Eco Friendly + Sustainable Lighting Solutions & Product Options
Eco-Friendly Lighting Products and Practices
Of the total energy consumed in the United States, about 40% is used to generate electricity.
Generating electricity uses a large amount of fuel and releases greenhouse gasses into the air—not very friendly for our planet’s ozone or air quality. Over time, these effects contribute to the climate crisis and cause harm to future generations.
With so much energy consumption related to electricity generation alone, the kinds of lights used in a business or commercial building can have an immense impact—good or bad—on its carbon footprint.
The good news is, this means a simple switch from less modern lighting to eco-friendly lights will significantly improve the eco-friendliness of your building.
What Types of Light Bulbs are Best for the Environment?
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Switching to eco-friendly light bulbs is often a first step when companies and organizations decide to pursue LEED certification or other third-party accreditations.
Why? Cutting back on electricity usage with eco-friendly lights is a simple, cost-effective way to make a significant dent in a building’s carbon footprint. A change as straightforward as changing out old, energy-intensive bulbs with energy-efficient ones will make a major impact in energy usage.
CFL Bulbs
CFL bulbs, or compact fluorescent lights, are smaller versions of the classic larger fluorescent lamps that were once standard for large spaces like conference rooms, schools, and office buildings.
These more compact versions are available in many shapes, including spiral lamps, classic round bulbs, tube lamps, flood lights, and small candelabra bulbs for chandeliers.
CFL bulbs use 50-75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last 10 times longer on average.
LED Bulbs
LED lamps are available in a wide variety of shapes, from simple to stylish. TCP offers LED ceiling lights, tube lighting, globe bulbs, and even LED Edison bulbs. You can choose from warm, neutral, and cool color temperatures.
LEDs do not “burn out” the same way incandescent bulbs do. Instead, their brightness slowly dims over time. LED lifespan is based on a prediction of a 30% decreased light output, rather than total failure.
LED bulbs use up to 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last 25 times longer on average.
Why Choose LED Bulbs over CFL and Halogen Bulbs?
With so many sustainable lighting solutions available, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with information. Here, we’ll compare energy use, lifespan, initial investment cost and return on investment, and aesthetic considerations to help make choosing eco-friendly light bulbs simple.
Energy Use
Halogen incandescents are 28% more energy efficient than a typical incandescent bulb. This makes them a slightly better option, but not nearly as efficient as CFL bulbs, which are up to 75% more efficient, or LED bulbs, which are up to 90% more efficient.
When it comes to energy efficiency, no other bulb beats eco-friendly LED lights.
Lifespan
The average halogen bulb lasts 4.2 years. A CFL bulb will last 14 years on average, while an LED bulb will last 34 years. That’s twenty to thirty extra years of life from LED bulbs. This saves you time and money on replacement bulbs and creates much less waste.
Initial Investment Cost and ROI
While the initial investment for LED lighting may be intimidating, the return on investment over their long lifespans makes them as friendly for your budget as they are for the environment.
The average annual cost of operation per bulb is about $5 for a halogen bulb, $1.75 for a CFL bulb, and $1.19 for an LED bulb. When you factor in these costs with the initial investment and lifespan, you’ll see the true environmental and financial value in LED lights.
Sound like a lot of math? Try our LED return on investment calculator to quickly see how much energy and money you’ll save by making the switch.
Aesthetic Considerations
LEDs can sometimes get a bad rap when it comes to aesthetics, thanks to the cool, somewhat harsh bulbs that were available when LED technology was first made widely available.
Since those days, LED technology has come a long way. Compared to halogen and CFL bulbs, LEDs offer excellent color rendering, bringing out vibrancy and true color from whatever the light touches. LEDs are excellent at mimicking bright, healthy sunlight to boost moods and productivity.
If it’s a calm ambiance you’re looking for, choose a warm-temperature LED bulb and enjoy the dim glow often associated with incandescent or halogen bulbs without damaging the environment.
TCP’s Sustainable Lighting Solutions & Products
TCP offers a wide array of sustainable lighting products for commercial uses. From high bay lighting to LED retrofit kits to standard light bulbs, eco-friendly lights from TCP are high quality and built to last.
Browse our energy-efficient bulb options to lower your energy bills and lighten your carbon footprint. If you don’t see what you want, be sure to contact us about custom light manufacturing.
Additional Ways You can be Eco-Friendly and Light Your Space
Fill Your Space with Natural Light
Nothing is more eco-friendly than natural light! If you’re lucky enough to have lots of windows, embrace what you’ve got. Keep your curtains and blinds open as much as possible to really let the sunlight in.
Get Creative with Mirrors
If you’re short on natural light, make the most of it with mirrors placed wherever natural light hits to bounce it back into your space. Light wall colors also reflect light, creating more natural light, and reducing the need for excessive electricity usage.
Add a Window or Skylight
If it’s in your budget, adding extra windows and skylights goes a long way in reducing your energy use by bringing in natural light. While they may not entirely replace the need for eco-friendly bulbs, you may be able to dim or turn off the lights on bright days.
Contact Us
Ready to make the switch to more environmentally friendly lighting? Ask the lighting experts at TCP how we can make your business more sustainable with high quality LED lights.
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