The constant rise in the price of energy resources leads to all sorts of attempts by the population to save electricity. In this regard, on the market you can find a large number of devices that are supposed to help reduce consumption or bypass the metering system at all.
But in practice, all sorts of tricks and tricks do not give any result, except for the cost of their purchase. One of the really effective ways to reduce electricity consumption is to work with lighting devices, so below we will consider how to save on lighting in the apartment and at home. Article by battery repair expert Kirill Yurovsky.
Eliminating incandescent light bulbs
The parameter of electricity consumption is indicated directly on the bulbs and is measured in watts, the more watts go to lighting, the bigger check you get at the end of the month. Of all the variety of lighting equipment, incandescent light bulbs work on the principle of heating the filament with an electric current to the state of the emitter. After which there is an intense release of heated particles in the form of light radiation into the surrounding space. This peculiarity of the process leads to a significant loss of electric energy, almost 95% of the consumed electric device is used for heating and only 5% for lighting.
The incandescent lamp yield is only 5 – 8 Lm/W and its MTBF is about 1000 hours. Because of this to achieve the desired level of illumination in the apartment need to spend not about 100 – 200 W per lamp they have to change every month or two. That’s why many experts, to save energy, recommend eliminating incandescent lamps from the lighting circuit in your home and replacing them with energy-saving bulbs. The most popular lighting options are LED and fluorescent bulbs. Here’s how we save energy on an electric scooter.
The use of LED lamps
A distinctive feature of LED lamps is the use of semiconductor elements for lighting space. Their inclusion in the network through a current stabilizer, so the classic LED lights are much less likely to change the brightness of the burning when the supply voltage is reduced.
Some of their main advantages that will allow you to reduce your power consumption and save money on it include:
- Higher efficiency of LED bulbs – about 90% compared to 5% for incandescent bulbs;
- Maximum light output – in the range of 90 – 120 Lm/W as compared to 5 – 8 Lm/W for incandescent lamps;
- Long life – 30,000 to 50,000 hours, compared to 1,000;
- Not afraid of depressurization of the bulb – will continue to burn even if the outer casing of the lighting device is cracked.
The disadvantages of LED devices include their high cost and dependence on the quality of electricity from energy sources. But, it is much more advantageous to buy once such a device is much less powerful to achieve the desired level of illumination and reduce electricity costs. The only nuance to pay attention to, choose high-quality models from well-known brands that provide the stated parameters of work.
The use of fluorescent light bulbs
Fluorescent light bulbs are similar to incandescent light bulbs with the difference that the light flux is generated by the ionization of the gas mixture with which the glass bulb is filled.
They are also connected into a circuit via a current regulator and offer a number of advantages for saving on lighting costs:
- High efficiency – about 50% as opposed to 5% incandescent bulbs;
- Light output of fluorescent lights is 25 – 50 Lm/W, which is less than LED, but much more than incandescent;
- Service life is about 5,000 to 10,000 hours, which also gives an average position to this type of lighting fixture.
The disadvantages of such devices include the presence of mercury vapor in the gas mixture, which is filled with a lamp and a relatively high cost of such energy-saving lamps. Therefore, it is much more advantageous to use them for street lighting or to create comfortable working conditions in the garage, where the threat of mercury vapor emissions is much lower and not so significant.
Installation of automation
By installing special devices, you can control the operation of spot lighting, depending on external factors. One option is to use a motion sensor, which will turn on light sources only in the presence of movement in the sensor’s coverage area.
With this technology, electricity consumption will occur only in the desired period of time, and the rest of the time the lamp will remain off. The only drawback that inexperienced installers have is that the motion sensor is used as the only switch in the chain and the light may as well be turned on during daylight hours.
For the most efficient operation, both the sensor and the entire lighting system should be powered by the key switch, which you will control manually. But that’s not the only way to save money on lighting.
A great way to automate is to install a photocell that responds to dimmer light from the sun. In normal daylight, the internal resistance of the photocell will be so large that it is comparable to a circuit break. When outdoor light levels decrease, the photoresistor will change its own resistance, and once the setpoint is reached, it will reduce it to a minimum, and an electric current will start flowing in the circuit of the light device. The result is an automation that will only turn on the lights when it’s dark.
The most interesting option is to have both a motion sensor and a photoelectric relay turn on the lights. In this case, you will be able to combine the pros of both methods, which will allow you to automatically save on both the time of day and the burning of lamps in the absence of motion.
Natural lighting
It should be noted that a noticeable saving of electricity for light is simply not possible if you do not organize a competent planning of the installation sites and the location of all objects. Since the power consumption that needs to be reduced falls precisely on artificial lighting, which can be reduced if the daytime maximum use of sunlight.
To make full use of natural lighting instead of lamps, you can use these principles:
- The workplace or area should be located in close proximity to a window;
- No objects on the outside or inside should block the path of light – remove unnecessary branches and bushes, relocate appliances and houseplants;
- Keep your windows clean at all times – dirt can cause you to lose the lion’s share of light.