Here at our hotel in Ogunquit we take pride in our commitment to Eco Tourism.  With over 2,300 light bulbs on property, keeping on top of the innovative technologies being developed in the lighting industry is hard to avoid.

Most people believe the light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879, and although his creation led to a practical and commercialized product that could reach homes throughout America, the first electric light was actually created in 1802.  Over the last two centuries the electric light has come a long way from incandescent and halogen to fluorescent and LED there’s a lot of history and a lot to choose from.

So how do you choose the best light for your life?  At our hotel in Ogunquit, Maine we search for three features that are important to us and our guests:

#1 Comfort – the color (or Kelvin level) of a light bulb inspires a particular mood.  For our guest rooms, spa suites and certain common areas we want our guests to feel relaxed and soothed so we choose a Soft White light bulb.  Other areas such as in the bathrooms, fitness center and library we prefer Cool White or Daylight to offer a more energetic feel and the greatest contrast among colors (perfect for applying makeup)

#2 Efficiency – 40 and 60 Watt incandescent bulbs are no their way out, they can’t even be manufactured in the US anymore as they don’t meet the standards in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.  CFL’s typically use about 75 percent less energy than the incandescent; however as with fluorescent lamps they contain a small about of mercury, we prefer to stay away from toxic elements.  At our hotel in Ogunquit LEDs have proven to be the best option, although LEDs are generally more expensive the prices have really come down and they only use a fraction of the electricity.  A recent study by affinity lighting has shown that the use of LED lights will reduce our kWh usage by over 35,000 annually.

#3 Impact – Going along with efficiency, lower energy consumption has a big impact on the environment.  Plus a longer product lifetime with LED’s, lasting up to 25 times longer than the traditional bulbs, eliminates a lot of waste when you consider 2,500 bulbs are brightening this hotel in Ogunquit!  Lastly not having to worry about toxic mercury, whether it’s an employee or guest coming in contact with a broken bulb or ensuring proper disposal when they need to be replaced non toxic is always our first choice.