Switch to LED Today!
To view high resolution copy of mosaic, click here.*
With about 31% of U.S. CO2 emissions coming from generating electricity, significantly reducing the demand for electricity can directly help our environment.
According to a report by the U.S. Department of Energy: "Widespread use of LED lighting has the greatest potential impact on energy savings in the United States. By 2027, widespread use of LEDs could save about 348 TWh (compared to no LED use) of electricity: This is the equivalent annual electrical output of 44 large electric power plants (1000 megawatts each), and a total savings of more than $30 billion at today's electricity prices."
The good news is that we can easily get started on making this change now. A common misconception about LED bulbs is that you should wait until your existing bulbs burn out before replacing them. But it is better on balance for the environment to switch today, and at current prices, it only takes a matter of months for a typical LED light to pay for itself.
Surprisingly, even though LED lights are now very affordable and can help significantly in the fight against global warming, their use is still limited. While there has been a material increase in LED use in recent years, according to a recent study by the Department of Energy, LEDs still only make up about 1/3 of installed residential lighting in the U.S. (U.S. DOE Study at Table 4.2)
So Switch to LED Today! and help save the planet while saving some cash. With the pandemic dramatically increasing our use of home lighting, switching now makes more sense than ever!
* One Atmosphere is grateful to Professor Holonyak for his active support of Switch to LED Today!
