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Tips - smart light
The lighting of your home represents 10% of electricity consumption.
So when buying a lamp, please remember that there are some expedients in order to make you save
money. First of all you can learn to distinguish the low consumption lamps from the others.
Let's look closely what are the different types of lamps on the market and the reasons why it is advisable
to choose them.
Common incandescent lamps
They are popular even if they have a short duration (+ -1000 hours) and a low luminous efficiency.
These lamps spread a pleasing and suitable light and they are recommended for rooms like the bedroom,
or for places in which you don’t stay for a long time (eg. the bathroom or the hallway).
Incandescent lamps "halogen"
They are more expensive but have a duration (+ -2000 hours) significantly higher than the common
lamps, while the energy saving efficiency is quite low.
The white light is very intense and brings out the maximum colour rendering. For this reason is usually
used to highlight paintings or works of art. But remember that the halogen has to be aimed at very specific
points, otherwise they lose 20% of brightness.
Fluorescent lamps "compact"
This is a kind of lamp with low consumption. This means that they consume up to the 80% less of a traditional
lamp. It lasts up to 10/15.000 hours! Another advantage is that it can easily replace lamps
common, because they have the same socket. The living room, kitchen or kids' rooms are the rooms of
the house more suitable for compact fluorescent, because they need to be constantly and prolonged enlightened. The cost, compared to the traditional lamps, it may seem too high. But if you make a comparison,
the consumption and the duration, you will find that there are undoubted advantages.
Traditional fluorescent lamps (neon)
Again, these lamps are within the low category consumption (55-65 lm / W), they use a fifth of common
incandescent bulbs and last + - 10,000 hours. You can find them in different power and sizes, in circular
or straight shape. Usually they are used as a source of lighting in the stairs or for the kitchen stove.
Sometimes, however, the choice of these lamps may be limited by the fact that they are much larger and
more bulky than the classic ones. When choosing a lamp, you don’t have always to assess its appearance,
but remember the importance of its efficiency and its luminousity.
• The chandeliers with many lamps can nicely decorate a room, but six 25 watt lamps consume 50%
more than one (incandescent) 100 watt.
• Remember that standard switches can be replaced with the intensity light regulators.
These are recommended for environments that do not require the maximum illumination.
• The lamps which are dust covered are less bright. Remember to brush them (turning the current off)!
• Choose light colours to paint the walls of your house and remember to turn off the light when you do
not need it. Do not keep it turned on unnecessarily!
Avoid the most frequent mistakes: an insufficient amount of light when you cook, read, sew etc.. that require
good visual acuity so that a 'wrong distribution of light sources leave gray and glare areas.
Improve illumination
does not mean, in fact, to increase the power of lamps (and thus the consumption of electricity): much
more important is to determine the proper distribution of light sources and the right quality of light. How
to determine the amount of light needed in a room? We cannot give a single answer to this question. It
changes according to the use of the environment.
In any room there are major activities which require a special kind of light. In general, the best solution
for domestic use, is to create a soft light throughout the environment and act with more intense light
sources in areas intended for specific activities such as dining, reading, studying. It is also important
that the lights do not dazzle either directly or by reflection. In the first case, simply remove from the field
of vision bulbs with concentrated sources of light: this doesn’t mean to change the lamp or its position,
very often it is enough to replace the clear bulb with a frosted one. In the case of reflection there are some considerations to do: it may depend on the type of materials and items that are in the house or on
the type of lamp. If there are reflective surfaces you can intervene on the light source and, for example,
replace a lamp with a concentrated light with one that diffuses light. You can also intervene on the reflective
object, changing its position or its orientation. Do not forget also that if we want to increase the
brightness and decrease the consumption of artificial light the walls of the rooms should be painted
with light colours.
Here's finally some practical advice
• The central chandelier alone for the lighting of the rooms is not a good solution in terms of energy saving.
• The illumination with a floor lamp and a wall bracket in addition, it is better because it does not create
shadows and gives a diffused light;
• In order to illuminate the sculptures, paintings, special items, the spotlight is the most appropriate
because they create a beam of light.
• For the dining area is better to use a suspension focused on a table or a floor lamp that illuminates
the table.
• For the desks table lamps are preferred.
• For bathrooms ceiling lights or wall brackets with separate ignition, near the mirror.
• Appliques and ceiling lamps are a good solution for corridors and other transit environments that do
not require a strong lighting.
• The kitchen, besides the general illumination, should be provided with lights under the hangings, the
work plans and the hob to be used only where and when needed.
At the time of purchase of household goods it is better to pay attention to the mark EC (or other trademarks
recognized at European level). If there is a trade mark means that the device is manufactured in
accordance with the law on security.
Where is the EC quality mark? The quality mark may be on the packaging, on a label applied on the device
or on the nameplate of the technical features, or printed the packaging. In any case it is a sign that
says "security". Regarding energy efficiency, it is now easier to choose the best products because the information available is now more clear and obvious. In fact by 2002 a European Union directive makes it
mandatory to exhibit even a label on the lamps ("energy label") which indicates the energy efficiency of
various types of lamps.
