CEC Energy Newsletter November/December 2007 Holiday Lights: LED and Fiber Optics Source: Energy Ideas Clearinghouse Decorating with "holiday lights" is becoming more of a year-round activity. As more lighting is used and as energy rates climb, consumers find that decorating with lights is costing more. Most people currently use standard incandescent C7 lights or mini-lights. There are better ways! LED lights and fiber optic trees are two energy-efficient technologies that can reduce your energy costs, particularly when the lights are used for long periods of time, such as in commercial applications. LED Lights Light Emitting Diode (LED) holiday lights are a new application for a mature technology. Each year since 2002, manufacturers have improved the choices, producing bigger and brighter bulbs and new color options. LED lights have a number of benefits over conventional lighting: · Energy-efficient - 0.08 watts per LED C7 multicolor bulb (compared with 0.48 watts for an incandescent mini-light and 6.0 watts for a standard incandescent C7 bulb). · Long life span - up to 100,000 hours or more used indoors, half that outdoors, and some manufacturers provide a limited lifetime warranty. · Safety - no chance of combustion since the bulbs are cool to the touch, regardless of how long they are left on. · Sturdy bulbs - the epoxy lenses are virtually indestructible. LED lights are currently available in strings from 25 to 150 bulbs with red, green, blue, white, yellow and multi-colored bulbs. There are many styles available including mini-ice, ball-shaped, and C3, C5, C6, C7 and C9 (candle-shaped) bulbs (see photos on page 2). Amber or orange Halloween lights and patriotic red, white and blue sets are also available. Costs may vary substantially by color because, rather than painted bulbs, the color is produced by the chemical make-up of the bulb. Pink, purple, ice white and warm white may cost more. New products include icicle-style lamps, strings that change from one color to another, strings with commercial-quality plugs that allow more than 100 strings to be connected, rope lights, and additional holiday ornaments. At least one company is offering screw-in LED bulbs for converting your incandescent strings to LED. LED lights have a different appearance from the familiar incandescent models. They may appear to shimmer with movement as the light passes through the faceted bulbs. Side-by-side with an equal-sized incandescent bulb, the LED will not be as bright in all directions, but some small, smooth "rice" type lamps appear nearly as bright. In spite of the differences, LED lights offer beautiful and affordable holiday decorating. If you are ordering a quantity, be sure to get your orders in early. Some vendors suggest that commercial orders be placed in February.