Get a Greener Holiday with LED Christmas Lights

One way of making your Christmas season greener is by using LED Christmas lights instead of conventional Christmas lights. Most stores that stock their shelves with Christmas shelves carry LED Christmas lights, too. Yep, it’s beginning to look like a green Christmas for everyone. LED Christmas lights, which last ten times longer than the traditional variety, also consume less energy. They use 75% less energy. Imagine saving on your energy bill during this holiday season when you use this type of lighting. As with traditional string lights, the LED variety are available in several shapes and sizes — including the popular “globe” and “mini” types. They can be found in the form of nets and icicles. Whatever color you’re looking for, you should be able to find it. Compared to conventional Christmas lights, the LED type are safer to use. You can connect numerous strings together without worrying about overheating them. However, you should still read the manual or box to learn how many strands you can connect safely to one another. If you want to be really energy conscious, choose LED Christmas lights that are solar powered. These lights are more energy friendly because they harness the energy of the sun. Some models are designed to light up at night. A 50-light string can cost you under $20 at Amazon. You can, therefore, save both money and energy if you buy strings of LED lights of this type. One thing that turns some people off from LED Christmas lights is their initial cost. And, of course, there’s no denying that LED light strands cost more than conventional incandescents. That said, more efficient and greener lighting solutions pay for themselves in the long run despite the higher initial investment. If you can’t spend money on LED Christmas lights and still have working incandescent lights, you can buy Christmas light timers for your existing lights. Timers like these are designed to regulate the amount of energy your lights use. In addition, these timers can give your house the appearance of someone being home when you’re away visiting friends and family during the holiday season because they turn on and off automatically, thereby helping to protect your home. You should observe safety protocols regardless of whether you use LED or incandescent Christmas lights. For example, avoid pulling the cord when you unplug the lights so you don’t tear at the wiring inside. You should also check to see if there is any damage or are any non-working bulbs before storing light strings. Don’t use lights that have loose connections, broken sockets, or bare wires. Store Christmas Lights, and any electrical decorations, in a dry place where they can’t be damaged by water. Keep them out of children’s reach during storage, to ensure the wires are not damaged. Christmas — a time of religious celebration, family and giving — can also be a time during which we take into the future of our planet as we take steps to make our carbon footpring smaller. We know that every little bit counts, but it’s also true that all of our steps combined can stretch for miles. About the author: Megan Barlow helps others learn how to live greener and more environmentally friendly lives. Find out more about green living at her blog on Green Design and Building . Source: LED Christmas Lights for a Greener Holiday . Read more on Get a Greener Holiday with LED Christmas Lights… Energy Tags: wind power , energy Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Post on Google Buzz Add this to Mister Wong Share this on Mixx Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Tweet This!

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Get a Greener Holiday with LED Christmas Lights

Greener Holidays with LED Christmas Lights

Using LED Christmas lights in place of conventional Christmas lights can make your holiday season greener. They are easy to find as most stores sell LED Christmas lights if they sell Christmas lights at all. This year’s Christmas really can be greener than those that have preceded it! LED Christmas lights last ten times longer and consume less energy than the traditional lights. They use 75% less energy. This means you can enjoy electrical savings when you use LED lights this holiday season. Just like the traditional string lights, LED Christmas lights are available in a variety of sizes and shapes like “mini” and “globe.” Additionally, icicle and net forms are both available on the market. Thanks to so many options being on the market, you should be able to find the style and color you want. Additionally, LED lights are safer to use than conventional Christmas lights. For instance, you can safely connect several strings without worrying about overheating being a problem. However, you should still read the manual or box to learn how many strands you can connect safely to one another. If you want to go even greener with your holiday decorations, select solar powered LED Christmas lights. These lights are more energy friendly because they harness the energy of the sun. Some models are designed to light up at night. A 50-light string can cost you under $20 at Amazon. As such, you’ll save both money and energy by purchasing these LED light strands. People are sometimes turned off by the initial cost of LED Christmas lights. LED light strings are more expensive than the traditional incandescent bulbs. However, the higher initial cost is easily offset by greener and more efficient lighting solutions. If you don’t want to purchase LED Christmas lights because you still have working incandescent strands, you can get Christmas light timers to use with your existing lights. These timers regulate the amount of energy your lights use. Additionally, these timers can help burglar-proof your house because they turn off and on automatically, thereby giving the impression that someone is at home even if you’re out of town visiting friends and family. Regardless of whether you use incandescent or LED Christmas lights, you should observe safety protocols. When you unplug the lights, don’t pull on the cord. This can tear at the wiring inside. Check also for non-working bulbs or damage before you pack up and store light strands. Don’t use lights that have loose connections, broken sockets, or bare wires. Store Christmas Lights, and any electrical decorations, in a dry place where they can’t be damaged by water. Keep them out of children’s reach during storage, to ensure the wires are not damaged. We can make our future — and our planet — greener as we celebrate our family and religious beliefs during this celebratory holiday season. Lots of little steps can go a long way, so don’t forget that every little bit counts. About the author: Megan Barlow helps others learn to live more environmentally friendly lives. Learn more about sustainable living at her blog on Environmentally Friendly and Green Gadgets . Source: Use LED Christmas Lights for a Greener Holiday . Read more on Greener Holidays with LED Christmas Lights… Energy Tags: solar energy , energy we need a new energy source wind energy to solar energy

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Greener Holidays with LED Christmas Lights

Revolutionary Tiny Solar Cells

Tiny, glitter-sized solar cells have been developed by the Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories. It might turn out to be the perfect alternative energy preference for the holiday season. This project is funded by the American government. The dimensions of the snowflake sized crystalline-silicon photovoltaic cells are merely 14-20 micrometers thick and Posted in: Future Energy , PhotoVoltaics , Solar Power

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Revolutionary Tiny Solar Cells