Giving Your Home the 'Green' Light

<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0in 0pt"><font size="3" color="#990000">Giving Your Home the ‘Green’ Light</font></h2><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt">(ARA) – From the cars we drive to the clothes we wear and even the way we decorate our homes, today’s consumers have embraced green living not as a trend, but as a long-term way of life. According to a recent survey by Information Resources Inc., a leading provider of retail market intelligence, half of all U.S. consumers consider at least one sustainability factor in selecting consumer products, and it appears green living is taking root at home.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt"><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/5c.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/5c.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div></span></p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt"><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">"Whether they’re motivated by environmental benefits or long-term cost savings, homeowner demand for green products is at an all-time high," says Jeff Dross, senior product manager at Kichler Lighting who also is a member of the Consortium for Energy Efficiency. "Increased demand means companies are coming to the table with new green solutions for the home every day, leaving consumers with a myriad of innovations from which to choose."<span>  </span></p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">In the sea of green products, one of the easiest places to start and make a real impact is with home lighting. The lighting industry has made significant strides relating to energy efficiency, so much so that today’s green lighting options aren’t limited to compact fluorescent lighting (CFLs) solutions. Light emitting diodes (LEDs)are gaining in popularity as a viable home lighting source. </p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">In the past, this energy-efficient, semi-conducting light source was used only in outdoor signage, electronic equipment displays and commercial lighting applications. In addition, the LED lighting of the past was associated with unattractive blue hues and an expensive price tag, limiting its use in the home. Recent strides, however, have created an affordable LED light source in the same bright white color range as incandescent lighting. </p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">In addition to a pleasing light source, other benefits of LED lighting include:</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">* Energy/Cost Savings. </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">LEDs not only preserve energy resources and help reduce global warming, they also save money on the electricity bill. LED lighting uses 75 percent less electricity than incandescent light sources. Think of the savings for your electricity bill overtime.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">* Longer Life.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">LED products have an average lifespan of 20 years or 40,000 hours of use. A typical incandescent bulb lasts just 750 hours. That means you would have to buy more than 50 regular light bulbs to equal the service life offered by a single LED source.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Kichler recently garnered considerable attention for its new line of LED under cabinet lighting — Kichler Design Pro LED. This new lighting solution has been applauded for its energy savings, its slim half-inch profile and its ease of installation. Thanks to its many consumer benefits, the under-cabinet system has been featured on national home improvement shows and recognized with the prestigious Lighting for Tomorrow Award, an industry honor recognizing excellence in residential energy-efficient lighting design.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/5a.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/5a.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">In addition to its LED under-cabinet lighting, Kichler also offers several LED products for the outdoors, including LED deck, step and accent lights. Though LED lighting is in the spotlight, CFL lighting continues to make important strides. Kichler, for example, offers more than 100 energy-efficient fluorescent fixtures in a variety of finishes and designs for every area of the home. </p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Making energy efficient home improvements doesn’t have to mean sweeping changes. Starting with a simple change in lighting can save time and money and help the environment at the same time. </p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">For more on Kichler’s energy efficient lighting products, visit <a href="http://www.kichler.com/">www.kichler.com</a>  or call (888) 659-8809.</p>  <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt">Courtesy of ARAcontent</span></p></span>