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One of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint is to choose an LED light installation for your home through the Victorian Energy Upgrades Program . Getting the right LEDs is an important part of this process – so what do the terms “cool white”, “warm light”, and “daylight” mean?  Colour Temperatures for Lightbulbs  Light colour temperature – the colour of the light that the bulb emits – is measured in units called Kelvin (K). The higher the number in Kelvin, the whiter and crisper the light, while lower numbers give a warmer, yellow glow.  To make it simpler, LED lightbulb manufacturers give their range of bulbs different names to help describe the light they emit. Their high Kelvin bulbs will be called “cool white” because this very white light has an almost blue tone to it. The low Kelvin bulbs will generally be called “warm white” because they tend to have yellow tones. And right in the middle of the two ranges will be a “daylight”, which should be fairly ...

As LED light installation specialists in Melbourne, we get plenty of questions about LED lightbulbs and eco-friendly lights for homes and businesses. Here are some of the most common questions about these lights.  1 – What Lights are Eco-Friendly?  LED lightbulbs are the most eco-friendly lights on the market. A good-quality LED not only lasts considerably longer than regular lightbulbs, but they also use far less energy to generate light and are fully recyclable, so they’re perfect for the planet and your wallet!  2 – Which is Better – LED or CFL?  Compact fluorescents, called CFLs, are more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent lights, using about 25-35% less energy. However, they are nowhere near as energy efficient as LEDs, which use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs. They also have a far longer lifespan (around 50,000 hours or more), which means you don’t have to replace them as often ad CFLs either.  3 – Do You Need an Electrician to Inst...

 LED lightbulbs are widely recognised for their very long lifespan – up to 10 times that of a regular lightbulb. During that lifetime, they use very little energy to produce a lot of light, which is why they’re the first choice for your home or office if you want to reduce your carbon footprint . But what do the average rated LED lifetime hours mentioned on the box really mean? Here is some insights from accredited LED installers under the Victorian Energy Upgrades Program .  What are Average Rated Lifetime Hours and Why Do They Matter?  When LED lightbulbs are manufactured, batches undergo tests to determine how long they last. Essentially, they are switched on and monitored until they start to dim and fail. The results of this test determine the Average Rated Lifetime Hours for those lights. For example, if 100,000 lightbulbs from that batch were tested and 70% failed after running for 1,000 hours, these lightbulbs would have Average Rated Lifetime Hours of 1,000 hours...

When you’re picking out new eco-friendly lights for your home, you’ll see the letters “CRI” on the packaging followed by a number. So, what does this mean and is it important? Here are some insights from our team who are providing eligible homeowners with an LED upgrade through the Victorian Energy Upgrades program .  Firstly, CRI stands for Colour Rendering Index. This is a scale that measures how colours look under artificial lighting in contrast to natural sunlight. The scale ranges from 0 to 100, with 0 indicating that the light changes colour significantly from what it looks like in natural sunlight, and 100 indicating that colours will be the most similar in appearance to how they look in natural sunlight.   As a result, it’s very important to consider the CRI of your eco-friendly lights before you buy them, as they can have a big impact on the atmosphere and aesthetics of your home.  What is the Best CRI for Lighting a Home?  Almost no lighting offers a...

We all know by now that LED lightbulbs are the most energy-efficient lights – but did you know which type of LEDs is the best? Our lighting specialists who are accredited through the Victorian Energy Efficiency Scheme take a look at Chip On Board (COB) and Surface Mount Diode (SMD) LEDs.  Chip On Board (COB) LEDs  These LED lightbulbs have a single mounted LED chip, which concentrates all the light’s LEDs into a single area. They can have 9 or more diodes per chip, along with a circuit and two contacts. This extra tech means it needs larger cooling capacity, usually in the form of a larger aluminium heat sink. This addition often means that the bulbs are more expensive to buy. It also means that these bulbs aren’t usually able to change colour, so they are generally used in single colour applications.  However, you generally get better quality light from a COB LED – it’s usually cleaner and crisper, making it ideal for rooms with high ceilings, art galleries, and arch...

For the majority of homeowners in Australia, living an eco-friendly life where you actively reduce your carbon footprint is a priority. Here are some tips for having a sustainable festive season, from installers of eco-friendly lights accredited under the Victorian Energy Efficiency Scheme .  Shop Local  Small local businesses have been the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that’s not the only reason you should support them! By buying locally made products rather than items that have to be shipped across the country, you’re reducing your carbon footprint too.  Get a Sustainable Christmas Tree  If you celebrate Christmas, think outside the box for your Christmas tree! Get a live native shrub that you can plant in the garden, search the beaches for a beautiful piece of driftwood, or create your own Christmas tree with brush, boughs and sticks from your garden.  Choose Eco-Friendly Wrapping Paper  Most people aren’t aware that wrapping paper isn’...

 Thinking about what New Year’s Resolutions you should set this year? Along with your goals to get fitter, eat healthier and have more fun, you can also help the planet! Here are some New Year’s Resolutions that will help you reduce your carbon footprint and reduce energy consumption , from LED light installation specialists.  1 – Try a Plant-Based Diet  Going vegan being the single biggest measure you can take to reduce your carbon footprint, reducing it by a massive 73%. This translates to a reduction of 1,560kg CO2e – the same amount of carbon that’s produces by driving a car halfway around the Earth! Of course, it also takes willpower, financial resources and access to vegan foods in order to make it happen. Start by reducing your meat protein intake or going vegetarian – even eating less meat will make a big difference.  2 – Go Car-Less  Rather than using a car, use a bicycle or even your feet to get you to work or run your errands each day. You’ll not o...

