CHICAGO, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ComEd is shining a light on holiday season energy efficiency by donating dozens of strings of energy efficient lights to the Indo-American Center to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu "Festival of Lights." To celebrate Diwali the energy efficient way, ComEd swapped the Center's standard incandescent light strings for the energy efficient LED versions, which use up to 90 percent less energy, are weather- resistant, and can last up to 20 years.
With the third largest Hindu population in the United States, Chicagoland is set aglow each year for the Diwali celebration. Pronounced "dee-vah-lee" and meaning "row of lighted lamps," Diwali is a five-day festival with many manifestations, most of which use light to symbolize the triumph of good over evil. On the third day of Diwali -- today -- Hindu homes are decorated with lights as a greeting to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
"ComEd is pleased to be a part of the Indo-American Center's Diwali celebration this year," said Val Jensen, vice president, Marketing and Environmental Programs, ComEd. "To conserve energy and reduce costs during Diwali and for years to come, ComEd encourages the use of LED holiday lighting. LED lighting is an innovation that can help a household or business save a substantial amount of money while keeping the holiday spirit alive."
In addition to energy efficient lighting, today's Diwali celebration will feature ComEd's Energy Doctor, who will be on hand to discuss energy efficiency tips and explain the energy and cost savings achieved through the use of LED holiday lights. Other energy efficiency efforts by the Indo-American Center include replacing all exit sign light bulbs with ENERGY STAR(R) compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. CFL bulbs use 75 percent less energy and last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
"The Indo-American Center is excited to celebrate Diwali with ComEd this year," said Jay Luthra, executive director of the Indo-American Center. "We have been trying to make our facility more energy efficient, and ComEd's donation of LED light strands helps us do just that."
ComEd encourages all customers to celebrate the holidays with strands of energy efficient LED, or light-emitting diode, decorative lights. Through December, customers can purchase discounted LED holiday light strands through the ComEd Online Energy Store. Additional energy saving tips and access to the Online Energy Store are available at http://www.ComEd.com.
Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), one of the nation's largest electric utilities with approximately 5.4 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across Northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population.
SOURCE ComEd
