Occupancy Sensor Switches

I recently installed occupancy sensors in my pantry, workshop, bathroom closet, and upstairs bathroom.  I don't normally leave a room with the lights on, but it has been a pleasant change to have the lights turn on and off automatically.  Who knew such a quick and easy upgrade would be so exciting?  Occupancy sensor switches can be install where the current light switch is in about ten minutes.  Please be sure to work safely around electricity and call an electrician where required by law.

If you or your children have a habit of leaving the lights on, you can save a lot of energy by installing these simple switches.  Closets, bathrooms, laundry rooms, garages and children's rooms are great places to install occupancy sensors.  Sensor are available in many price points and options.  Most include adjustable settings for length of time the light is on.  Others include dimmers and on/off override switches.  There is a great selection of switches from $15 - $50.  Dimming an incandescent bulb by just 10 percent can save up to 20 percent on energy and greatly increase the life of the bulb.

Home Energy Savings

LED Lamp Review - PAR20

At Forrest Glover Design, we have become increasingly interested in the use of LED retrofit lamps.  They use a fraction of the energy of incandescent lamp, use current fixtures, and often better light quality.  Since we also love using original artwork in our designs, there is the added bonus that LEDs are UV free and will not fade the art.

Buying LEDs has put me in a more cautious mood when buying the lamps however.  PAR20 LEDs cost around $25 compared to $5-10 for their Halogen counterparts.  They also last around 20 years so you want lamps that you are happy with.  We have tried four different lamps in a dark hallway of our studio with vivid pieces of art. 


Good

Philips - R20 LED

The Philips R20 is everyone's least favorite.  It is very dim and has an unexpected blue tint for its 3000k color rating.  The lamp is also quite long and sticks out of the standard fixture for PAR20 lamps.

 Better

GE - PAR20 LED

We tried the GE PAR20 in two different color temperatures.  The 2700k has a warmer light than the 3000k which is bright white.  Of the two, most liked the 2700k light better.  That said, the light has as pink tint to it rather than yellow that is associated with incandescent lamps.  It very pleasant and was my favorite until we tried the Philips PAR20 LED.

NOTE:  Most people do not like the color of 4100k lamps.  If you are not lighting offices for increased worker productivity, stay away from them.

Best

Philips - PAR20 Led

There are a few reasons, this lamp is our favorite.  The main being its shape.  We were all very excited about the GEs but there are a lot of fixtures that they do not fit in.  The Philips PAR20 is so close to the shape of the halogen it is replacing, that is even fits into wire clip fixtures that used to be so popular with track lighting.  The color is also a beautiful yellow with a nice halo around the lighted surface.  Compared to MR16s, that are often used to light artwork, the LED PARs have such a smooth transition from light to dark that I think many people will prefer them.

Purchase LED replacements as your incandescent lamps burn out, and you will be making any easy start to greater energy efficiency and lower bills.  In our area of Northern California, the payback for switching to a LED PAR20 lamp is about one year when used 4 hours a day.  Over the lifetime of the lamp, you will save around $400 in lower energy usage and lamp replacement.  That's even if the price of energy does not increase within the next 20 years.