Saving $$$ and the Environment: Switching over to good, energy efficient lighting.

Held on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 4pm in the Program Room.

As part of the Town of Telluride’s energy-independence awareness campaign, Telluride Unplugged, the Wilkinson Public Library hosted a talk by local lighting expert, Chris Myers.

Chris is the owner-operator of Enlighten, a lighting company that consults with architects, businesses and homeowners to select the choicest lighting for their particular needs.

Chris gave a fun-filled talk about the various energy demands certain fixtures make, providing lots of visual examples, to 19 patrons.

Switching over to compact fluorescents can spare up to 75% of electrical loads, and they last ten times as long! Fluorescents received a bad wrap in the early days, when they were designed as cheaply as possible. There are many varieties currently available that have better color indexes, and don’t paint everything with that hollow white, flash intermittently, or emit that infuriating buzz.

There were plenty of questions from patrons. At least one architect attended the talk. Questions centered on technical aspects of lighting—the various acronyms employed, and the future of lighting. LED lights are not at their most cost-effective yet, Chris said, and demonstrated the available options, comparing them to established fluorescents. Chris agreed that for some things fluorescents aren’t so great—for example incandescent dimmers create a warm hue reminiscent of candle light.

Nonetheless, switching to more efficient lighting is the first step to energy conservation in the home, building, or business. It makes good economic sense. And it makes environmental sense, too.