Green energy is the new black. It’s all about cutting back on energy and taking advantage of energy-saving options. The lighting in your home office is a good place to start. The more common choices of light bulbs (also called lamps) are compact fluorescents and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Both options will help you save energy.
An article in the The New York Times offers a few tips for using compact fluorescents.
- Look for bulbs with the Energy Star label, which indicates they meet at least minimal performance requirements.
- Be aware that compact fluorescents can take one to three minutes to reach full brightness. This is not a defect. (Instead it’s something that annoys my family.)
- Compact fluorescents contain mercury and should not be disposed of in the trash. Many chains, like Home Depot, offer recycling bins for the bulbs.
Compact Fluorescents are a good way to save energy but they have a few drawbacks:
- They look funny. Light bulbs were meant to be round, not spiral. You can buy compact fluorescents that resemble the traditional light bulb but they’re more expensive.
- Not all compact fluorescents are dimmable—the hum you hear when you try to dim one will remind you of that. Now you can buy dimmable compact fluorescents but they too are more expensive. Hey, style comes at a price.
How stuff works gives a good description of LEDs:
- They don’t have a filament that will burn out, so they last much longer.
- Their small plastic bulb makes them a lot more durable. They also fit more easily into modern electronic circuits.
- The main advantage is efficiency. LEDs generate very little heat.
