Jun 12 2008 8:10AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |
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There are many options in the light bulb market these days, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Incandescent lamps use a lot of energy which is wasted by converting energy to heat rather than light, yet they offer tried and true delivery of pleasing, soft light. Halogens are also a great source of natural looking light, especially when you want to add some punch to artwork or brighten task areas, yet the lamps are limited to certain fixtures. Fluorescents offer energy efficiency yet there can be variability in their color rendering. So how do you make all of this work? You combine them to make most of their individual benefits.

Halogens and incandescent lamps are the quintessential perfect match. You can use incandescent lamps for soft general lighting and halogens to highlight points of interest. For increased energy efficiency, fluorescents can be used in almost any light fixture to replace incandescent lamps. The color rendering of today’s compact fluorescent screw-in lamps is usually comparable to standard soft white incandescent lamps. There is some variability in the light quality given off by the elements utilized in fluorescent lamps so an inexpensive lamp may look very different from the standard incandescent. But give it another shot and try a few to find the right wattage and color quality for your home. You'll get plenty of energy savings and good light quality.

LED’s are fast becoming the future of energy efficient lighting. They are great for accent light and highlighting architectural details. These ultra-efficient lamps combine well with dimmable lighting since you can heighten the impact of an LED by matching its lower light level. By focusing on what each of these lamps does best you can optimize their unique strengths for a pleasing, bright composition.