Starry Night Lights is proud to announce its participation in the US Government’s Energy Star Lighting program. Given our focus on preserving the environment in general, and the night sky in particular, it only makes sense for us to participate in this program. Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy designed to help us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Results are already adding up. Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2006 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 25 million cars — all while saving $14 billion on their utility bills.

Energy conservation related to outdoor lighting makes incredible sense. Lighting consumes roughly 25% of all the electricity produced in the US. If we can make major strides in conserving energy while lighting, this can add up incredibly fast. On top of energy saving light bulbs and light fixtures, home and business owners are encouraged to strongly consider installing motion sensors on all their exterior lights. Motion sensors can ensure that your outdoor lights are off the vast majority of the time and yet turn them on the instant they are needed. In many cases, homeowners can reduce their outdoor lighting bill by close to 99%. This is a huge savings that adds up day after day and year after year. Given that motion sensors start around $60, you can pay for their purchase with just a few months of reduced utility bills. After that, the savings continue year after year after year.