Do-It-Yourself

We're always encouraging people to take matters into their own hands. So much great eco-innovation
comes when people create the things they can't find elsewhere. Lighting is an especially accessible and
rewarding thing to tackle. For some inspiration, check out the Cholesterol lamp made from cast-off
plastic egg cartons, and the recycled Tube Light. Strawbale building pioneer Glen Hunter made some LED
fixtures when he couldn't find any he liked on the market. Eurolite, the company from which he bought
the lighting components, liked his designs so much they decided to sell them.

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Dimmers and motion sensors

Motion sensors can be a good way to keep lights turned off when they're not needed, and dimmers can
give you just the right amount of life, and timers can be set to turn things on and off when needed.

Get green power

A great way to green your lighting is to buy green power. More and more electric utilities are offering
customers a green power option on their bill. Signing up for green power usually means paying a few
more dollars a month to support energy in the grid that comes from renewable sources like wind, solar,
or biogas. For some more info on how to get green juice, look here, and for the greenest grids in the
States, look here. More info is also available in How to Green Your Electricity.

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Green Lighting: By The Numbers

10 percent: The percentage of global electricity saved by switching to entirely efficient lighting systems,
according to a report published by the International Energy Agency (IEA). The carbon dioxide emissions
saved by such a switch would dwarf cuts so far achieved by adopting wind and solar power.

19 percent: The percentage of global electricity generation taken for lighting-- that's more than is
produced by hydro or nuclear stations, and about the same that's produced from natural gas."

40 percent: the increase in sales in stores with good natural light. (the Heschong Mahone Group)
25-33 percent: The percentage of total requirements to receive a LEED Silver rating, that builders can
achieve through the use of daylighting in their design.

2.5 million: The number of homes that could be lit from the energy saved if every American replacing
one light bulb with an Energy Star rated one; this action would also prevent emissions of greenhouse
gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars."

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Green Lighting: Getting Techie

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are a big deal and we're seeing them pop up in more and more places. Read
more about what they are and how they work on Wikipedia's excellent page.

A heliodon heliodon is a device that allows architects, builders, and engineers to simulate the effects of
sunlight on the lighting needs of building designs.

Color temperature is measured in kelvins, and brightness is measured in lumens and footcandles, and
the effect of light on colored surfaces in measured in the Color Rendering Index.

Daylighting, the practice of designing for maximum use of daytime sunlight, is being used to do better
business, make people happier, and save energy and dollars everywhere from hockey rinks, to Wal-
Mart, to office buildings. The presence of daylighting often shows increased worker satisfaction and
productivity in offices, better test scores in schools, increased sales in retail settings, and, of course,
lower energy bills.

Optimization theory is the idea that taking advantage of the daylight cycle to plan your day around the
planet's great source of free, full-spectrum light is good for the brain and body, and will mean less
burning of the midnight oil. It's not just for energy savings and bringing more natural light in your life,
but that's