We all know from Energy Efficiency 101 that the incandescent light bulb is swiftly becoming a thing of the past and being rapidly replaced by the more energy efficient compact fluorescent bulb (CFL).  But how did we get to this and where did this technology come from?  What might be next in line for energy efficient bulbs?  Inquiring minds want to know.

Since Tom Edison founded his Electric Company in 1878 and patented his light bulb in 1879, there have been tremendous developments in the light bulb and its efficiency!  Check this out:

By the turn of the 20^th century, Thomas Edison had merged with the Thomas-Houston Electric Company to create a little enterprise we all know as GE, who is still manufacturing and designing the best of the best in electric bulbs today.

In 1929, (nine days before the stock market fell) President Hoover held a smashing celebration for the 50^th anniversary of Edison’s light bulb.

Not long after, in 1938, fluorescent bulbs appeared on the market for the first time.  These bulbs (or lamps as their known in the industry) were tubular (and I don’t just mean “awesome, dude!”)  These bulbs were, and still are, more efficient than the traditional filament bulb (patented by Edison) and have pushed the standard incandescent almost completely out of the public eye.  But, with the good comes the bad, and the mercury used in these lamps makes them difficult to dispose of properly.  (Here comes your service announcement, are you ready?) Recycling companies exist that will dispose of these lamps for you, so please be responsible with their disposal.

Since the inception of the screw in efficient bulb in 1980, when the first available product burst onto the market, these screw- in CFLs have been well sought after as energy savers and bright ideas for saving the planet.

So what does this mean for us as consumers? It means that if there are still incandescent bulbs in our sockets, then we could have more cash in our pockets, if we switched to energy efficient CFL lamps.  Take an inventory.  How many of those domed bulbs sporting a filament are in your facility?  Switching just one traditional, incandescent bulb for an energy efficient CFL, can save the average consumer up to $30 on their energy bill for the life of the bulb, and the typical CFL lasts about 5 times longer than a traditional incandescent, which is about 5,000 hours.

Complimentary energy audits are the preferred method of evaluating the efficiency of facilities and homes throughout the U.S.  Offered by utility companies, through preferred vendors like Prism Energy Services, taking advantage of these energy audits and installations could help save up to 30% on your monthly energy bill and reduce the carbon footprint.  Now that’s a bright idea!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this 3 part series, where we’ll outline the role of LEDs and the evolution of fluorescent lamps.

Okay, we get this question all the time.  What IS a carbon footprint, and, better yet, why should I care?!  The lowdown of the situation is this:  the words “carbon footprint” are a fancy way of describing the amount of impact our day to day actions have on the environment.

Since we know you are an intelligent reader, we’ll be more precise: it’s the measurement of the impact our daily activities have on the environment surrounding the release of carbon emissions caused by burning fossil fuels.  These fossil fuels are used to create light for our offices, heat for our homes, and get us from place to place in our vehicle of choice.  The ensuing carbon emissions can cause climate change and have tremendous impact on our planet.  That is the main reason you, I, he, or she should care.

So, the question we should really be asking is: what can I do about it?!

There are many ways to reduce the carbon emissions you put out on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis.  Take public transportation to work, or walk, bike, or carpool.  Turn your thermostat down and put on a sweater during the colder months.  Shut off the lights when you don’t need them or aren’t in the room.  It all goes back to what Mom and Dad tried to teach us–responsibility and respect for energy (and we just thought they were just being frugal!)

Swapping out the lighting and heating systems in your home or office for energy efficient equivalents is a great way to reduce these harmful carbon emissions and save the environment we live in.

You can calculate your carbon footprint on many sites; we recommend www.carbonfootprint.com

Once you know what your carbon footprint is, and what you can do about it, the possibilities are endless!  Remember: change starts with us.

Prism Energy Services is so happy to finally be joining the social media revolution! We are also excited to be releasing our new website in the next few weeks!

With so many great things going on, it’s hard to know where to start, but lets begin with the our main focus: the importance of energy efficiency and being green.

First off, what IS Energy Efficiency? Energy Efficiency is often confused with energy conservation which encompasses shutting off lights when you leave the room and turning down the thermostat–Mom always used to make sure of this!  Energy Efficiency involves upgrading current systems to those that increase the productivity of each unit of energy, using fewer of these units to capture the same result as standard equipment.

So why be Energy Efficient? We’ve all heard about being “green” and Energy Efficiency is one of the best ways to help save our environment.  By switching to systems that take greater advantage of the units of energy in use, we reduce the amount of fossil fuels burned, which reduces the amount of pollution and carbon emissions in the environment.  These very same carbon emissions have been debated as one of the main causes of global warming.  Who doesn’t want to prevent that?!

Because we are so passionate about helping to save the environment, Prism will be taking part in the Earth Hour celebrations tomorrow, March 27th at 8:30-9:30pm.

During Earth Hour, Prism joins millions of Americans who will turn out their lights in support of action on climate change and toward creating a cleaner, safer and more secure future. This event attracted more than 80 million participants in the U.S. last year, and nearly a billion people around the world.  Prism is in good company! Some of the notable locations taking part in this year’s Earth Hour celebration include  St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, Sea World in Orlando,  the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Seattle’s Space Needle.

This event is expected to be the largest-ever call to action on climate change and  Prism is proud to be part of it.  Won’t you join us?

We’re just getting started!

Although there’s not much here, stay tuned for more exciting blogs to come:

• Information on how to join the green revolution
• Tips on saving energy
• Information on available programs through your utility company
• Interesting news articles unveiled
• And much more!