LEDs appeared to be more efficient and last 10 times longer than CFLs. LEDs were great news for green enthusiasts, but may have confused the light bulb reformation for the general public. If you’re like me, you have always wondered the difference between the two and wondered which one is really the most efficient.

To examine the CFL-LED comparison, start with the production of each bulb. Both bulbs take very little to manufacture. The light bulb’s purpose takes up 98% of its life, leaving only 2% of the light bulb’s life in manufacturing. Studies performed found that CFLs require a little more in the manufacturing process, but not enough to conclude that LEDs have a more efficient manufacturing process.

One aspect that gives LEDs a one-up is that they do not contain mercury like CFLs do. This affects the disposal process. CFLs need to be recycled with care in order to remove the mercury. LEDs are considered less hazardous when it comes to disposal and LEDs are constantly improving their manufacturing and production processes.

LEDs on average last up to 60,000 hours, compared to CFLs, which last up to 6,000 hours. When priced out, each type of bulb is about the same, so take into consideration the amount of light one receives for the price. The same is true for energy efficiency. When tested, both bulbs use about the same amount of energy to operate. LEDs tend to give off a bluish-white light that is very bright and directed, while CFLs are better at filling a room like a traditional light bulb and give off a yellowish-white light.

If you’re looking for an energy-efficient bulb that won’t cost you too much, CFLs are the best option for you. If money is not a concern, a LED bulb would be the best investment to make. This conclusion is based on the fact that LEDs could be considered more eco-friendly because of their disposability. The life cycle of LEDs is greener than CFLs, so they make a better choice.

The bottom line is that both CFLs and LEDs are a much better choice than using traditional bulbs that use a lot more time in manufacturing, more energy and don’t last as long as either of the greener bulbs. The next time your traditional bulb burns out, consider replacing it with either a CFL or LED.

The FEIT eco-mission

“Cleaner bulb, cleaner world” — it’s a sentiment that has fueled research and innovation for FEIT, leading to its featured product, a long-lasting compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulb. The need for it in place of every incandescent bulb is simply stated by FEIT: If every U.S. household replaced just one incandescent bulb with an energy-saving CFL, it would save more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

Since 1978, FEIT has taken steps to compete in the CFL market with bulbs you may have seen in the store, including: mini twists, ultra mini covered lamps, ICAT (Insulated Ceiling Airtight) approved recessed reflectors and weatherproof floodlights. The newest result of the company’s research led to the EcoBulb Plus, the new super-low-mercury CFLs.

FEIT’s featured product: EcoBulb Plus

The numbers speak for themselves when justifying the effort spent into creating yet another CFL bulb. Using approximately 75% less energy and displaying 13 times the life when compared to standard incandescent bulbs, they certainly shed light on traditional wasteful bulbs. The brand is also making its mark as the first widely available low-mercury compact fluorescent light bulb in the U.S. The bulbs cost no more than their other products. EcoBulb Plus 13 Watt Light Bulbs cost $2 apiece, available at drugstores, including Walgreens.

They also stack up well against other CFLs in the lack of toxic products necessary for bulbs, including: mercury, lead, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and polybrominated biphenyls. They also have lower levels than the strict European RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) and NEMA’s (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) standards allow.

Where to recycle FEIT

Recycling starts from the packaging when ordering with FEIT, especially where EcoBulb Plus is concerned. Each item is packaged using recycled material, despite the price hike in doing so, and the company openly encourages curbside recycling of all products. The bulbs themselves are also recyclable at some locations. To find out if there is one near you, search the recycling location section of 1-800-RECYCLING.com.

What color are your walls?

When I moved into my new apartment, the first thing I noticed was that everything was white — white walls, white window shades, white doors, white floors. After a few weeks of all the white, I thought, “I’ll paint the dining room red!” but I soon realized I would need to use more lights. Ah, yes. Once I began to appreciate the white walls for their ability to reflect natural sunlight, I realized that they weren’t drab at all — they were actually brightening the rooms daily, alleviating the need to use artificial light during the day. If you’re choosing paint colors for your home, stay on the lighter side. Light colors like white and pale yellow reflect light, while darker colors like red and brown absorb light.

Love your windows

Some houses have more windows than others, and some windows are not so private. But consider rearranging your furniture so that you use the bright light streaming in through your windows. Put your favorite reading chair near a window. Open your curtains and blinds during the day and your home will immediately be more light filled and cheerful. Cleaning your windows often can also help bring in more light. Smudges and dirt do cause less light to come into your home, so grab your homemade cleaner and get to work.

