September 14th, 2007

This Week’s Low Impact Products

Posted by Jason Pelletier, Low Impact Living

Not a week goes by without one of us here stumbling across a green product that really piques our interest. For some, it’s the aesthetic values – beautiful countertop made from recycled glass, for instance. For others, it might be the pure utility – a backpack that charges your cell phone!

While I love those cool countertops, and I crave the latest solar gizmo, it is the simple things that often solve two or three problems at the same time that I really get charged up about.

One that recently came across our plate is the Sink Positive system. Basically, it’s a sink that replaces the top lid of your toilet tank. Every time you flush, fresh water passes through a faucet, into the basin built into the lid, and straight into your toilet tank. So, you wash your hands with the water that will be your next flush – an incredibly simple way to reduce water use AND increase hand washing! Supposedly such systems have been used for years in Asia, but I certainly haven’t seen them here until now.

Another addresses the perceived challenges of replacing recessed lights on dimmer switches with compact fluorescents. I can’t tell you how many people have told me that the main reason they don’t use CFLs is because they can’t be used in recessed lights. Well, it’s not true. Dimmable CFLs come in reflector bulbs perfectly suited for canned lights. I have to admit, though, that many don’t dim in the nice linear fashion of incandescents – at some point they just shut off well before the dimmer is at the lowest point. Cold cathode bulbs are even better – they fully dim, are more efficient, and last longer, but they aren’t as bright at full illumination.

Now, there’s another option – LED recessed light retrofits. They snap into the opening of the can, so from the room they look built-in. Above the ceiling, they have a simple adapter that screws right into the existing socket. No rewiring necessary. They dim courtesy of an integrated dimmable power source (most LEDs don’t dim). And, they’re bright, very directional, and they look pretty cool too. They’re perfect for lighting that wall display or artwork. Most important, they use even less energy than CFLs or cold cathode bulbs, don’t have mercury, and will easily outlast your tenure in your house.

These are all more expensive than your everyday incandescent heater masquerading as a light bulb, but between the energy savings and the reduced bulb replacement costs, they all pay off in less than five years. Of course, you’ll also be reducing your carbon footprint, especially if you live in a place with dirty coal power plants (scroll to the bottom).

(side note: how do I tell what size bulb I need? The number in the description of each bulb is eigths of an inch. So, an R30 bulb is 30 x 1/8 inch = 2.75″ across. The letter is also important. R or BR in front of the number are the bulbs with the rounded face. PAR bulbs are the ones with a flatter / flush face and are often somewhat shorter. As an example, a PAR38 bulb is a flat-faced 3.75″ bulb commonly used in outdoor spotlight applications).