The Dow Dominion

Formerly "Moving Towards Self-Reliance, Part I: High Efficiency Lighting" I've been slowly working towards my goal of being self-reliant in food, water, energy and finances.  Today, I want to discuss how to become more energy-efficient as part of the larger goal of becoming self-reliant.  More specifically, I want to talk about high efficiency lighting. Do Light Bulbs Really Use That Much Energy? Yes. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, artificial lighting accounts for at least 10% of the typical American's total energy usage in their homes .  Various other sources claim even larger figures, with some experts citing that lighting can make up as high 30% of the annual electricity usage. It's hard to imagine that a simple light bulb would use that much of total energy a house expends throughout the year.  Indeed, even the most inefficient light bulbs don't use that much power compared to other appliances, like refrigerato