I read about the Sylvania Socket Survey which was conducted in Nov. 2009 and was astonished that they reported that 74% of surveyed Americans didn't know that Congress has imposed a ban on traditional incandescent light bulbs where beginning in 2012, the 100W bulb will become obsolete.

Eco-lighting or energy saving lights are important to Americans according to the survey and more than three-quarters of those surveyed had switched to more energy efficient lighting in 2009 when compared to only 62% in 2008.

According to the survey, CFL's or Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs or CFLs are attractive to consumers although their price and mercury levels continue to concern consumers.

If you didn't know about the upcoming ban on traditional incandescent light bulbs, now you know. So begin changing your home lighting now rather than waiting till 2012.

And when you begin making the move to more efficient lighting, here are some facts to consider about CFLs:

• CFLs should be installed where air can circulate around them
• Hold CFLs by their plastic bases rather than by the glass when screwing them on to the socket
• More break-resistant CFLs are being introduced in the market to reduce the danger of releasing mercury when CFLs break
• CFLs must be recycled, not thrown in the garbage

Home Depot, Target and Kroger all sell eco-friendly lighting products. CFLs are expensive when compared to incandescent light bulbs but that's bound to change.

So get eco-efficient; install energy efficient lighting in your homes and offices. It's bound to save you more money in the long-run.

Did you know that there is actually a "World Future Energy Summit" that is being held annually now for the past two years? This year, the World Future Energy Summit was from January 18th to the 21st in Abu Dhabi.
 
Climate change and energy challenges facing our world was the topic of this year's summit in which energy experts, world leaders, and investors in this field from 100 countries met to discuss real solutions which will help us solve this energy problem we face.

The summit also had an expo component during which over 600 exhibitors had an opportunity to network with over 20,000 attendees. Now that's what I would call a good opportunity to meet the who's who in sustainable energy.

You know I hope they have the summit in New York next year as I'm dying to go to an event of this magnitude. And what better place than New York to have a summit on the topic of Sustainable Energy?

A short-term approval of approximately $21M until June 2010 has been approved by the Public Service Commission in New York. The State incentive money ran out towards the end of June and the commissioners need more time to determine how to create long-term incentives so this $20.9 Million is basically a short-term fix while a long-term strategy can be developed.

New York has a program called the "Renewable Portfolio Standard" which subsidizes renewal energy production in the state and which is funded through a fee on utility bills charged to consumers. Installers are paid directly when they work on solar energy installations such wind turbines, fuel cells and anaerobic digesters for residential and commercial customers.

The Public Service Commission's continued commitment to Solar and other renewal energy is commendable. I hope they will use their five months wisely to come up with a long-term incentive program which will really encourage consumers and businesses to take advantage of the incentives to help save the environment.

Recently I had a discussion with a potential client about mercury levels in fluorescent light bulbs and the adverse impact they have on the environment. The client was concerned about the mercury levels in Compact Fluorescent bulbs or CFL bulbs.

I told him, yes, it’s true, Compact Fluorescent bulbs or CFL bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, and I do mean “small” amounts of mercury. The mercury in the CFL bulbs would only get released in the environment if the CFL bulb breaks.
 
But data shows that CFL bulbs are very energy efficient. By switching from incandescent bulbs to CFL bulbs, you get several benefits.  Not only do CFL bulbs last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, they also use about 70% less electricity. That means you see those huge electricity bills become less taxing on your checkbook.
 
Of course like anything else that breaks, if a CFL bulb breaks, we have to be very, very careful when disposing it off. It is recommended that you use rubber gloves and place the broken pieces in a plastic bag. Also it is important to wipe the place where the bulb fell with wet paper towels. And be sure to ventilate the room or the area where the CFL broke, for a minimum of 2-3 hours.
 
And for CFL bulbs that are simply burned out but not broken, never ever throw them in the garbage. Home Depot is one store that offers recycling of CFL bulbs. If you recycle, the mercury in the CFL bulbs will not enter the environment.
 
Ironically, a power plant emits more mercury to produce the electricity needed to run an incandescent bulb than the small amount of mercury that is used in a CFL bulb which runs for the same amount of time. Besides, we know that the highest source of mercury in our air comes from burning fossil fuels such as coal.

So don’t debate the CFL bulb benefits. Trust us, we electricians know a bit about energy saving resources and helping you achieve energy efficiencies.
 
Oh and before I forget, Centrim Electric is getting ready to launch a full-fledged alternative energy division. We feel the industry is shifting to include a more diverse spectrum of green and cost efficient energy sources, and we at Centrim Electric want to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to new innovating concepts and ideas in our field. Stay tuned for an announcement coming soon…..
 

Did you catch the year 2010 light up in New York’s Times Square on New Year ’s Eve? If you did, perhaps you were as impressed by the brilliant lights that lit up the year 2010. But did you know that the power for the 2010 lights came from a completely renewable source?

Yep, that’s correct.

The year 2010 that lit up in Times Square after the ball dropped was completely lit by people who pedaled stationary bike-like power rovers created by Duracell. People pedaled these bikes to generate more than 32,000 watts of energy which was used to light up the 2010 numbers after the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve.

Wonder how soon we’ll be able to harvest energy from our own exercise equipments at home?

Happy New Year to all our customers, partners, and future customers…..