An outdoor living Christmas tree decorated for a Mercer Island Ecoyards client

For the past few years, we’ve been coaxing a little slip of a fir tree to grow in a pot in our backyard. We dug up the seedling when it was only about a foot long. It was essentially a weed, which had volunteered in the landscape amid annuals and perennials. We took the seedling and potted it, and over time it has grown several feet in height. In December, we take it indoors to serve as our living Christmas tree. We keep in watered while in the house (read more tips on how to care for living trees). When Christmas is over, we move the potted tree back out on our deck.

The tree isn’t much really, and could rival Charlie Brown’s; it holds about two strings of LED Christmas lights and only a few ornaments. It’s not the ideal 6-foot Noble fir tree that I sometimes secretly covet, but over the years, we’ve come to enjoy the tradition of having a living Christmas tree. We like watching it grow from year to year. It saves us a trip to the Christmas tree lot and we don’t have anything to set out curbside when the holiday season is over. More and more people are opting for living spruces and firs, and then planting the trees on their property afterward.

This season, Ecoyards is offering some new services for the holidays. We’re installing energy-efficient LED lighting on customers’ homes, shrubs and trees. Along with that, we deliver living potted Christmas trees decorated with bulbs and LED lighting.  These trees are then planted in the landscape at the end of the holiday season. Contact us if you’re interested in these services.

We frequently help our holiday lighting customers analyze the cost savings that can be achieved by using LED lights instead of traditional incandescent lighting. The calculations to determine the cost savings are not very complicated, but it is a lot easier with a good conversion calculator handy. Here’s the data you will need to perform this calculation:

1. Total number of bulbs;
2. Wattage of the individual incandescent bulbs to be replaced. (C9s are generally about 8-9 watts; C7s are generally about 6-7 watts; and mini lights are usually between .50 and 1 watt)
3. Amount of time the bulbs will be illuminated; and
4. The average cost of a kilowatt-hour of electricity in your area. ($.07 is an average rate for Seattle residents.)

Step 1: Calculate total watts

Multiple the total number of bulbs by the wattage of 1 bulb. This equals the total watts of the display.

Step 2: Enter data into conversion calculator

Enter the product of the formula in Step 1 into the “Watts” field in this calculator: http://mhi-inc.com/Converter/watt_calculator.htm. Next, enter the total amount of time the lights will be illuminated in the “Time” section of the calculator. (Note that the time can be in seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, or years.)

This calculator will calculate the total kilowatt-hours consumed by this lighting display.

Step 3: Determine cost of electricity

Multiple the total kilowatt-hours the display will consume (as determined by the calculator in Step 2) and multiply it by the average cost of a kilowatt hour of electricity in your area.

Step 4: Determine to cost to operate Christmas lights using LEDs

Repeat steps 1-3. The average LED holiday style light is between .05 and .07 watts.

Step 5: Calculate the savings

Subtract the cost of operating the LED lights from the cost of operating the incandescent lights. This is the total cost savings you can expect by switching to LEDs.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are a relatively new lighting product. Many people may own LED flashlights or other similar LED lights. However, LED lighting is quickly becoming a popular choice for holiday lighting in the Seattle area. Here are the top 10 reasons to replace your old incandescent holiday lights with LEDs:

1. Added safety – Lamps always remain cool to the touch. Because holiday lighting is often used in close proximately to combustible materials (dry evergreen trees) this feature can greatly reduce the risk of holiday fires.

2. Solid-state reliability. No longer will you have to worry about one lamp ruing your whole string.

3. Longevity – L.E.D. lamps are rated for up to 200,000 hours of use while standard incandescent lights typically last for only 2,000 hours.

4. No glass bulbs to break. LED lights are encased in an nearly indestructible epoxy casing.

5. No filaments to burn out. Unlike incandescent bulbs there is not filament to burn out so they last much longer and won’t be damage or ruined if you drop them or step on them.

6. Extreme energy efficiency, uses only 10% of the electricity required to power traditional incandescent. For a typical household this will mean a cost savings of $20.00 or more during the standard 30 day holiday season.

7. Nearly indestructible, solid epoxy lenses. High-quality LED lights can withstand the force of a tractor-trailer without breaking.

8. Rust proof, Zinc-coated lamp contacts. The lamp components will not rust when used outdoors or in moist environments.

9. Uses standard house current (120 VAC, 60 Hz). No need for an electrician or expensive power converters.

10. No transformer required. Allows for simple installation and use.

For these reasons, Ecoyards uses commercial-grade UL approved and ENERGY STAR qualified LED holiday lighting for all of our professional-lighting installations throughout the Seattle-area. Our turn-key operation provides the design, lights, and labor so the customer can enjoy an energy-efficient, safe holiday.