and low consumption.

  • Incandescent light bulbs, that is, the traditional ones, are very inefficient, since they only allocate 5% of the electrical energy they consume to lighting, and 95% is transformed into heat.
  • Halogen bulbs, in terms of consumption, are very similar to incandescent bulbs, although they have higher quality and duration.
  • The fluorescent ones have greater efficiency than the previous ones, since their duration is 10 times longer and their consumption is 80% lower.
  • Low consumption light bulbs have a higher price than incandescent light bulbs, although their consumption is 25% of a traditional light bulb and their duration is 10 times longer, with a similar level of lighting.
Iluminación

The luminous efficacy of a lamp is the amount of light emitted per watt consumed (which is the unit of electrical power consumed).

The unit of measurement of light efficiency is the lumen per watt and through this unit we can compare the efficiency of some light bulbs with respect to others

Use energy-saving bulbs and you will save on your electricity bill, they will also last much longer and provide you with the same level of lighting!

Decalogue of practical advice to save energy in lighting

  1. We must take advantage of natural light whenever possible and do without electric light.
  2. If we paint the walls of our house in light tones, natural light will be used more and we can reduce the use of artificial light.
  3. Lights that serve only as a decorative element (eg garden LEDs) should be reduced.
  4. The lights of the rooms in which we are not at that time should never be left on.
  5. If we keep the lamps clean, the luminosity will be greater without the need to increase the power.
  6. Replace traditional light bulbs, that is, incandescent, with energy-saving light bulbs.
  7. It is advisable to use electronic dimmers (but not rheostats) to save energy.
  8. In places where light is needed for many hours, the use of fluorescent tubes is advisable.
  9. In some places in the house, where you stay for a short time, for example garages, it is convenient to use presence sensors that will turn the light on and off automatically.
  10. Local lighting is recommended for certain tasks, such as studying or sewing, rather than having the entire room illuminated.

Did you know?

Energy saving light bulbs are somewhat more expensive than incandescent bulbs but their amortization is very fast, since their useful life is estimated between 8,000 and 10,000 hours.

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