The Lights of Life

“No one lights a lamp in order to hide it behind the door; the purpose of light is to create more light, to open people's eyes, to reveal the marvels around.” ― Paulo Coelho

A metaphor to the victory of ‘good’ over evil, the power of lights is undeniable. From the light of the sun to mark the beginning of a new day, to our inner radiance which guides us; lights are an integral part of our existence. Celebrating the spirit of liberation, here’s a peek into some of the popular festivals across the world where lights carry significance.

St. Lucia’s Day –

Sweden, Italy, Croatia, Scandinavia, and France celebrate St. Lucia’s Day on December 13 every year. Marking the beginning of Christmas, this festival begins before dawn wherein the eldest daughter in each household leads her siblings into songs. They hold candles and sing about the light and joys of Christmas. Their songs are meant to awaken their parents and the entire family who then has breakfast together. It is a way of welcoming the season of Christmas with lights and warmth.

Lunar New Year –

Different cultures have different interpretations of how to celebrate a festival of Lights. The Lunar New Year or the Chinese New Year is another festival of lights. Every year, at the first new moon in Aquarius, people living in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and China celebrate their new year with fireworks, lanterns and gifts.

Hanukkah –

Popularized over the decades and most recently in the reruns of the popular sitcom ‘Friends’, the Jewish festival of Hanukkah goes on for eight days. Candles are lit every day and children receive new gifts on each of these eight days. The lighting of candles also symbolises knowledge and wisdom.

Christmas –

Christmas is one of the most famous festivals celebrated all over the world. Lights, star shaped lanterns, gifts, Santa Claus, candles – it is a festival of joy. Different countries celebrate Christmas differently though.

In Egypt, it is celebrated on January 6 and 7. Churches there are decorated with special lamps and people indulge in prayers, feasts and happiness.

In Philippines, 'parols' or star lanterns are displayed from nine days before Christmas. People decorate their homes with varying sizes of parols.

In China, people put up paper lanterns in their homes. They also decorate Christmas trees with paper chains, flowers and lanterns.

In Mexico, families go around from house to house with candles looking for a room in an inn. They start this tradition nine days prior to the day of Christmas in an attempt to replicate or enact Joseph and Mary’s search in Jerusalem. The procession is called Posada.

In Australia, houses are decorated in advance. Greeting cards are sent out, carols are sung and candles are lit.

Undoubtedly, the American Christmas has become the most popular. Lights, candles, carols, fireworks and feasts – Christmas in America is incomplete without all these things.

New Year – Brazil

Brazilians celebrate December 31 in their own special way. On the eve of the New Year, people in Rio de Janeiro go to the beach at midnight to offer their prayers to Lemanja, the African goddess of water. Hundreds of candles are lit on the sand and white flowers are offered to the sea as a gift to the goddess.

Kwanzaa, in the United States, is a week-long celebration to honour African harvest traditions. It is observed from December 26 to January 1 every year. Seven candles are lit each night for all seven days of the festival. The candles represent the seven principles of Kwanzaa which are unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Diwali –

Last but not the least; we have our very own festival of lights, Diwali or Deepavali is one of the most popular and the most awaited festivals in India. Diwali marks the home coming of ‘Lord Ram’ after his 14 year exile and is a symbol of hope and all that is good. This festival brings people together as it dispels darkness around. Deepavali actually means row of lamps in Sanskrit and the sight of tiny clay lamps or diyas lined up in all homes and shops is a picturesque sight. These diyas are illuminated throughout the night as part of Hindu tradition. Although now fast being replaced by colourful electric bulbs, the sheer brightness only adds fervour to the festive season.

Festival times may differ. Continents may be far. It is this visual language of light that binds us as one. 

Conserve Electricity - Energy Saving Light Bulbs

Electricity costs for lighting in the typical home can reach 12% or more in terms of your annual energy costs. So if you would like to know how to save electricity, you can conserve just by focusing on lighting. Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent lamps (CFL’s) are the right energy saving light bulbs to save money on electricity bills and conserve electricity in the home.

To put this into perspective, that percentage is about the same that the average home uses for cooling and electronic appliances. We seem to spend more and more time reminding people in the house to turn off the lights when they are not in the room, etc.

Essentially they combine the energy efficiency of fluorescent lighting into energy saving light bulbs that can fit into incandescent fixtures. Energy star qualified CFL’s use approximately 75% less electricity that standard incandescent bulbs. These low energy light bulbs have a lifespan that is up to 10 times longer than standard bulbs. Therefore when you install energy efficient light bulb in your home, the resulting energy savings (electricity) is compounded over a longer period of time.

Where is energy saving CFL’s appropriate?

They are most energy efficient when used in locations requiring lighting for extended periods of time. So the first place to for installing them would be in the living room, bedrooms, kitchen, etc. You may not want to install them in a location where lights are only turned on for a few minutes (closet). You can do so; however the payback on efficiency (electricity savings) will be slower in comparison to other areas. If you are not sure, ENERGY STAR recommends using qualified CFL’s in lighting fixtures that are typically used at least 15 minutes at a time.

