Skip to content
Archive of posts tagged LED

Remodeling with Passive House Approach

Kevin Stamm, general contractor based in San Francisco, wanted to apply many of the Passive House techniques to achieve high degree of energy efficiency when he started to renovate his home. While the project is still work in progress, he offered to pass his learnings along. He hosted a tour of his project on March []

How To Choose LED Lights

If you are trying to get a replacement light bulb, you will now find a large variety of products available. Buying a light bulb used to be simple. You choose either a 25W, 40W, 60W, 75W, 100W or occasionally 150W bulb depending how much light you want. The incandescent bulbs do not give you other []

Nearing The Finish Line

The final touches have been made. Cabinets in kitchen and bathrooms are installed. Granite countertops are placed in kitchen and bathrooms. Kitchen and bathrooms plumbing fixtures are all hooked up. The ENERGY STAR rated huge counter-depth refrigerator, and dishwashers are installed. Cooking appliances include a combined range/convection oven unit as well as a combined microwave/convention []

Incandescent Bulbs Going Away

The US Department of Energy’s energy efficiency regulation to phase out the incandescent light bulbs reached its last milestone with the turn of the new year. As of Jan 1, 2014, the 40W and 60W bulbs are no longer allowed to be produced in the US (the 100W bulb and the 75W bulb were discontinued []

EMI And LEDs – Not All LEDs Are The Same!

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI, aka: “Dirty Electricity,” or “High Voltage Transients”) is a term coined for quick transient pulses, harmonics, spikes and dips in the electrical power in a home’s wiring that deviates from a purely 60Hz sine wave. These often occur due to computers, other electronics, mini transformers/power convertors, dimmer switches, CFL and LED lighting. []

Additional Ways To Save Energy 50% or More

In a previous blog I talked about some easy ways to save energy that requires no money. Here are some other steps to help you reduce your energy bill and save the planet. I know people who have taken some of these and the no-money steps were able to save 50% to 75% on their []

Lighting

Incandescent light bulbs, which have been standard for over a century, will be phased out of manufacturing in a couple of years in the US to give way to more energy efficiency products. Compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs consume only about a quarter of the energy of incandescent bulbs producing comparable amounts of light. They also []

Dimmers and Energy Efficient Lighting – Not Always Compatible

Most homeowners today are concerned with energy efficiency and are beginning to take retrofitting seriously. They want the efficiency that comes from switching their lighting from outdated incandescent lights to LED or CFL bulbs and home lighting controls which add to the energy and cost savings of new light bulbs – but they may run []