Week 35 - HOLIDAY LIGHTS

Thanksgiving is over for another year and it’s time to turn our focus to the next holiday, Christmas. Many people bought their Christmas tree and began decorating their homes on the weekend. What is the first thing we do to our trees and our homes? We untangle the lights and get them strung. This year we should consider something new: LED lights. LED stands for light-emitting diode and its technology that uses very little energy. In fact, LEDs will likely become the norm in our homes; they are the next step beyond CFLs.

So what makes them so special, why are they better for the environment and why should we use them? The following explains all you need to know.

The Good News

1. LED string lighting uses approximately 90% less energy than standard incandescent string lights. The EPA says Americans will consume about 2,220 giga watt hours (GWh) of electricity with incandescent Christmas lights in 30 days during the holiday season. If everyone in the country switched to LEDs, it would save about 2,000 giga watt hours of energy. That’s amazing!
2. The product has a long life-cycle. LED string lighting will last for 50,000 hours or more. Obviously, replacing lights less often reduces waste.
3. Price wise, LEDs cost about five times as much as incandescent lights upfront. But remember, their life span is 50,000 hours, instead of 1,000-2,000 hours for incandescents. That means if you lit the LEDs for 45 days each year, 24 hours a day, it would take 46 years for them to dim. The LEDs would pay for themselves in about 4 years.
4. LED string lighting produces very little heat and remains cool to the touch even after hours of operation. In comparison, incandescent lights give off as much as 90% of their energy as heat. So it follows LEDs are safer to use next to combustible materials like say, Christmas trees.
5. HolidayLEDs.com has a Christmas light recycling program. Visit their website for details.

The Bad News

We will be seeing labels on Christmas lights which states they contain lead. Don’t panic, they always have, they just didn‘t have to label them. The wire covering of the lights are unfortunately made of PVC and the lead “acts as a heat resistant insulator and color stabilizer for the wiring“. The U.S. government has determined that they are safe when properly used. Even so, keep the following in mind to ensure everyone’s safety:

1. Do not allow children to handle the lights.
2. Always wash hands thoroughly after handling the lights.
3. Make sure curious toddlers (who want to put everything in their mouths) are kept away from the lights and any other items that may contain lead.

Regardless of the type of lights you choose here are two more things to keep in mind:

1. You can maximize holiday lighting savings by using a timer. Leaving lights on 24 hours a day will quadruple your energy costs--and create four times the pollution.
2. Remember untended incandescent lights can cause fires, so always unplug your interior holiday lights before going to bed or leaving the house.
   

It’s comforting to know we don’t have to “Grinch” Christmas to be kind to the environment. We just have to know what our choices are and when we’re ready, make the best one. I won’t be getting rid of my incandescent lights this year, but when it’s time to replace them, I will definitely go with the LEDs!