by Bradley Wilson

Created on: July 26, 2009

Are we having fun yet?

Last Tuesday my wife and I took our 12 year old to a theme park to the tune of about $140. Not too bad for a memorable day together as a family, we'll all remember the fun we had that day, roller coasters and all. It was a typical decision for us, we knew we were going to go somewhere but we wanted to get the most for our money. Let's see, the car gets about 35 MPG, tickets at a 20% discount, we can eat before going into the park...all things we considered before setting foot out the door. What can this possibly have to do with lighting?

The trip was paid for by a decision we made a year ago. Taking a deal on an 8 pack of compact fluorescent bulbs, we plunked down our $12 and replaced 8 lamps inside our home. It's a conservative estimate that the decision saved us about $200 over the past year on our energy bill. After taking a look at that decision, I decided to find out how much could be saved by replacing the two lamps on the front of my garage. They are on regularly from about 9 pm until 6 am, or 9 hours a day. At this rate a switch to compact fluorescent bulbs controlled by photosensors would save $35 over the next year. Set it and forget it savings. What would you do with $35 if someone just walked up and handed it to you? Something fun I hope.

When you get right down to it there are three basic purposes for outdoor lighting: to show off special things, to provide security and to make life easier. Before setting out to find great deals or new technologies, begin with a basic lighting plan. Look at your outdoor lighting needs in each of these areas and gauge efficiency based on the fit of the device for the specific task. A sale item isn't a good buy unless it fits into a need you have identified in this plan.

Think carefully about specific portions of your home you intend to highlight with decorative lighting. Common subjects for decorative lighting include special architectural and landscape features. These subjects can be highlighted with low brightness lighting technology and still retain the desired effect. Safety lighting is another area where brightness is less important. The existence of even moderate light can serve the purposes of security and safety illumination. Utility lighting is used to perform a specific purpose, such as to light a pathway or doorway. Utility lighting serves a specific practical purpose, start here.

Technology is great when applied properly, otherwise it can be a real waste of resources quietly stealing

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