It is important to mention that CFL’s are sensitive to temperature ranges (specified normally on packaging) in which they work more optimal. Most common CFL’s are for indoor usage. There are models applicable for outdoor usage; in this case it is suggested to enclose them in fixtures in order to minimize the effect of the temperature sensitivity. This is not a must although you just need to check if they are weatherproof and can resists cold outside temperatures.

To conclude, introducing energy saving light bulbs in your home will allow you to conserve electricity and save money on electricity bills. Think about this the next time you need to replace a bulb, start conserving electricity and then reduce your energy costs!

Article Courtesy: Electricity Conservation

The Olden days of Electricity – See The Light

Electricity is known as the crusade or flow of electrically powered instruments. In the most common form used daily, it is generated by other energy sources (primary) therefore it is considered a secondary energy source. Today electricity signifies one of the most widely used forms of energy. Understanding its history helps us to recognize the importance of electricity conservation. 

When was electricity created?

The invention of electricity as we know it today dates back to a series of improvements or discoveries mainly back into the 1800’s. There were several key interpretations starting with static electricity as of 600 BC. From there multiple innovations took place which ultimately led to the creation and distribution of electricity that we have all become adapted to.

History of Electricity – Timeline Leading to Multiple Discoveries and Key Innovations

• Around 600 BC a Greek named Thales discovered static electricity, notion that objects can become electrically charged.
• In 1660 a machine was invented by Otto von Guericke that demonstrated static electricity.
• During 1745-46, Georg Von Kleist developed the first electric capacitor, which stored electricity.
• In 1752, Ben Franklin proved that static electricity and lightning were one of the same. This experiment is known as key tied to a kite string during a thunderstorm.
• In 1800, Alessandro Volta invented the first electric battery. His name was used in creation of the notion of voltage (volt).
• In 1821, the principle of electro-magnetic rotation was discovered by which later is essential for developing the electric motor.
• In 1826, the relationship between power, voltage, current and resistance was defined by Georg Ohm which is now known as Ohms Law.
• In 1831, Michael Faraday led experiments which proved that electricity can be induced by changes in an electromagnetic field. These experiments about how (electricity) current led to understanding of electrical transformers and motors.
• In 1837, the electric motor was invented by Thomas Davenport which is now common in many electrical appliances.
• In 1878-79, the Edison Electric Light Co. was founded by Thomas Edison, which after purchasing several patents, began experiments which led to the creation of a long lasting incandescent light bulb which originally lasted for about 40 hours. As of 1880, they were lasting for about 1200 hours.
• In 1879, the California Electric Light Company was founded which is known as the first company providing and selling electricity to households in San Francisco.
• In 1882, the Pearl Street Power Station in New York City was opened by Thomas Edison, which could power about 5,000 lights using direct current (DC). During the same period, the first hydroelectric station was opened in Wisconsin.
• In 1884, an electric alternator for producing alternating current (AC) was invented by Nikola Tesla. During the same period a steam turbine generator was invented by Sir Charles Algernon Parsons.
• In 1893, an alternating current (AC) system to light the Chicago World's Fair was put into place by The Westinghouse Electric Company.
• During 1895-1896, The Niagara Falls hydro-power station opened in the US.
• In 1935, the Roosevelt Administration passed the “New Deal" legislation designed to regulate public utilities and bring electricity to rural America.

 

Sources: US Department of Energy & Electricity Conservation Blog

Energy Conservation – Test your awareness

These days, saving energy is everybody’s business.  See the light blog provides one and all a chance to share thoughts about how to save energy and help the atmosphere.  When it comes to energy saving – each one of us has a different idea & perception on conservation. So we decided to plan up a short electricity conservation quiz.

 

Test your energy efficiency knowledge by taking our quiz:

1) Which uses the most energy in homes each year?

a. Refrigerator

b. Heating and cooling

c. Water heater

d. Light bulbs

2) What temperature should your refrigerator be at to ensure safety and efficient operations?

a. 37°F

b. 52°F

c. -32°F

d. 10°F

3) A Compact Fluorescent Light bulb uses ___% less energy than a typical incandescent bulb.

a. 25%

b. 50%

c. 75%

d. 95%

4) An electrically heated house has to be better insulated than a home heated with oil or gas. True or False

5) How long does it take for a 100-watt light bulb to consumer 100 watts of energy?

a. 1 minute

b. 1 hour

c. 24 hours

6) The cost of heating water for you home may amount to as much as what percent of your entire utility bill?

a. 5-10%

b. 15-20%

c. 25-30%

7) What label is a sign of energy efficient appliances and homes?

8) A cell phone charger is using electricity when it’s plugged in but not charging the phone. True or False?

9) Turn off computers when not in use. Did you know that a laptop uses __% less energy than a typical desktop?

a. 15%

b. 50%

c. 75%

d. 90%

Leave your answers as comments below. 

Answers to this quiz will be posted in our next post… Good Luck!