Energy Performance Lighting: Light bulb ban signals dynamic changes in electric lighting

Wisconsin’s Rodney Heller Charts Top 4 Steps to Help Businesses, Consumers Adjust

Madison, WI – It’s change that’s coming literally at the speed light. In fact, there will be more change in the world of electric lighting in the next few years than there was in the past 100. Halogens. CFLs. LEDs. This change has spawned public uncertainty and it affects everyone. Though Congress recently de-funded the January 1st ban on the 100-watt incandescent bulb, the federal law is still on the books. Retailers who sell the bulb will technically be violating the law. As the remaining incandescent bulbs are phased out in the very near future, some people are hoarding them.

“Lighting technology is changing dramatically and it’s much more than just grabbing a light bulb from the hardware store shelf,” said Rodney Heller, Lead Lighting Designer at Energy Performance Lighting in Madison. Heller is a nationally recognized leader in the field of energy efficient lighting and is based in the Madison area. He has also produced a new,
30-minute television special entitled, Electric Light: Dawn of a New Era. The program will air on Milwaukee Public Television on Saturday January 7, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. CST.

Featuring interviews with some of the nation’s most eminent lighting experts, the program examines the beginnings of electrical light, how it has changed and where it is headed in the years to come. The program also examines why the incandescent bulb will inevitably disappear and how the public can make informed choices in electric lighting for the future.

Heller recommends four steps that will help businesses and consumers adjust to the future of electric lighting:

1.Don’t be afraid of change

2.Realize that there are many more choices than just the compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb. For example, a halogen bulb provides instant brightness and last 6 times longer than an incandescent.

3.Select cool/blue colors for alertness and warm/yellow colors to relax

4. Don’t worry about the higher cost of LEDs. The energy they save will quickly offset that
cost and the price of LEDs will drop by the end of 2012.

“We’ve got many different bulb choices for selecting energy efficiency, wattage and light color,” said Heller. “We are only now beginning to understand how the color of light affects us physically and psychologically. Not only will you be able to save up to 75 percent on your lighting bill, you’ll be able to install lights and never have to replace them in your lifetime!”