How To Make Your Recessed Lighting Energy Efficient
What Is Recessed Lighting Actually?
Recessed lighting (also called pot lights or high hats) differ from typical hanging lights due to the fact that they sit in the ceiling. Not only are they slick and stylish and standard in most new construction homes, but they can also save you a lot of money, both in upfront costs as well as long term, as they’re so energy efficient.
Tips On How to Make Your Recessed Lighting Energy Efficient
While recessed lighting is known to use more electricity than traditional lighting, there are a lot of ways to make the lighting more energy efficient.
Use a Dimmer
An excellent way to make your recessed lighting more energy efficient is to use a dimmer. People tend no to pay attention to the amount of light they actually use, or need. One stylish benefit of a dimmer switch is that it can drastically alter the look and mood of a room with just the flick of a button, but there’s a significant reason that a dimmer reduces your energy consumption.
Why a Dimmer Saves Electricity
A dimmer helps save so much energy because, when you use a dimmer, you rarely have your lighting turned up the whole way. This changes your energy consumption significantly and can really add to a room’s atmosphere, especially if you’re trying to set a mood. No one wants super bright lights when settling in for a romantic evening or trying to get cozy watching a movie.
Use Led Light Bulbs
One easy way to save money is to use LED bulbs. With LED bulbs, you can be sure that you’ll get the most energy-efficient recessed lighting possible, as LED bulbs typically last up to thirty times longer and use about 80% less energy than a typical fluorescent bulb. Still want to buy an old bulb? When you see how much money you save on your energy bill you may reconsider.
Types of Recessed Lighting to Consider
The two main types of recessed lighting are canless and canister lighting. Canless lights are shallow and don’t require holes in your existing ceiling. Canister lighting is the more traditional version of recessed lighting, where recessed fixtures are mounted above your ceiling line. A metal can is installed, which varies in size, with 4 to 6-inch cans being the most popular. You can adjust depending on your recessed lighting needs, depending on the lumens you want, and whether you want flood lighting or accent lighting.
Use Energy Star or Other Certified Lights and Fixtures
What Does Energy Star Certified Mean?
When you buy something Energy Star certified, that means it fits the criteria set out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the U.S. Department of Energy. In addition, they have standards that mean certified products that prevent energy loss and protect the environment. As far as lightbulbs go, according to the Energy Star website, in order to be rated as such, “Qualified light bulbs (CFLs) use two-thirds less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and must meet additional operating and reliability guidelines.”
How Much Money Will I Save by Switching to LED Bulbs?
You’ll save money in two ways. One is that the LED bulb takes up 80% less energy than a traditional bulb, so your energy consumption will be lower. The other way is that you won’t have to replace the bulbs as often, as they last up to thirty times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.
What Does UL Certified Mean?
UL stands for Underwriter Laboratories - an independent lab that issues security certificates for many products. This means the product has undergone safety inspection and testing procedures to meet the stringent standards set by the agency. The UL designation only applies to the U.S. In Canada, it’s C-UL, and Europe its ISO (International Standards). Either way, you can be sure of its safety when you buy a UL certified product.
Other Smart Home Features
Set & Schedule Timer
Do you hate coming home to a dark house? Instead of leaving your lights on all day, with Smart Home Recessed lights, you can set them to turn on according to your schedule so that when you come home after a day of work, your home is well-lit and welcoming.
RGB Color Changing
RGB stands for Red, Green and Blue LED, with bulbs combining these three colors to create millions of different hues of light. When you use LED Smart Home Lighting, you can also change the color scheme of your lighting. The options are limitless, and thousands of colors can be downloaded through your smart home hub, allowing you to really personalize each room.
Remote Lighting Controls
Are you going to be away for the evening but you want it to look like someone’s home? You can control the lights remotely via your smart home app with Smart Home lighting. It’s as easy as the push of a button.
Personalized Energy Efficiency Reports
If you want to be sure that you’re maximizing your energy efficiency, can you set up an energy-saving app like Homeselfe, which allows you to fill out a survey and then provides you with a plan to optimize your home. You’ll be surprised at how much energy is wasted at home by excess lighting and how effectively you can light your home while also saving money with recessed LED lighting.
For more info, please feel free to visit BAZZ Smart Home.
