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Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Home and business owners everywhere have been looking for ways to go green in their everyday lives by using products that have less impact on the environment. This lifestyle shift has been working its way into the holiday season for a number of years through a variety of venues. Now, those looking for a greener Christmas can incorporate LED technology in their holiday decorations. In fact, the government has mandated that, by 2012, all holiday lights sold must be LEDs.

LED lights derive their name from the fact that they use “light emitting diodes” to create light. LED Christmas lights are similar to traditional Christmas incandescent bulbs, except they don’t have a filament inside that can burn out and take the entire string of bulbs with it. Instead, they’re illuminated by the movement of electrons within a semi-conductor material, making them highly effective.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, if consumers replaced their conventional holiday lights with eco-friendly LEDs, at least 2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity could be saved each month. This energy savings could power 200,000 homes for one year! LEDs also generate little heat and produce no UV radiation, which makes them ideal for illuminating any home or commercial space.

Christmas Decor, the nation’s largest professional holiday decorating firm with 375 locations in 48 states, is spearheading the effort to spread the use of LED lights. The company is dedicated to providing the best and most effective lighting by completely converting all Christmas Decor franchises to LEDs by 2010—two years before the enforced deadline.

“Holiday lights and decorations bring warmth to our hearts and homes during the season, and with the LED lighting, we hope to do our part for more energy-efficient lighting. We’re excited to be offering them to our clients throughout the country,” says Blake Smith, CEO of Christmas Decor. Smith cautions that, due to the nationwide shift to LED lighting, availability may be limited in the first years of the transition.

Global warming and rising energy costs are forcing many businesses to cut back on their holiday displays. By incorporating LED lights, holiday lovers everywhere can enjoy the glow at a 90 percent efficiency rate over incandescent lights. In California, an average home spends close to $220 extra on lighting for the holiday season. If that same family converted to LED lights, it would spend about $30 on holiday lighting, a savings of about $190. This small change is allowing money-conscious families to continue their holiday traditions. Medium-sized to larger homes and commercial buildings are seeing even more savings with the use of LEDs.

“Our goal is to phase in LEDs and reach the point where they represent the vast majority of our holiday decorating installations,” says Smith. “As people face fuel surcharges, higher rates in their electric bills and become more environmentally conscious, LEDs really make good sense.”

Christmas Decor LED lights are made with absolutely no toxic substances. They’re 100 percent recyclable but are still durable when facing all types of weather. Most important, these energy-efficient lights consume less energy and last longer than incandescent lights.

This technology continues to undergo scientific refinement, with the goal to make available the most practical, price competitive and eco-friendly products.

Sonoma County-based Christmas Decor franchisee Raul Chairez is experiencing this demand for LED lights first hand and is gearing up for a busy season. “Many people want ornate holiday displays but are worried how much it will cost,” he says. “With LED’s 90 percent efficiency rate, I can give them the holiday cheer they envisioned. LEDs look the same as incandescent but are better for the environment and wallets. Not to mention when one burns out, the whole line keeps on glowing bright. They are the must have this season.”

Jack Bush is director of marketing for Christmas Decor, a Texas-based company that was named one of the Top Ten Home Improvement Franchises for 2008 by Entrepreneur magazine and AOL Small Business. To learn more about using LEDs for your holiday displays, visit www.christmasdecor.net or contact (800) 687-9551. Local Christmas Decor franchisee Raul Chairez can be reached at (707) 546-3642.