Partnering with schools and community groups statewide, we replaced more than 300,000 incandescent bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent lights (CFLs).
Opting for energy efficient light bulbs is an easy first step toward Hawaii's 100% clean energy future. Beginning in 2010, Blue Planet helped create powerful change in local communities with the Better Bulb Blitz, a community action program to exchange inefficient light bulbs with energy-saving ones in homes and businesses across the state. In total, Blue Planet Foundation replaced more than 300,000 incandescent bulbs with high efficiency compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), while helping more than 100 schools and community groups raise money for their own causes. The program yielded $40 million in savings over the lifetime of the bulbs, displacing 190,000 barrels of oil and preventing 200 million pounds of carbon pollution.
To make the Better Bulb Blitz a reality, we partnered with school groups and community organizations. We helped them raise money for their clubs and programs while spreading awareness about Hawaii’s unsustainable dependence on fossil fuel. By going out into the community and exchanging incandescent bulbs for energy-saving CFLs supplied by Blue Planet, these clean energy advocates shared the benefits of energy efficiency and its role in Hawaii’s transition to 100% clean energy with their communities.
CFLs and LEDs are more efficient than old-style bulbs and need less electricity to produce the same amount of light. Incandescent bulbs require four times (4x) the energy that CFL bulbs consume. Blue Planet Foundation provided participating groups with 1,000 CFL bulbs at a time, along with pamphlets about energy efficiency to share with friends and neighbors. By playing an active role in exchanging the light bulbs, the groups were empowered to create big impacts in their communities: exchanging 1,000 CFLs can help save more than $14,000 on electricity bills, displace 810 barrels of oil, and avoid 400 tons of carbon pollution.
For every incandescent bulb the group exchanged, Blue Planet rewarded the group with $0.40/bulb, for an earning potential of $500, to support their local clubs and community organizations.
Blue Planet also equipped participants with the knowledge they need to be clean energy ambassadors in their local communities. We gave each participating group a crash course on Hawaii’s energy challenges and opportunities, the relationship between energy and climate change, and solutions that anyone can apply to be part of the transition to 100% clean energy.