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WattWorks, 1078 Goodale Blvd., provides energy-saving and environmentally-friendly products and services.

"The technology has really taken off, even just in the last year," WattWorks owner Don Hall said. "And the sky's the limit for what's coming."

WattWorks sells both LED and cold cathode lights. Both types of lights have at least 50,000 hours of life, compared to a typical incandescent bulb's lifespan of 750 to 1,000 hours, Hall said.

A Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a semi-conductor device which converts electricity into light,, while a cold cathode bulb "is something between a neon light and fluorescent light," he said.

Although they cost more than traditional light bulbs, "the long-term savings are huge, because they last so long and use so little power," Hall said.

A light fixture with a lifespan of 50,000 hours will last about six years if it burned 24 hours a day, he said. Used only eight hours a day, it would last 18 years.

"One of the manufacturers has an ad they put in a trade publication that says, 'buy it when they're born and replace it when they go to college,'" Hall said.

WattWorks also sells radiant heating panels, HVAC products and magnetic fireplace and window covers, among other energy-saving products.

Many people are still learning about LED and cold cathode products and others are hesitant to forego the traditional incandescent bulb, Hall said.

"We're so driven to look for the lowest price cost and we ignore the life cycle cost," he said. "We don't project the cost over time. People get wrapped up in buying low-cost and low-quality items."

In an effort to educate the public about the new energy technologies, WattWorks is holding a series of seminars at 5 p.m. on Fridays. Upcoming seminars will be "Easy Energy Management and Zoning Controls" this Friday and "Improved Battery Charging and Backup Systems" on May 23. Reservations are requested but not required.

Hall will also lead a seminar on how to integrate energy-saving products and services into homes and businesses from 7 to 9 p.m. May 22. This seminar is hosted by the Sustainable Grandview group.

WattWorks also conducts energy audits for homes and businesses.

More information about WattWorks is available at its Web site, www.wattworks.com. The store is open from noon to 7 p.m. weekdays and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

Describing himself as a "recovering engineer," Hall said that when he began providing energy consulting services for businesses, he found that there were no local outlets that sold many of the products he recommended.

"People wanted to see how the products worked," he said, so he decided to open WattWorks. The store has been open since September.

"It's been really interesting," Hall said. "We've connected with a lot of environmental and simply living groups.

"We all see the headlines and wonder how we can cope with rising energy costs," he said. "We're here to offer people some choices."

afroman@thisweeknews.com