Solar (and efficient) Lighting
If used correctly solar day lighting can provide free, high quality lighting, and do it with less heat generation inside the house than conventional electric lighting.
Don't underestimate the value of solar lighting and efficient lighting -- using daylight coupled with efficient electric lights could save a typical home over $100 a year in electricity and more than one of CO2 emissions.
And, good solar lighted spaces are a joy to work in.
On the page:
Replacing inefficient incandescent lighting with LED or CFL lighting is a great DIY project that is easy to do and can save a lot of money and CO2 emissions. |
Solar Lighting | |
Tips For Daylighting with Windows -- The
Integrated Approach, LBNL-39945, Jennifer O'Connor |
![]() 107 pages, 1997 |
Designing with Lighting
Chris Herman |
![]() Good article on using natural daylighting in homes. Good guidance on how to get natural lighting while avoiding overheating. |
IBACOS Light Guide
The guide The site:
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![]() The "Room-by-room" and "Specifications of Fixtures" sections have some pretty helpful information on what available and how to design good lighting. |
SunCatcher -- Solar Lighting and
Ventilation
And a small version: |
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Sunshine From a Tube Dan Chiras Mother Earth News
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![]() Good overview of using tubular skylights to bring sunlight into a room. |
SunPipe
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Three![]() |
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The idea is that most homes have places that are not well lighted during the day, and these lights provide a simple, zero energy way to light the dark areas up. |
Soda Pop Bottle
Solar Light http://isanglitrongliwanag.org/ YouTube Video... |
![]() ![]() The regular polycarbonate pop bottle filled with water and a little bleach to prevent the growth of algae spreads the light around the room for more effective lighting than a simple window would provide. |
Light Shelves
www.energybooks.com/pdf/10001005.pdf
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Sun, Wind & Light, 2nd Edition
G.Z. Brown and Mark DeKay
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![]() Pretty easy reading for an architecture book. |
Garage/Workshop
Sunspace
Gary |
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Himawari Daylight Collector
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![]() Photos for many example uses provided. |
Heliostats for Lighting Indoor and
Outdoor Spaces
http://archrecord.construction.com
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Build A Simple Solar Powered Outdoor
Light, Jeffery Yago, Backwoods Magazine
www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/yago92.html
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Heliostat Lighting
Commercial Products: Some ideas for home built heliostats from Duane at RedRok.com: |
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The ultimate in Heliostat
Lighting
Mirror gives Italian Village Its Place in the Sun |
![]() They use a heliostat to reflect sun into the town square -- wow! |
Elights Link List
http://www.elights.com/elights/lightinglinks.html
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Very extensive set of lighting links. |
Efficient Lighting | |
Giving LEDs a try in our house... | ![]() There is a lot to learn in switching the LEDs, but the end result can be very good. |
An Easy/Good DIY LED Can Light Retrofit
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![]() It provides lots of warm light while using only 10.5 watts, and claims a 20 year life. The installation was easy, and offers the additional opportunity to seal and insulate the can at the same time the LED is installed. All the details on replacing can lights with LEDs... |
Efficient Lighting
EERE on Types of Lighting This is our families estimated saving in energy and GHG's for
going to CFL's: |
![]() Most utility companies offer some form of rebate program for buying CFL's -- making it even more of a no-brainer! |
Lighting Facts
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![]() The site promotes the use of a standard label that provides key facts like light output, energy efficiency, and light color. Only LED lights are covered. |
LED
Lighting -- a breakthrough for independent living and emergency
preparedness Tim Thorstenson, Backwoods Home Magazine LEDs Part one... LEDs Part two... LEDs Part three... |
![]() These articles are good for people who want to start experimenting with making LED lights from components that are readily available from good suppliers these days. |
A Shielded Low Power DIY Garden Lamp...
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A good feature of this light is that it is shielded to prevent night sky light pollution. The LED lights are housed in a reclaimed jelly jar, and the shield/reflector is a stainless steel mixing bowl.
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LED Holiday Lights
Almost all of the usual places that sell holiday lights now sell the LED lights. Prices still vary a lot. We got ours a Costco for about $10 per string. While LED lights last a long time, they can fail for various reasons -- George explains how to repair broken LED light strings... |
![]() A typical 100 light LED string uses less than 4 watts! They have an expected lifetime of 20+ years. With the LED holiday light prices dropping, the payback period can be as small as a season or two (considering both lower operating cost and longer life). |
Energy-Efficient Agricultural
Lighting, Scott Sanford, UW Extension http://learningstore.uwex.edu/pdf/A3784-14.pdf
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![]() Includes recommended lighting levels and control. Information and efficiency for quite a few lighting technologies. |
Gary Last update September 14, 2011