BRIGHT IDEA
Earth-friendly, renewable solar energy.
One of my family’s favorite summer rituals is spending evenings outside on the deck. Life doesn't get much better than a cold glass of lemonade, nature in full bloom and your loved ones. Most folks install some form of lighting outside so the party doesn't have to end when the stars come out. For eco-friendly illumination, opt for solar energy to shed some light on your favorite outdoor gathering spot.
The biggest source of renewable energy on the planet is the sun. Solar lighting is a simple way to accent your deck, porch, patio, pool, pathways or garden, while adding natural beauty, protecting the planet and leaving some extra money in your wallet.
Solar power doesn't use fossil fuels, a nonrenewable energy source. As the price of fossil fuels and other nonrenewable energy sources skyrocket, American consumers are being forced to think about other sources of energy. Our generation is starting to see some of the economic and environmental consequences of the industrial revolution, and it's up to us to take the necessary steps to ensure a sustainable future. We all have to do our part to help reduce our carbon footprint, which means being aware of the energy we use each day.
Solar lighting is beautiful and doesn’t require traditional wiring so it’s easy to install. The batteries inside the solar lights are charged by the sun during the day. Make sure you place the solar lights in an area where they will get enough sun to recharge. Almost all mainstream stores now carry solar lighting, usually in an array of different decorative shapes and sizes. You can even find solar porch umbrellas, hanging lanterns, street address lights, spotlights and garden solar lights. There are also many stores online that specialize in solar lighting. These products are more affordable than you might think, and solar lights pay for themselves in the long run by not adding to your energy bill like conventional fixtures.
Indoors, if you can't afford replacing your electric lighting with solar panels, you can start cutting costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by replacing all of your indoor bulbs with compact fluorescent lighting (CFL). Compact fluoresant lightbulbs use less energy and screw into your regular light sockets. According to Energy Star, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program, lighting accounts for 20 percent of the average home's electric bill [1]. If every American replaced just one incandescent light with CFL, in just one year it would save enough money to light 3 million homes and prevent the release of greenhouse gas emissions equal to 800,000 cars. To learn more about the benefits of CFL, log on www.energystar.gov.
Reference
1. “Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-U.S Department of Energy. http://www.energystar.gov
Other Trusted Sources:
solarenergy.com
American Solar Energy Society
Union of Concerned Scientists
