Layers Of Lighting Provide Best Effects

Q. I’m planning to build a new home. I’d like to light our house for energy efficiency without sacrificing aesthetics. Can you help me out?

A. You’re in luck. With recent developments in the lighting industry, it’s now possible to create beautiful lighting schemes using very energy-efficient lighting sources. Follow these principles as you design your lighting:

Think of your lighting as a layering process. The first layer to apply is the accent lighting. Take a look at the blueprints of your floor plan and look for walls you’ll put artwork on, or areas with decorative plants or sculptures. The purpose of accent lighting is to direct attention to these areas, to create a spotlight effect.

The second layer of lighting is for the task areas in your home. These are particularly important in the kitchen and the bathroom. But how you will use your home in the future? Will you have a home office, a workshop, an area for homework and games? Once you’ve determined your task, provide light where the task occurs. You’ll achieve the best efficiency by placing low-wattage light sources close to where the light is needed. In the kitchen, install under-cabinet lights to illuminate task work. Relying on ceilingmounted fixtures will only be frustrating because you’ll be working in your own shadow.

The third layer of lighting to apply is ambient lighting. Ambient lighting should provide a comfortable level of brightness for safety and visual comfort without overwhelming the accent and task lighting in the space. Lighting room surfaces, especially the ceilings and the walls is a comfortable way to provide ambient lighting.

The best light sources for energy efficiency are fluorescent and tungsten halogen.

Fluorescent light sources have come a long way from the buzzing, flickering, blue-green toned lights you remember from the 1960s. You can find fluorescent lamps that match the color of incandescent lighting. They also come in many shapes. A typical 4-foot tube can be used in a lensed surface-mounted fixture in the kitchen or concealed behind architectural valances and cornices. New 4-foot tubes with a slightly smaller diameter (1 inch) provide better color and are more energy-efficient than standard tubes (1-1/2 inches in diameter). Use smaller fluorescent tubes under cabinets for task lighting. Consider compact fluorescent bulbs in table lamps, ceiling lights, wall sconces and porch lights. Fluorescent fixtures with electronic ballasts eliminate annoying flickering and buzzing. Fluorescent light sources are best used for ambient and task lighting functions.

Tungsten halogen light sources have the advantage of higher efficiency and longer life compared to common incandescent lights. They come in many sizes, beam spreads and wattages. There are both standard voltage (120v) and low-voltage (12v) tungsten halogen sources. Some standard voltage tungsten halogen lamps are commonly known as flood lamps, but are called PAR (parabolic aluminized reflector) lamps by the lighting industry. They are screw-in-bulbs with wattages ranging from 35 to 250 and are easily dimmed. PAR lamps are used for accent lighting, downlighting and task lighting.

Low-voltage tungsten halogen bulbs for home use are called MR16s (for multimirror reflector). You typically see these lights in very small track fixtures. They also illuminate displays in store windows, particularly jewelry stores, as their crisp white light and small size make gem stones and metal work sparkle. These light sources need step-down transformers to operate at 12 volts and will cost more than line voltage systems. Wattages range from 20 to 75. These bulbs plug in with a bi-pin base and are typically used for accent lighting.

For more information on energy-efficient lighting, call the Washington State Energy Office’s Energy Hotline at (800) 962-9731 or 324-7980.

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