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Posted: 01/29/2014 10:24 am EST Updated: 03/31/2014 5:59 am EDT
Affordable Green Technology for
Your Home
Though the word "green" is often thrown
around like the word "organic" these days,
there are growing numbers of people taking
notice of the value when choosing to go
green with the technologies now available in homes. Today, the green lighting
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technology alone provides numerous advantages, both short and long term, by
improving the home's overall efficiency, but it's often difficult to navigate the many
options and methods when finding the best solution for your specific situation. At the
forefront of this movement is green expert, Jorge Carrasco, who was kind enough to
work with me to better understand the world of green lighting technologies, and the
many benefits.
Fully integrated into the long-term conservation programs since 1977, Jorge Carrasco
serves as CEO and General Manager of Seattle City Light
(https://www.seattle.gov/light/), which has been widely recognized throughout the
Pacific Northwest as one of the leaders in technological innovation, sustainability and
environmental protection. Looking far beyond this region of the United States,
Carrasco and his team have been continuously pushing green utility trends in
collaborations with others throughout the country to further develop a more
sustainable America. With such a firm grasp on this industry, his expert insight into
the many options of green lighting technology has been truly eye opening.
LED Lighting:
Easily one of the more widely known and talked about technologies, LED (Light
Emitting Diode) is also one of the most energy efficient solutions, and continues to
rapidly develop and improve. A perfect solution for homes, residential LED light
bulbs, especially ENERGY STAR (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?
fuseaction=find_a_product.) rated products, use up to 10 times less energy, and last
25 times longer, when compared to the standard incandescent lighting used in the
past. Fortunately, in recent years the prices of these LED lights have also been
reduced, making this a more realistic option when converting an entire home to LED
lighting.
It's estimated that if every household was able to replace one regular incandescent
light bulb with a LED light, that it would prevent an estimated "90 billion pounds of
greenhouse gas emissions."
(http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/light_bulbs.htm) In layman
terms, this would have the same effect as taking "7.5 million cars off of our highways."
Beyond only the gas emissions, this would also save enough energy to light more than
2.5 million homes for an entire year. "LED lighting technology is poised to explode,
and this will be a huge source of energy savings across the country in the next five
years," said Jorge Carrasco.
CFL Lighting:
Though not as broadly talked about as the LED lighting, CFL (Compact Fluorescent
Lamps) are another great option when looking for ways to make homes more energy
efficient, while saving money in the long-term. Most recognize CFL lights because of
their unique curly shape, which is a version of the long tube fluorescent lights we
recognize from schools and many commercial buildings. Today, many companies also
offer variations that have an encasement covering the curly tubes, providing a more
familiar looking option.
In most cases, these light bulbs can pay for themselves after just nine months, and
then continue saving the homeowner money for long periods of time due to their
extended lifespan. Under normal circumstances, CFL lights use about 75 percent less
energy and last 10 times longer (http://www.energystar.gov/certified-
products/detail/light_bulbs) than the standard incandescent lights. Note that all
fluorescent bulbs do contain a very small amount of mercury, and should be recycled
and not simply discarded. As Jorge Carrasco noted, "While CFL technology is mature,
it will see accelerated market penetration now that standard incandescent bulbs are
no longer being produced."
Solar Energy:
Though often thought to be an insurmountable task to "go solar," an increasing
number of homes are taking the plunge to generate electricity using this method.
According to CNBC (http://www.cnbc.com/id/101319945), a new rooftop system was
installed every four minutes in 2013. Fortunately, the prices of solar panels have also
continued to decrease -- nearly 75 percent in the past year alone. This immediate cost
savings combined with ongoing incentives by federal and state governments makes
"going solar" a very attractive option for homes today.
Another unique option offered by Seattle City Light, and will hopefully continue to
spread across the United States, is Green Up. This is where customers purchase green
power for a portion of their electricity; demonstrating their support for wind power
and other new renewable energy projects, which reduces reliance on fossil fuels,
improves air quality and helps reduce the growth of climate-warming emissions.
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"As the market for solar expands, utilities like Seattle City Light must figure out what
that means," said Jorge Carrasco. "For Seattle City Light, we are encouraging our
customers to invest in solar and have spearheaded an innovative community solar
model that we see taking off across the country where customers pitch in to own a
share of a solar installation instead of putting it on their own roof," Carrasco added.
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