Decorate

Using mirrors for decorating is a simple way to add more natural light to your home. Just like white walls, mirrors reflect light instead of absorb it, bouncing around more natural light to the darker corners of your rooms. As far as curtains go, the sheerer the better. Light colors and sheer fabrics will let in more light than heavy, dark curtains. The same is true with furniture and rugs. A beige couch will keep the room brighter than a dark brown couch, as a light-colored rug will reflect more natural light as well. Light-colored wood is better for cabinets and flooring than dark wood for light reflection. Keep all these things in mind when decorating, especially if natural light is important to you.

Renovate

If you own your home, adding a skylight or more windows can be an alternative to using electricity for daytime lighting. Although this is a more expensive venture than painting your walls white or adding mirrors to your living room, this renovation will ensure long-lasting changes to the way your family uses electricity for lighting. If you are looking for a new home, there are specific home plans for maximizing natural light. Tell your Realtor to look for homes with this benefit or start searching on your own.

Traditional incandescent

Just a few years ago, your standard everyday light bulb was a traditional incandescent bulb. The bulbs were cheap, and you could easily get four name-brand 60-watt bulbs for $1. I always had a nice supply of bulbs in my linen closet because they never seemed to last for more than a year and inevitably one of the many bulbs in our house would go out every month.

When I actually took the time to look at the life of a traditional incandescent bulb during a recent trip to the store, I was surprised to see that the life span is rated at 1,000 hours. If you use the light bulb for five hours a day, seven days a week you can expect to replace the bulb in about 200 days.

LED lights are still pricey, but can last more than a decade.

CFLs

When CFLs first began showing up on the shelves of the nation’s major retailers, there wasn’t a big rush by consumers to upgrade to this new light, and part of the reason was price. If you saw a $1 box of light bulbs next to a $10 box of light bulbs, the decision seemed pretty easy, right? I distinctly remember seeing TV commercials that stated I’d recoup my cost within a few months if I just made the switch. That commercial had a big impact on my decision to switch.

CFL lights are rated a bit differently than traditional incandescents, and according to General Electric, a comparable CFL is rated between 13 and 15 watts. The life expectancy of a 13-watt CFL is 8,000 hours. This works out to about 1,600 days at the five hours per day usage rate, or more than four years. With a CFL bulb, you are using 13 watts of energy to produce 60 watts of life, yet you receive eight times the life out of the bulb. You can definitely recoup your costs during the bulb’s life span.

LEDs

Although CFLs are the go-to light bulb for today’s consumers, others are already eying the next best thing. Right now, it appears that light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are waiting in the shadow to overtake CFLs as the light source of choice for eco-conscious consumers.

LEDs are going to face the same problem that CFLs did when they first hit the market. An 8-watt LED bulb is similar to a 40-watt incandescent bulb. Although you can expect a more than 25,000-hour life expectancy out of an 8-watt LED bulb, you’re going to pay a premium for the more energy-efficient bulb. Sylvania sells an 8-watt LED light bulb with a 25,000-hour life expectancy online for $40 — for just one bulb. If you use the light for five hours per day, seven days per week, you can expect 5,000 days of use out of the bulb — that’s more than 13 years. During that 13-year time period, you can safely assume that a new lighting technology with a longer life span is going to come to market. One is already waiting on LED’s heels: the ESL.

Electron-stimulated luminescence (ESL)

I’ve seen ESL bulbs mentioned from time to time, but I’ve never actually taken the time to learn more about them. Evidently, the product is designed to compete against CFLs and LEDs, and while it isn’t going to give you 100,000 hours of lighting, the bulb is going to more closely mimic the lighting quality of incandescent bulbs without the heat or short life spans.

The bulbs will have a life span that is similar to that of a CFL, but they also go one better than a CFL because ESL lights don’t have mercury.

Recycling light bulbs

Obviously, the fewer light bulbs that you use, the less waste you will create. While recycling an incandescent light bulb may not require a special HAZMAT license, you will recycle several of these bulbs in a given year. CFLs reduce the amount of bulbs that you dispose of, but they contain mercury and thus must be handled only by trained individuals at specified facilities.

LEDs last longer and don’t contain mercury, so when you need to recycle one every 13 years or so you won’t have to go to a specific facility equipped to handle a known toxin.

If you’re a CFL user and aren’t ready to make the switch to LED lights just yet, make sure you take the time to research the safest way to handle and recycle your CFL bulb. Thankfully, you’re in the right place, as 1-800-RECYCLING.com has a bevy of resources at your disposal.

