LED节能灯 环保又经济

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So according to the Environmental Protection Agency, swapping your old incandescent bulbs for the latest eco-friendly technology can reduce energy use by 50 to 75%. And with Congress getting close to passing an energy bill to phase out that 125-year-old incandescent, it might be time to get, well, enlightened on the latest energy-saving options.

There are so many different kinds of light bulbs. You have light emitting diodes - LEDs, CFLs - compact fluorescent light bulbs, halogens. It’s really confusing. What should I be buying?

You can either buy a very inefficient bulb very inexpensively, your grandma’s bulb, the incandescent bulb. Or you can spend more money up front and pay far less in the other use for they last a lot longer for either compact fluorescent or you can find one in LED bulb. Right now compact fluorescents cost a fair amount of money to buy, but that money is more than paid off in the lifetime of the bulb. But in the compact fluorescent are some things which you don’t want to get into the environment. So you got to recycle those.

It’s Important to know that CFLs do contain about five milligrams of mercury. That’s a tiny amount. It’s about the same as a pen prick. But mercury is a toxic chemical, so you want to take caution especially should your CFL break or burn out. The Environmental Protection Agency has a comprehensive guide to proper CFL disposal. And another new option you might want to consider are LED or light emitting diode bulbs. Now these bulbs are harder to find and they’re significantly more expensive, about 30 to 40 dollars each. But they also last a lifetime. They are also mercury-free, so you don’t have to worry about toxicity should they break. And whatever bulbs you choose, be sure to consider additional steps to limit your electricity usage. For example, dimmable lights which its motion sensors are great way to curb energy use. So for more information on efficient lighting applications and other ways to save energy, check out the cnn Money.COM/REALESTATE.

Glossary

1.        Environmental Protection Agency             美国环境保护局（EPA）

2.        incandescent bulbs                         白炽灯泡

3.        eco-friendly                                adj.对生态环境友好的，不妨害生态环境的

4.        phase out                                  v.使逐步淘汰, 逐渐停止

5.        light bulbs                                  灯泡

6.        light emitting diodes                         发光二极管（LED）

7.        compact fluorescent light bulbs               节能荧光灯（CFL）

8.        halogens                                   卤素灯

9.        inexpensive                                adj.便宜的, 不贵重的

10.   up front                                   adv.在前面, 预先

11.   a fair amount of                            相当数量的 不少

12.   pen prick                                  钢笔的划痕

13.   dimmable light                             可调光灯

14.   motion sensor                              运动传感器