Recessed Lighting Solutions for the Energy Efficient Home

As with any product for the home, some types of lighting are more energy efficient than others. This also holds for recessed light fixtures. Efficient ones can use 80 percent less electricity than inefficient ones for the same amount of light output.

What makes recessed light fixtures unique is they penetrate the ceiling of the room. This is not an issue when installed in the first-floor ceiling of a two-story house. However, if they are installed in the second story ceiling or the first floor ceiling of a one-story house, a hole is created from the conditioned living area to the open attic area.

There are newer designs of energy efficient recessed light fixtures that meet Energy Star qualification standards. All of these fixtures use either and LED or fluorescent light source instead of inefficient incandescent bulbs.

Just this fact alone can reduce the electricity consumption by 75 %. The inside surface of the new fixtures is also more reflective than older inefficient ones.

For use in ceilings where indoor air leakage is a possibility, select a newer airtight design which has a sealed canister. The sealed airtight recessed fixture canister forms a seal between the ceiling and the fixture. These are most often used in ceilings beneath an unconditioned attic, but they are also effective for unheated basement ceilings to minimize drafts between floors.

When installing recessed light fixtures yourself, first determine your lighting goal. Downlighting can be used to light an entire room. In a normal-height ceiling, a four-foot spacing of the recessed lights provides even lighting at floor level. Typical six-inch-diameter fluorescent fixed vertical fixtures would work well.

For task lighting, a single, fixed vertical fixture directly over the work area is very effective. A trim with an adjustable gimble socket or an elbow trim  can be used to accent a painting or some other wall hanging.

Juno leads the industry in quality track and recessed lighting. Here is a link to a selection of their most popular products.

For the best selection of Recessed Lighting visit Norburn Lighting in Burnaby