Planting a tree is just one way to offset your carbon footprint.

Energy efficiency is a hot topic right now. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has provided billions in funding for green job training programs that focus on energy-efficiency retrofits, there are a plethora of federal tax credits and incentives available for both businesses and consumers that complete energy-efficiency upgrades and utility companies are even getting on the incentives bandwagon. At no other point in recent history has making energy-efficient upgrades to your home been as easy to pay for as it is now.

However, unless you have a big chunk of change to commit to a project, you’re still going to rely on external energy sources. Sure, Larry Hagman has a large enough solar array to not only power his own mega ranch in Texas, but also a small town, but not everyone has Larry Hagman’s bank roll. So, those of us that are unable to reach net-zero energy use should also look at the benefits of carbon offsetting.

Carbon offsetting can be a very technical topic — think federal cap and trade mandates. The quick explanation: As a consumer, you purchase a carbon credit that offsets the amount of energy you use. For example, you would like to offset the amount of energy you use in a year. Once you have figured out how much carbon emissions you have contributed to the environment through your annual energy use, you can go to a carbon-offsetting firm and purchase carbon credits that completely offset your energy usage. This firm could then plant a tree to help negate the carbon emissions your energy use has added to the environment. Not all carbon-offsetting programs plant trees, but this is just one example of how it may be done.

As mentioned previously, carbon offsetting is extremely detailed in nature. On the other hand, energy efficiency is pretty straightforward. You install more energy-efficient windows, a new solar hot water heater or a higher-rated HVAC system, and you use less energy. The less energy you use, the less reliance you have on fossil fuels. The less reliable we are on fossil fuels, as a nation, the better.

In short, energy-efficiency upgrades are a better choice both short term and long term. If you reduce your family’s carbon footprint through permanent changes, such as those realized through more efficient products, you won’t need to worry about offsetting as much of your energy use. The more we can reduce our individual energy use, the better.

In 2007, IBM announced plans to build an $86-million green data center that would add 80,000 square feet to its data center, according to The Environmental Leader. The initiative started as a result of consumers demanding a green center and from signing a huge financial agreement with a large account.

IBM has invented new green methods that are being put to use in its new green data center. Some of the highlights of the project are installing computing systems that make the energy usage more efficient and cooling systems that require less electricity to operate. Instead of the computer system running continually, the new system monitors the needs of data center and organizes the power supply for those computers that need the most energy and allows the others to run idle or sleep mode. Some cooling systems simply take the cold air from outside and pump it into the building. The construction of the building is designed to be as efficient as possible, reducing IBM’s overall carbon footprint by purchasing green energy, using sunlight for heating and the outside air for cooling.

Instead of building new data centers, IBM has taken some of its pre-existing centers and completely renovated them, saving 95% of the original structures. Twenty percent of the materials used to renovate the green data centers are from recycled resources such as old scrap metal, reusable wood and other recycled construction materials, reducing the carbon footprint by as much as 50%, according to The Register.

In even greater efforts, IBM is committed to using green electricity to power its green data centers, such as wind and solar energy. IBM is moving in the right direction and setting the standard for the rest of the digital world by using less electricity, using recycled materials and preserving the earth’s natural resources.

According to a study covered by The New York Times in 2008, “Giving people the means to closely monitor and adjust their electricity use lowers their monthly bills.” This study, conducted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory of the Energy Department, recorded data over the course of a year from digital thermostats attached to water heaters and clothes dryers in 112 homes. Homeowners could access the controls via the Internet.

After a year, it was concluded that, “Over a 20-year period, this could save $70 billion on spending for power plants and infrastructure, and avoid the need to build the equivalent of 30 large coal-fired plants.” With such promising factors in mind a means to monitor your energy consumption is surely taking hold. If you are interested in reducing your bills and helping the planet by keeping an eye on energy usage, there are plenty of ways to cut back.

Invensys Controls, a global technologies company that combines cutting-edge technology and industry knowledge in order to maximize efficiency and optimize processes, supplied the monitors attached to the test subjects’ appliances. Invensys’ website promotes energy-efficient thermostats like those made by Robertshaw. But, for those of you really looking to get down to the nitty gritty, or perhaps those who crave even more knowledge, websites such as energyguide.com offer tools that help any and every homeowner or renter learn exactly how much energy they use and what to do to be more efficient and lower their bills.

From this website a curiously green-thinking person can analyze their own energy usage, shop for the most energy-efficient products or even find a contractor for a heating and cooling upgrade. In fact, the Energy Guide website even offers easy-to-use surveys that help analyze your energy usage differently for your refrigerator, washer, dryer, thermostat, lighting, water heater or even a total heating or cooling system upgrade.