 If you’re growing your cannabis plants in a grow tent or indoor setting, then you need the best quality lighting solution – and that means LEDs . Here are just some of the benefits of these eco friendly lights , including their ability to reduce energy consumption, from LED light installation experts.  1 – Temperature Control  Unlike other lights, LEDs produce very little heat, which makes it much easier to control the temperature in your grow space. This prevents your space from overheating and overexposing your crop.  2 – Correct Light Spectrum  LEDs have the correct light spectrum for plants, maximising absorption to support plant nutrient uptake and growth. This makes them far more effective than other lightbulbs.  3 – Long Lifespan  Grow lights have to work all day, every day if you want the best results. LEDs have a much longer lifespan than other lightbulbs, typically lasting 6-10 years compared to the average 2-4 years. Generally, these eco f...

The Victorian Energy Upgrades Program is a government initiative designed to help homeowners reduce energy consumption and costs. Often, homeowners want to invest in more energy-efficient technology, but the higher cost of these appliances makes them inaccessible – this program changes that. Here’s a quick guide to what you can upgrade in your home through this program, from insulation and hot water systems to weather sealing and eco-friendly lights .  #1 Hot Water Systems   Hot water systems are essential to daily comfort and hygiene, especially in the winter months. Although they can account for a massive 16% of household energy usage – especially if you have an older system – upgrading to a high-efficiency hot water system is not an easy decision due to the cost involved. Under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program, you can get as much as $799 off your upgrade depending on the size of the upgrade, the location, certificate price, and installation costs.  #2 Air Condi...

 It’s important not to forget outdoor spaces when it comes to great home lighting, as it not only makes your space more welcoming and useful in the evening hours, but also impacts home security. Here’s a rundown of outdoor lighting basics, from energy efficient lights to security, from accredited providers of free LED upgrades under the Victorian energy efficiency scheme .  Lighting for Home Safety  It’s important to make sure your home is safely accessible during low light hours by lighting pathways, driveways, signage (like your house number) and stairs. This will make your home easier to find as well as preventing painful falls and injuries caused by missteps in the dark.   Good ideas for outdoor safety lighting include individual step lights at stair level or flexible strip lighting on stairs (this prevents people from blocking out lighting to the stairs as they navigate them), and standalone lighting at critical points like home and driveway entrances....

If you are looking to reduce your home’s carbon footprint, upgrading to sustainable lighting is probably high on your list of priorities. However, LEDs are very different to other lightbulbs on the market, so it’s easy to go wrong on this seemingly simple project. Here are some common mistakes and how to avoid them, from LED light installation specialists accredited under the Victorian energy upgrade program .  Mistake 1 – Replacing Watt for Watt  Usually, you’d replace a 20W lightbulb with another 20W lightbulb – but this doesn’t work with LEDs because they use far less watts than any other bulb. Replacing a lightbulb this way is going to light your house up like a stadium!  Instead, look at the lumen per watt measurement on each bulb before you buy. This tells you how much light the bulb outputs for the watts consumed. A 6W LED bulb can easily replace a 40W incandescent, 29W halogen or 8-9W compact fluorescent.  Mistake 2 – Not Considering Colour Rendering Index ...

Many people are currently working from home for the foreseeable future, and that means that home energy costs are going up. Here are some useful tips on how to reduce energy consumption , from installing eco friendly lights to improving natural lighting and more, from our team specialising in free LED upgrades . Smart Power Strips   Electrical devices, whether they are smartphone chargers, computers, tablets or kitchen appliances, draw electricity while plugged in – even when they are not in use. Smart power strips like those manufactured by Belkin, Samsung, iHome and others not only work in connection with smart devices like Alexa and Google home assistant, they also ensure tech devices don’t draw power when they aren’t in use.  Improve Natural Lighting   Improve your home office to take advantage of natural lighting during the day – it won’t just reduce your lighting bill, the increased sunshine will also help reduce heating needs, making it a great way to reduce energ...

The technology behind LED lightbulbs is different to any other lightbulb, and was so revolutionary that the scientists behind this invention won the Nobel prize for physics in 2014. Here’s some insight into the science and technology behind these bulbs from our lighting specialists, who are accredited under the Victorian energy upgrades program to install free LED upgrades .  LED Technology  LED (Light Emitting Diode) lightbulbs are what is commonly called solid-state lighting technology (SSL). This means that they work on a piece of solid matter called a semi-conductor. Unlike incandescent bulbs, which require a filament or fluorescent lightbulbs that need a gas, illumination in LED lightbulbs is the result of electrons moving in the semi-conductor material. As a result, they use very little electricity, don’t get hot and last as long as a standard transistor, as there is no filament to burn out.  Unlike incandescent or fluorescent lighting, LEDs do not...

Making your home more eco-friendly helps you reduce energy consumption and save money on your monthly bills while you support the planet. A good place to start is with your home’s lighting by introducing eco-friendly lights . Here’s some great advice from accredited providers offering free upgrades to LED lightbulbs in the Melbourne area. Increase Natural Light   The most eco-friendly light source we can use to light our homes is the sun! By getting the most out of natural light, you minimize the need for artificial lighting and help reduce your energy consumption.   There are several ways you can help increase natural light in your home. You can paint rooms in lighter colors and use an eggshell rather than matte paint to reflect light, you can install skylights, solar tubes or additional windows, and you can cut back large trees and shrubs in your garden that black out the sun.  Invest in Smart Home Technology   Smart home technology...