Green Options

Dear EcoGeek,

I did a survey and I have 33 recessed bulbs in the house (120W)! I've switched all my non-recessed bulbs with CFLs, but I need something for our recessed lighting.

Thanks,

David

David,

Thirty three 120 watt bulbs will keep your house competing with a small star for both power

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Imagine growing up, going to school, graduating, going to college for a couple years and then getting that magical phone call: "Son, it's time to change the light bulb." You rush home in flurry of excitement and anticipation as your parents show you how to change a light — something you yourself may not do until your own kids are in college. Those times are coming.

Well actually, they're here. But until prices coming

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You knows those solar garden lights everyone in your neighborhood has? Sure, they're helpful to some degree, but the light that gets produced by those products is generally pretty dim and doesn't last too long. I've known frustrated folks who have bought them, received dismal results, and then thrown them away in favor of conventional wired brands. One step forward, two steps back.

While the technology has improved,

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Raleigh, NC is experimenting with LEDs, or light emitting diodes, to see how much money - and energy - the city can save.

So far, based on initial results from a bulb swap-out in a downtown parking garage, city officials determined that the pay-back of the replacement will be two years.

Think of this: If advances in efficient lighting continue at their current pace, your children's children may never know the experience of replacing a burned-out light bulb.

Take for example, a recent announcement from Phillips, for a new light bulb called the Pharox that will last 35 years if used four hours a day. The 3.4-watt LED bulb produces light comparable to an ordinary 40-watt bulb. Unlike the current compact-fluorescent options

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