Goodbye, Watts. Hello, LUMENS!

From the DOE Energy Savers Blog:

May 17, 2012 14:21

For years, I bought light bulbs based on watts, or energy use. Like many light bulb consumers, I looked for a traditional 40, 60, 75, or 100 watt incandescent bulb. Now that stores today carry more and more energy efficient lighting choices, I wanted to replace my old incandescents with new bulbs to save energy and money on my electricity bill. But in shopping for the right bulb, I came across a challenge in looking for bulbs based on watts. Since these newer bulbs use less energy, I found bulbs that use 8, 15, or 26 watts. The wattages are pretty close to each other, but the brightness levels of each of these bulbs can vary a lot! Sound confusing? No worries. Read on, because there is a light at the end of this tunnel (pun intended)…

So, all I wanted to do was to find a light bright enough for my bathroom so I don't get cut shaving in the morning. I realized that the best way to shop for light was to look for the brightness, or lumens, of the bulb, instead of the watts. Lumens tell you how bright a bulb is, and are listed on the bulb packaging. More lumens mean brighter light. When replacing a 60-watt traditional bulb, you should look for a new bulb that gives you about 800 lumens.

The Energy Department has some informative resources to educate consumers on lumens. For example, check out our lumens placard and tip card. Or listen to some of our radio public service announcements. We have recently launched a billboard campaign effort to raise awareness of lumens in Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; Phoenix, Arizona; Miami, Florida; Denver, Colorado; St. Louis, Missouri; Detroit, Michigan; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin—so be sure to look out for it if you're driving by those cities.

So, the next time you find yourself looking to replace your traditional incandescent with an energy efficient bulb, choose your next light bulb for the brightness you want and look for lumens—the new way to shop for light.
As for me? After looking for lumens instead of watts, I found an LED bulb for my bathroom that was about 800 lumens. The light quality was great for the bathroom, the color was warm white, and my electricity bill has gone down a lot compared to using the traditional incandescent.

John Chu is a Senior Communications Specialist at the U.S. Department of Energy.

New Lighting Facts Label

From the Energy Savers blog of the U.S. Department of Energy:

New Lighting Facts Label: Takes the Guess Work Out of Shopping for Light Bulbs

January 25, 2012

If you're like me, it sometimes feels overwhelming standing at the store and staring at a big wall of light bulbs, trying to understand all the lighting choices. With new lighting standards taking effect this year, now's a great time switch to energy-saving incandescent, CFL, and LED light bulbs, which are available in most hardware and home improvement retailers. They all are more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs, and upgrading 15 of the inefficient incandescent light bulbs in your home could save you about $50 per year.
I've learned that when I'm shopping for light bulbs, it's most important to compare lumens to be sure I'm getting the amount of light, or level of brightness, I want. More lumens means it's a brighter light; fewer lumens means it's a dimmer light.

The brightness, or lumen levels, of the lights in your home may vary widely, so here's a rule of thumb:

• To replace a 100-watt (W) incandescent bulb, look for a bulb that gives you about 1600 lumens. If you want something dimmer, go for less lumens; if you prefer brighter light, look for more lumens.
• Replace a 75 W bulb with an energy-saving bulb that gives you about 1100 lumens.
• Replace a 60 W bulb with an energy-saving bulb that gives you about 800 lumens.
• Replace a 40 W bulb with an energy-saving bulb that gives you about 450 lumens.

To help people like you and me better understand the switch from watts to lumens, the Federal Trade Commission will require a new product label for light bulbs in the coming months. It will help people buy the light bulbs that are right for them.

Example of a Lighting Facts label.

The Lighting Facts label will help consumers understand what they are really purchasing. The label clearly provides the lumens—or brightness—of the bulb, the estimated operating cost for the year, and the color of the light (from warm/yellowish, to white to cool/blue).

Download our placard Lumens: the new way to shop for light to see how to use the Lighting Facts label to buy the right light bulb for your needs.
For more information:

• View the Energy 101: Lighting Choices video
• Learn about the new lighting standards and how they affect you
• Find out how to shop for energy-efficient lighting
• Get answers to frequently asked questions.

Chris Stewart is a senior communicator at DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which assists EERE in providing technical content for many of its websites.