So, the next time you feel totally comfortable without knowing your energy usage, remember, ignorance isn’t bliss; knowledge is power. And, the next time you want to save 10-15% on your home energy bills, be sure to look into finding a better way to monitor your usage. After all, little behavioral changes are the best way to make a big impact.

Want to further your energy reduction? Unplug your electronics when not in use.

Photo courtesy of ESPN

Let me repeat: NASCAR plans to go green! Well, sort of.

The plans at Pocono call for a system comprised of a whopping 40,000 photovoltaic panels to be installed on what used to be a parking lot across the street from the track. The raceway’s president, Brandon Igdalsky, ensures that “the solar farm is expected to generate 3 megawatts once it is completed in spring 2010” and “the project is expected to cost $15 million to $17 million but [will] more than pay for itself over time.”

Whereas the typical NASCAR fan might not be too keen on going green, Igdalsky favors this solar panel system for its economic benefits. When energy bills of up to $500,000 annually threatened Pocono’s pocketbook, Igdalsky and others came to the same conclusion that eco-advocates have been arguing for years: Sustainable energy is smarter and cheaper in the long run.

For the time being, we can ignore the fact that NASCAR estimates put the average fuel consumption of a single season in the realm of 288,000 gallons, and instead appreciate that earth-conscious energy plans are being implemented in some unusual places. We can turn a blind eye to the fact that roughly 300,000 fans drive (usually from long distances) to witness races 40 times a year in order to appreciate this one track’s push for green energy.

Don’t get me wrong, having a NASCAR venue adopt a sustainable practice in any way is a victory for supporters of green thinking, but let’s put this in perspective. When the amount of fuel consumed just by the racecars in one NASCAR season could allow an average car that gets 30 miles per gallon to drive 12,000 miles a year for 600 years, it seems silly to welcome NASCAR into the green movement so readily.

That being said, the contact info for the Pocono Raceway is a great place to check out if you like this decision. Some positive reinforcement might just encourage NASCAR to adopt more eco-friendly practices. Who knows, maybe Pocono’s plans can be the catalyst to dramatic green changes to this sport down the road.

Old jeans can keep you warm this winter.

Staying warm and cozy at home during the winter doesn’t start with cranking up the heat. Instead, take a look at what’s inside your walls to make sure you have the right insulation to keep your home properly heated and in tip-top energy-saving condition.

Drafty old homes require constant heat and jack up heating bills because of inadequate insulation, but an upgrade can make a huge difference. One solution is to use a more earth-friendly option such as recycled denim. UltraTouch by Bonded Logic Inc. is one brand of denim insulation, containing 85% post-industrial recycled natural fibers. The denim used in UltraTouch insulation is sourced from scraps from the manufacture of blue denim jeans and leaves nothing wasted.

UltraTouch’s denim insulation can be used for interior and exterior walls as well as ceilings. It is effectively used for sound absorption, meets the highest standards for fire and smoke ratings and also resists microbial growth. It does not contain any harmful chemicals, irritants or formaldehyde, and therefore has no VOC or off-gassing concerns. It also doesn’t itch like traditional insulation does, nor does it require any dust masks when installing.

Bonded Logic Inc. boasts a zero-waste manufacturing process — it shreds any edge trim that does not pass quality control and returns it to the raw material supply, keeping 200 tons away from landfills each month. UltraTouch is LEED certified in optimizing energy performance; air quality performance; low-emission materials; and using recycled content, local materials and rapidly renewable cotton. The product also qualifies homeowners to earn eight different tax credits for energy efficiency.

The pellet stove heats your home while saving you money.

I don’t know about you, but my electric and gas bills have both increased in the last year. Although I live in Florida, I’m interested in finding the most eco-friendly options for heating my home. To my surprise, there are some great options that are perfect for people living in the dead of winter in Wisconsin or the crisp winters of Texas.

In my unofficial research, I found the most affordable way to heat your home and support sustainability is a pellet stove. Pellet stoves are very much like wood burning stoves, but they use small pellets made from wood that would otherwise be thrown away (like sawdust). Pellet stoves are more energy efficient and they are able to heat your home with less fuel. The best part: They emit a minimal level of pollutants (much less than the power plant making your electricity). The average-sized home can stay warm with one pellet stove, and they cost between $1,200 and $2,500, depending on the size.

