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Tips for Building "Green" - Lighting
The vast amount of information available about building green can be overwhelming. To assist our customers in making environmentally sensitive decisions while building their new home, Donald A. Gardner Architects has compiled this handy FREE guide to building green.
Lighting

Choosing lighting for your new home can be a complicated process. There are many factors to consider beyond aesthetics and functionality. With 90% of the energy used by a standard light bulb given off as heat, your air conditioning system is forced to work harder to cool the air. Choosing lighting options that will be energy efficient is beneficial to the environment and your budget.

From simply changing the type of bulbs you use in your lighting fixtures, to installing solar panels on your home to harness the energy to turn on those lights, there are many options for making green choices for the lighting in your home. Sustainable lighting options don’t have to be boring or unattractive. As the popularity of sustainability and eco-consciousness grows, aesthetically pleasing options become more available as well.

Tips for Building Green by Donald Gardner


Here are a few ideas to improve the energy efficiency of the lighting in your new home:

a) For ceiling and wall-mounted fixtures that will be on for two or more hours each day (kitchens, hallways, home offices, etc.), install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL’s). These bulbs emit less heat and can last up to 10 times longer than an incandescent light bulb.

b) If recessed lights are installed in a ceiling with an unconditioned space above it (such as an attic), use only Underwriters Laboratory (UL) approved fixtures that are airtight, are Insulation Contact (IC) rated, and meet ASTM E283 requirements.

c) To limit the amount of unconditioned air that seeps into your new home, seal light fixtures to the drywall using caulk.

d) Choose fluorescent, high-intensity discharge or low-pressure sodium fixtures for exterior lighting, unless incandescent lights are automatically controlled by motion sensors or timers and will be used for just a few minutes each day.

e) Use motion detectors, photo sensors and timers in less frequently used areas, such as closets and the exterior of your home.

f) Install skylights to allow natural light into the home. Natural light can limit the use of lighting from electrical sources. Tubular skylights conduct light through a flexible reflective tube and can even bring daylight into the darkest basement.

g) To maximize the potential of natural light in your kitchen, keep countertops and other work surfaces near windows. Keep refrigerators away from sunlight so that they do not have to work harder to stay cold.



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GREEN TIPS
  • Introduction
  • Site Analysis
  • Infiltration
  • Mechanical
  • Plumbing
  • Plumbing Fixtures
  • Lighting
  • Indoor Air Quality
  • Appliances
  • Landscaping
  • Green Resources


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