Since Edison's world-changing invention of the light bulb in the late 1880s, many people have come to take electric lights for granted. Unfortunately, many of the lighting systems in homes, industries, and public buildings today use old, inefficient components that waste electrical energy. There is a tremendous potential for improving function and comfort while reducing the energy consumption and the cost of present lighting systems. Wasting electrical energy also wastes precious fuels and needlessly increases pollution.

Many lighting systems do not meet people's needs.

• Often, the quantity or amount of light is not right; there may be too much or too little light for the intended activities.
• Sometimes, the quality or kind of light causes problems; the colors of objects may seem distorted, or reflections and glare may cause difficulty seeing a computer screen at a work station.

A volunteer national organization called Lamplighters has been created to encourage application of modern lighting technology and design throughout society. Through a nationwide network of local teams, Lamplighters offers free advice on cost-effective ways to reduce the amount of energy used for electric lights, while assuring high performance of lighting systems. Upon request, Lamplighters provides advice on projects ranging from private homes to large facilities like schools. Lamplighters teams sometimes help to design lighting systems for new construction and at other times assist with planning for modernization or retrofitting of lighting systems for existing structures.
Your Active Physics class will form Lamplighters teams to suggest ways to improve existing lighting systems in a particular room or building.