Another eco-friendly way to heat your home is with the sun. This type of solar energy, called space heating, doesn’t convert the sun’s rays into electricity; instead it uses the heat from the sun to heat the air in your home. These systems can heat up to 80% of a home, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Obviously, this system doesn’t produce any pollution, making it a very attractive option. It is 100% clean energy. These systems are pricier, costing about $20,000 for a 2,000-square-foot home.

There are affordable ways to cut the dependence on your local energy source and begin making a difference in your home. Most eco-friendly heating systems have a hefty upfront cost, but they can be much cheaper in the long run. Heating your home can be earth friendly, just like the rest of your lifestyle.

Bikram Choudhury, who CBS describes as an Indian yogi with an all-American approach, has been turning up the heat in “hot” yoga studios everywhere. Coincidentally, and appropriately for this case, the CBS article, titled, “Hot Yoga Burns Bright,” spends most of its time talking about the health benefits of the set of 26 postures and two breathing exercises in intense heat. But, the 105º heat, which “loosens the body and allows the muscles and tendons to go farther and stretch even more,” is nothing to brag about from an environmentally sustainable standpoint. To turn up the heat that much makes not only for an expensive utility bill, but also for an environment begging for other resources just to make it to and from each workout, according to TinyChoices.com.

In a sarcastic, candidly written firsthand account, a first-time Bikram yoga student writes about practicing during a heat wave. Complaining that not only was the disposal of several bottles of Vitamin Water imminent, but the heat alone also caused concern for how much energy was being used to keep people this hot and, and later to cool them off.

“First observation: It’s freakin’ HOT in that studio… And in order to heat the studio to the required 105 degree F temperature, you can bet our (mostly) coal-fired power plants are working overtime,” the author recalls.

In the spirit of fostering the yoga spirit of taking care of one’s environment, a Bikram yoga studio in Fort Worth, TX, made it a point to announce on its main Web page that it has installed energy-saving equipment, reducing its energy output, and subsequently its bill.

“Yoga teaches us to conserve our energy in our body and the results expand outward,” the statement reads. “With the use of this device, we have cut our electricity bill by 33%.”

Still, some students remain skeptical of anything about Bikram yoga’s heated rooms being sustainable.

“Once I realized how resource-intensive this practice is, I got kind of confused, and sad,” the Bikram yoga experimenter from TinyChoices.com continued. “In order to practice Bikram yoga, you need a highly heated room, a towel to absorb the dripping sweat, a washing machine (for your clothes, towel and mat) and a shower immediately afterwards + another towel.”

Despite a laundry list of cons against the use of such extreme output of heat, the heat is said to cleanse the body in a way that makes up for the extra energy that it uses. According to YogaWiz.com, the benefits of a heated room help to achieve a deeper stretch and those extra toxins are sweated out. YogaWiz goes so far as to claim that the whole experience can become a (healthy) habit.

“As a matter of fact,” YogaWiz noted, “the benefits of the heated room become addictive and you come to embrace them!”

So, what is the bottom line of acceptability for this energy-soaking type of yoga? While it may be a sustainable stretch, it seems that — as with many other formerly energy-zapping appliances and systems — improvements are starting to be made. So, don’t sweat it.

As a renter, I had no say in the appliances that went into my apartment. I can’t really complain — all the appliances they chose are very nice. But, I have a feeling they aren’t as energy efficient as they could be, and that may be costing me money.

Let’s take a look at three major appliances in my home — appliances that most of you have in your homes as well — to see how much money I would be saving if my landlord had chosen items with the Energy Star label.

1. Refrigerator: The Energy Star refrigerator calculator says I’m spending nearly $100 per year to power my refrigerator — ouch! If I had an Energy Star fridge, that figure would be closer to $80 per year.
2. Dishwasher: According to the Energy Star website, Energy Star dishwashers use about 30% less energy than standard models. I’ll estimate the annual cost of powering my dishwasher at $50 (I use it sparingly, so I figure it must cost me about half what my fridge does). So, that means I could be spending closer to $35 if I had an Energy Star dishwasher.
3. Washing machine: Again, the Energy Star website says its washing machines can cut energy use by more than a third, compared to regular machines. I have a small model, but it gets a lot of use, so I’ll estimate its annual electric cost at $75. That means I could be spending closer to $50 if my landlord had gone the Energy Star route.

The bottom line: $20 + $15 + $25 = $60 I could be saving on electricity each year if I had those three Energy Star appliances in my apartment. Hey, that ain’t nothin’! And, of course, Energy Star appliances also use less water and are better for the environment overall. So, when I own my own place one of these days, Energy Star appliances are definitely something I would consider.