It doesn’t matter if you live in a home with a modern kitchen that has all the fancy upgrades, or one that just has a single overhead light in the center of the room. If you’re not using the latest generation of energy-efficient bulbs, it’s time for a lighting upgrade.

“Kitchen lighting has made great strides in the past couple of years, not just from a design standpoint but with regard to energy efficiency. So upgrades are definitely worth looking into,” according to Joe Rey-Barreau, education consultant for the American Lighting Association and an associate professor at the University of Kentucky’s School of Interior Design.

“Lighting manufacturers are spending a considerable amount of time and dedicating a lot of resources to developing fixtures capable of using more energy-efficient light sources than the standard incandescent,” he said. “And it’s no coincidence that this trend is growing in popularity at a time when energy costs are on the rise.”

As recently as two years ago, the only fixtures available for the kitchen that used the most energy-efficient light sources were fluorescents and Light Emitting Diodes. But these were not aesthetically pleasing. In today’s market, however, decorative energy-efficient fixtures are available in every product category, whether you’re looking for something traditional, modern or artsy.

“We know consumers want to capitalize on the fact that compact fluorescent bulbs are approximately three to four times more efficient than incandescent bulbs, and Light Emitting Diodes can be three to 10 times more efficient, so we’ve dedicated a lot of resources to developing new fixtures that utilize the technology,” said Scott Roos, vice president of product design for Juno Lighting Group.

“We’ll be introducing an Light Emitting Diode under-cabinet unit this fall that requires just eight watts of energy to provide the same illumination as an 80-watt halogen light source. Our new down light will be 40 percent more energy efficient than a compact fluorescent and 75 percent more energy efficient than an incandescent,” Roos said.

Hubbardton Forge, another lighting manufacturer, has concentrated its efforts on developing decorative fixtures that take compact fluorescents. “We have offerings in every category for decorative fixtures that really enhance what you get out of a compact fluorescent,” said company president George Chandler.

No matter which of the new technologies you choose to go with, when shopping for energy-efficient fixtures, Rey-Berreau said it’s important to look for the Energy Star label. In order to qualify for one, the product must meet specific performance criteria for energy-efficient performance set by the U.S. Department of Energy.

In the future, Rey-Barreau expects the lighting industry to work hard at getting more products on the shelves that use the most energy-efficient technology developed to date – the Light Emitting Diodes. “Right now (they) are still kind of expensive, but once they become more readily available, cost will come down significantly,” he said.

For more information about kitchen lighting, or to find a local American Lighting Association showroom, go online to www.americanlightingassoc.com.