Let there be (energy-efficient) light

Somehow, over the past few months, the federal law calling for better lighting efficiency starting in 2012 became a bad thing within a certain element of the U.S. political scene. But a new consumer survey by marketing group EcoPinion suggests that many Americans think the phaseout is a good deal.

That report, called "Lighting the Path Forward to Greater Energy Efficiency," notes that two-thirds of Americans think it is a good idea for traditional incandescent light bulbs to be switched out and replace with more energy-efficient technologies. The largest percentage of those who don't think this is a good idea came from survey respondents more than 55 years old. (The survey population included 1,000 online interviews conducted in February 2011 and selected to approximately mirror the U.S. population.)

As you might expect, the most widely adopted energy-efficient lighting format among the survey respondents was CFLs: approximately two-thirds had purchased at least some of them. But the EcoPinion research also suggests a higher awareness for light-emitting diode (LED) technology than one might expect. (My gut is that's because of the widespread use of LEDs in computer notebook displays and television screens.)

Here are some other data point highlights:

• When asked what lighting technology they would prefer, in the absence of price considerations, only 12 percent of respondents chose traditional bulbs. Younger respondents were more apt to favor LEDs.
• The top three attributes when consider lighting solutions are: quality of light, overall performance, and energy efficiency. Price ranks fourth behind those other factors.
• 41 percent of the respondents didn't know whether or not their utility company offers incentives for energy-efficient lighting.