Holiday lighting is a popular tradition, but it can add to winter electricity demand. Two-thirds of Americans decorate their homes, and higher use of lights, longer heat-pump operation in cold weather, guests using kitchen appliances, and decorative inflatables all raise energy use. Scott Dunning, a professor in Virginia Tech’s Bradley electrical and computer engineering department and a certified energy manager, gives practical, money-saving advice.
Dunning’s main tip is to replace incandescent bulbs with LEDs. A strand of 100 incandescents costs about $3 up front versus $6 for 100 LED mini-lights, yet running lights six hours a night for six weeks costs about $84 for incandescents and only $10.50 for LEDs. LEDs last 16 times longer and let homeowners link many more strings — up to 42 — versus five incandescent strands, which simplifies larger displays.
- Consider solar-powered lights where there is plenty of direct sun; they do not add to the electric bill.
- Keep solar panels clean so they perform well.
- Put outdoor inflatables on timers; a 250-watt motor can use as much energy as 50 LED strands.
At home, Dunning plans to install programmable LED roofline lights so he can change colors for different holidays and leave them up for years, reducing hassle and long-term costs.
Difficult words
- incandescent — producing light by a heated filament
- heat pump — machine that heats or cools using outside airheat-pump
- inflatable — object filled with air for decorationinflatables
- strand — a string or line of connected lightsstrands
- programmable — able to be set to operate automatically
- energy manager — person who advises on saving energy
- solar-powered — powered by energy from the sun
- timer — device that turns things on and offtimers
- link — connect two or more things together
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Which of the suggested energy-saving measures would you try in your own holiday display, and why?
- How could programmable LED roofline lights reduce both hassle and long-term costs for a homeowner?
- What problems might make solar-powered lights less suitable for some homes, based on the article?
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