 Residential & Multi-Family
Priorities for the lighting of residential spaces are very personal. Some people like to have very low lighting and always turn the lights off when they are not in the room. Some prefer bright spaces - day and night. And most like to be able to change the lighting in their space whenever they like - not that this is unique to resedential lighting. Many designers prefer to keep the light sources nearly invisible, except for very special rooms where lighting is a special design element. Many spaces benefit visually from lighting that is built into coves, valences, and beams - adding evening drama to the architectural space. Energy efficiency may be important to the homeowner - and there are many different ways that this can be achieved. Here are a few hints:  |
- Lighting must be designed with an understanding of the maximum amount of light needed, and provide dimming or switching to reduce light levels to what is more commonly required.
- Dimming not only allows us to select the amount of light needed, it helps extend the life of incandescent lamps.
- When providing a significant number of lighting circuits in a larger
home, I strongly recommend use of lighting contril systems that minimize
the need to operate many individual switches. This can save on energy
costs by keeping lights out when rooms are not being used. It also
enhances security by allowing all lights to be operated from a bedroom,
or even from a remote location. Other appliances can also be controlled
by this same system.
- Decide where to use hard-wired efficient lighting based on hours of use, need for higher light levels, and the need for dimming. While dimming fluorescent lighting is now easily done, there is a cost premium.
- For table and floor lamps, as well as popular indirect hanging pendants, screw based compact fluorescent lamps are an excellent “green” solution. These products have come a long way since their introduction over 13 years ago. They now come in many shapes and sizes, and with electronic ballasts that do not flicker as some of the earlier products might have done. The color quality of the light has also improved so that in many cases, one would not know it is a compact fluorescent lamp. Some are also dimmable.
- Exterior lighting for the home functions for both security and aesthetics. Compact fluorescent lamps work well when lights are to be left on for many hours, and a warm light color is desired.
- When exterior lighting is placed on a motion sensor, I still recommend halogen or incandescent lamps. This is simply because the frequent on/off cycles will cause premature failure with most compact fluorescent lamps. In any case, these lights are not on for sufficient hours per day to warrant a more energy efficient source.