Home Show 2020 features 240 companies all wanting to make your home better
Looking for a way to cut energy costs? Consider making a switch to LED lighting, if you haven’t already.
A seminar at the upcoming Home Show 2020 at Century II in Wichita will put a spotlight on lighting trends, and one of the biggest is the growing use of LED, or light-emitting diode, lighting, according to Paul Graf, co-owner of Accent Lighting in Wichita. The store’s staff, including co-owner Pat Graf, will present the seminar.
Residential customers are making the switch to LED lighting from incandescent lighting because LED lights last longer, provide better light and don’t use as much energy, which helps consumers cut down on their energy bills. Graf said.
According to the U.S. Energy Department, residential LEDs use at least 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent light. Most of the energy LEDs use goes toward making light with less being wasted on generating heat.
“LED has changed the industry,” said Graf.
Part of the change started back in 2007 when President George W. Bush signed a bipartisan law that created efficiency standards for bulbs in order to reduce energy costs. Incandescent and halogen bulbs were supposed to be phased out starting Jan. 1, 2020, but in late December, the U.S. Energy Department said it would undo those requirements.
Over the past decade, however, LED technology has advanced and become cheaper and more readily available as an option for residential customers. Fixtures for LED lights are also becoming “sleeker and more design-oriented,” Graf said.
Modern and mid-century modern are among the hottest styles for lighting features, Graf said.
Another brilliant trend is integrating lighting controls with smart-home devices and applications. Wi-Fi- and Bluetooth-controlled lighting make it easy for consumers to turn on a single light or a group of lights in different areas of the home, change colors and more with the push of a button on a smart device.
The annual Home Show Feb. 6-9 is a great way for people to see and learn about nearly every home-related product in one location, said Wess Galyon, president and CEO of the Wichita Area Builders Association, which is in its 66th year of putting on the show. The show averages crowds of more than 20,000.
“People are always doing something to their homes, whether they own or rent,” Galyon said. “The show helps educate consumers so they can make good buying decisions.”
Along with 240 vendors, the show has a packed seminar schedule. The 45-minute-long seminars covering 14 different topics start at 4 pm. Friday and run nearly every hour during the home show weekend. The topics range from an overview of the design process to seasonal maintenance tips to more specific topics like security systems, flooring. countertop surfaces and lighting.
Home Show 2020
Where: Century II Convention & Expo Halls, 225 W. Douglas. Free parking and shuttle service from the parking lots near the former Gander Mountain store on Water Street, just north of Kellogg..
When: 1-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, and Saturday, Feb. 8; and 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9
What: 66th annual show produced by Wichita Area Builders Association featuring 200-plus exhibitors and daily seminars on various home-improvement and home-building topics.
Tickets: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 65 and older, $4 for children ages 7-12; free for children 6 and younger. Available at the door and online at wichitatix.com
More information: wabahome.com/events/waba/home-show-2020
This story was originally published February 6, 2020 at 5:01 AM.