Lighting retrofits are one of the simplest and cost-effective ways to reduce energy usage while improving the home’s warmth and ambiance.
Natural Resources Canada reported that although the average Canadian home uses more fixtures than in the past, household lighting remains at 3.6% of energy used in a home. Advanced lighting technology and products have many benefits. An easy way to help your ease with selecting lighting, is to look for ENERGY STAR certified bulbs. They can last up to 15 times longer and use up to 90% less than a standard bulb.
Upgrading your lighting is one of the most simple retrofits! It's easy to do and with a minimum cost
Picture of lighting, appliances, and smart technology.
​Image obtained from: Unsplash, click on image for reference
Factors
Here are factors and terminology relating to light efficiency:
​
-
Watt: The measurement unit for electrical power consumption. Think of this as fuel consumption!
-
Volt: Think of this as water pressure. Voltage drives current through fixtures - it is the required pressure to drive electrons through fixtures.
-
Kelvin: The measurement unit for temperature. The lower the Kelvin temperature, the warmer the light and the higher, the more cool or blue it is.
-
Lumen: The amount of light emitted per second or simply, the amount of light your eye perceives from a lighting source. Therefore, more lumens would result in a brighter light and less lumens, a dimmer light.
-
CCT: Correlated Color Temperature. This is measured in Kelvins and refers to the appearance of the light from the source and whether it’s cool or warm.
-
​MOL: Maximum Overall Length. This is measures from the top of the bulb to the bottom of its base.
The electricity used in an entire lifetime of a compact fluorescent light bulb can cost 5-10 times less than the amount of a regular bulb
TYPES OF LIGHTING & APPLIANCES RETROFITS
Find the right type of retrofit that fits your budgets, performance and energy needs.
It is not just important to choose the right light bulb and lighting technology but also ensure it is properly installed. Please take the time to look after your own safety when working with electricity in your building and always use a certified building specialist or contractor when needed.