LEDs

Lighting Costs Cut By 90% Using Intelligent LEDs

A company called Digital Lumens has introduced product that networks LED lights together to form an “intelligent” lighting system. The system can turn on lights if people are present in a room, and adjust brightness levels over the course of a day. Overall, the system can cut lighting costs by 90% for commercial sites like warehouses. [...]

Read the full article →

LED Lamps That Glow With Warm White Light

LED Lamps With Warm White Illumination: Koncept Z-Bar ($165) and i-Tower ($195) Pablo Designs LIM L Floor ($350) Cree XLamp XR-E Warm White LED Lantern ($25) The color temperature of light is measured in degrees Kelvin. Lower-temperature white LEDs (around 2,000-4,000 K) are warm (yellowish white) like incandescent bulbs. White LEDs with higher color temperatures [...]

Read the full article →

Inexpensive LED Light Bulbs Have Arrived

LED light bulbs have long had incandescent and CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs beat in terms of energy efficiency, yet they’ve taken a back seat to the CFLs due to the much higher price tag of an LED bulb. That is until now. As incandescent bulbs are being phased out, lighting companies are scrambling to get [...]

Read the full article →

New 12 Watt LED Closely Matches 60 Watt Incandescent

The AmbientLED from Philips is the latest LED light designed to replace the 60 watt bulbs in people’s homes. Unlike older LEDs I tested, this light is definitely up to that job. It gives off 800 lumens of warm light, while running on 12 watts. It’s the first LED light to earn an ENERGY STAR [...]

Read the full article →

Despite Recent Concerns, LEDs Still Offer Efficient & Clean Light

LEDs offer the best energy efficiency of any widely available lighting technology.  And LED lights contain no mercury, as opposed to the compact fluorescent bulbs that have become so common.  But recent reports suggest that LEDs may have their own issues with hazardous substances, so should you steer clear of them?  Not so fast – [...]

Read the full article →

The Pharox 300 Flame: The Warmest LED Light Bulb Available

The Pharox 300 Flame is the warmest LED light bulb I’ve tested. It’s been in a desk lamp in my living room — it gives off a pleasing yellow glow (a 3000 kelvin output). The Pharox’s light quality is very good. Unlike CFLs, this bulb contains no mercury it emits no UV radiation. Typically, quality household [...]

Read the full article →

Best LED Flashlights Of 2011

What makes the “best” flashlight?  There are specialty lights available for a wide range of applications, but the perfect all-purpose flashlight combines compact size, durability, and above all, a bright beam of light.  All four of our favorites utilize LEDs (light emitting diodes) which are energy efficient for maximum battery life as well as extremely [...]

Read the full article →

New Light Bulb Efficiency Guidelines

Thumbnail image for New Light Bulb Efficiency Guidelines

There has been much discussion in the media lately (including a fair amount of misinformation) regarding the phase-out of traditional incandescent light bulbs in the United States.  Read on to separate the reality from the hype, and to learn more about efficient lighting technologies that will save energy and cut your power bills.

Read the full article →

Best LED Christmas Lights

LED Christmas lights have come a long way since they first hit the market. Now you can get just about any shape, size, and color to please the most die hard of holiday decorators. Most agree they are even more brilliant than the traditional incandescent Christmas lights, but perhaps the greatest benefit is that they [...]

Read the full article →

The MetaEfficient Kitchen

Thumbnail image for The MetaEfficient Kitchen

The kitchen is often the heart of a home – it’s one of the most-used rooms in a household for both working and socializing, so shouldn’t it be as functional and energy-efficient as possible?  Here is a collection of design ideas and products, both big and small, to help you create a beautiful and efficient [...]

Read the full article →