Do you have any energy saving or upgrades tips?

[Caleb McLean]

Check out the new blog from our friends at Home Depot: https://www.unitinginvestors.org/blogs/6/50

Ever done something like the recommend? Or perhaps a different upgrade?

[George Skidis]

Ballast Free LEDs to replace guts in a four foot florescent light fixture.

We have a commercial building that is a mix of T-8 and T-12 Florescent light fixtures. Each bulb draws 40 watts. Each ballast draws a minimum of 25 watts. A four bulb 2 ballast light fixture draws a minimum of 210 watts when operating efficiently as they age that creeps up towards 250 watts. Additionally old ballasts give off lots of heat as well. T-8 ballasts don't last as long a T-12 ballast.

We are in the process of converting our lights to ballast fee LED strips which draw 17 watts per bulb. Each LED bulb produces 1900 lumens so that two LED bulbs will replace 4 fluorescent bulbs. 

Example: Four (4 bulb & two ballast) T-12 Fluorescent light fixtures were drawing about 1000 watts when operating. They were gutted and rewired to Ballast free LEDs. Total operating draw is now 8 x 17watts or 136 watts.

The existing light fixture has a line coming into it for power. We removed the 4 bulbs, the protective metal cover and two ballasts. We then hard wired the LED strip lights into the fixture, replaced the protective metal cover and turned on the light switch.  Takes about 10 minutes per light.  The lights lock into the old supports for the T-8 or T-12 bulbs but draw no power there. They are hard wired and the old support sockets are only holding the bulbs now.

The LED strip lights cost $24.95 each and work great.

Good Luck and Good Investing

[Charles Tassell]

Switching from electric heat to Geo-thermal.

On lighting...LEDs all the way!  Especially converting old sodium bulbs in outdoor scenarios.  The lighting is so much more clean.