LUMEN Coalition Sponsors Efficient-Lighting Makeover in Va. Home
As more consumers embrace energy-efficient lighting, many are looking for guidance on which lights to choose. The diverse LUMEN (Lighting Understanding for a More Efficient Nation) Coalition formed in January 2011 to serve as this very resource through its website and other mediums. The LUMEN Coalition comprises a group of more than 40 manufacturers, nonprofits and consumer groups, including the ALA, NEMA, Alliance to Save Energy and the Department of Energy. Watch the press conference video.
To highlight LUMEN’s value to consumers, on Oct. 19 a consortium of consumer groups, lighting manufacturers, energy efficiency and environmental organizations, and government advisors for a press conference on the practical implications of switching out energy inefficient bulbs with new, more efficient ones.
But this wasn’t your usual press conference: At this gathering, the LUMEN Coalition showcased the benefits of efficient lighting by walking attendees through a lighting “makeover” in a house in Arlington, Va., whose owner had turned over her house to energy-conscious lighting designers.
There is a Difference in the Light: It’s Better
Rose DiNapoli’s house is full of light. An interior decorator who uses her home as her office, DiNapoli worked closely with an architect to take advantage of the elevation on a hilly corner lot, orienting the house to maximize exposure. With such great daylighting, it seems as if there is no need to turn on the lights. That was the consensus as the Alliance team and others gathered early one morning to set up for the press conference. As journalists started to gather, so did clouds – darkening the skies and ensuring that the reworked lighting fixtures stood out.
Although DiNapoli was enthusiastic and gracious about lending her house to the lighting redesign, she was afraid that the new energy-efficient lights would sacrifice the warmth she had created in her home for the blue glow often associated with older florescent bulbs. As a professional who brings clients into her home to showcase her own good taste, lighting is very important. But with a designer’s discerning eye, DiNapoli was unequivocal when she said that the new lights were warm and comfortable, and many of the new lights “offered improved light and better color.”
New Lights Fuel Innovation
Department of Energy Deputy Assistant Secretary Kathleen Hogan was quick to note that more efficient light bulbs are fueling innovation in the lighting industry and saving Americans money. More efficient lights provide energy savings between 25% and 80%, and can pay for themselves in as little as three months.
Beyond the large energy savings, more efficient lights are being developed every day. Only a very small portion of the light bulbs are being affected by the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA). And no bulbs are being banned. In fact, the vast majority of energy-efficient bulbs will compete on the open market with the lights that they can replace.
Joe Rey-Barreau, a consultant with the American Lighting Association and professor of interior design at the University of Kentucky, pointed out that more efficient lights actually provide the same or better color variety than older bulbs. Moreover, all efficient lights save homeowners money in the long run – in fact, the new “equivalent to a standard 60 watt bulb” only uses 13 watts and lasts at least four times longer.