Saturation Point
 Even though snow in Florida is a farfetched idea, I was able to meander through a blizzard during a holiday party in Orlando. Of course the snow was fake, but the holiday music blasting from the speakers and the smell of baked cookies and hot cocoa being carried on the breeze put me in the mood for ice skating or sledding. Two things I truly miss around this time of year. Although I couldn’t slip and slide around on skates, I was able to enjoy an icy show, or at least what was supposed to look like ice.
During the winter months, Disney decorates like nothing I have witnessed and this year was no exception. The light display on Cinderella’s Castle was truly a spectacle, and breathtaking for a first timer like me. The castle is strategically covered in more than 200,000 LED lights and 500 strobes to look like ice that is melting down the castle. Although it was beautiful I kept thinking about the energy use in order for this display to remain lit and gorgeous night after night. What I found most interesting after asking around was that the cool white LED light strings and strobes use almost enough power to run two standard refrigerators! That is an energy saver that is easy on the environment and energy consumption, not to mention the pocketbook.
LED lights tend to use close to 33% less power than regular holiday lights which according to ask.com can save you around ten dollars every 300 hours of use. Also as far as durability goes, LED string lights lasted over 4000 hours, while traditional lights lasted half that amount of time. Although LED lights may not be as bright, they do run cooler which is a great safety feature. One of the main reasons consumers may tend not to purchase LED strings is because of cost. However, looking to the long run, the LED lights will save on energy consumption and are better for the environment.
Not sure how much it costs you to keep those lights illuminating your house during the holiday? By visiting christmaslightsanddecorations.com you can determine your energy usage and monthly cost by using their energy calculator. Choose the type of lights, the number of strings and how many hours a day you leave your lights on to figure out the dollar amount.
Now that I have lights on the brain, I will definitely be checking out Holiday Garden Lights at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Pinellas County because it is one of my favorite events in December. Where else can you wander beautiful gardens and get into the holiday spirit with dazzling twinkling lights? The event is free and the lights are on every night from 6-10pm through January 6th, so be sure not to miss out.
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Observer
News Publications and M&M Printing Company, Inc.
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