The ENERGY STAR Lighting Fixture Program is a voluntary labeling program from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Light fixtures that have earned the ENERGY STAR meet strict testing criteria and combine quality and attractive design with the highest levels of energy efficiency available today.

The Energy Information Administration, a statistical branch of the U.S. Department of Energy recently predicted that American energy consumption will likely increase 30 percent by 2020 and an additional 6 percent by 2025. As a result, many local, state and federal government agencies have begun to develop and implement mandatory regulations designed to greatly reduce energy consumption and foster higher levels of conservation. This includes California’s Title 24, Washington State outdoor residential code and Oregon’s new residential energy efficiency code. All of which can be met by using ENERGY STAR® qualified fixtures.

Introduced by the EPA in the fall of 2003, the ENERGY STAR® Advanced Lighting Package (ALP) provides a voluntary construction option that yields high energy savings by using ENERGY STAR® qualified lighting fixtures throughout the home. Program participants then receive a certificate and a wide array of marketing support supplied by the EPA.

In today’s housing market, home owners and prospective owners are continually looking for new ways to increase the value of their investments, staying on the cutting edge with the latest technologies and save money. ENERGY STAR® qualified lighting does all this, while helping to protect the environment.

Home owners can easily save over $65 a year by simply switching the five most frequently used lighting fixtures in their homes to ENERGY STAR® products. This is because ENERGY STAR® qualified uses 75% less energy for the same light output.

ENERGY STAR® qualified lighting fixtures use bulbs that last at least 10,000 hours compared to typical incandescent bulbs that last about 750 hours. Thus, ENERGY STAR® qualified fixtures used for an average of three hours per day will not require bulb changes for at least seven years substantially reducing the nuisance of buying, stocking and climbing ladders to change new bulbs.

Companies such as Sea Gull Lighting have worked closely with the EPA and others to advance fluorescent lighting technologies and fixture styles to make the latest ENERGY STAR® qualified fixtures virtually indistinguishable from their traditional incandescent counterparts. This is because the ENERGY STAR® mark is only awarded to products that meet strict EPA criteria for efficacy, color rendition, durability, life, and overall performance.

A winner of the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008, Sea Gull Lighting alone manufactures more than 450 ENERGY STAR qualified lighting fixtures in a wide array of styles and finishes for outside and inside the home.

ENERGY STAR® qualified lighting fixtures generate 78 percent less heat than standard incandescent lighting, which can translate into cooler rooms during summer months and additional savings on air conditioning bills.

The 10,000 hour life of the bulbs adds the convenience of not having to climb ladders and change bulbs as frequently, which is especially a benefit in active adult and senior housing. Exterior ENERGY STAR® fixtures also have a photocell that automatically turns the lights off during the daytime and automatically on at night. This provides the added convenience that the lights will be on when you come home at night, but not waste energy during the day.