This holiday season, the South County Energy Efficiency Partnership is helping South County residents save energy, money and the environment by switching from standard incandescent holiday lights to light-emitting diode (LED) lights.

SCEEP’s fourth annual Holiday Light Exchange will be from Nov. 30 through Dec. 20, or while supplies last at various locations throughout Southern Santa Barbara County.

Residents of Goleta, Carpinteria and Santa Barbara are encouraged to bring at least one strand of working incandescent holiday lights to exchange for one energy-efficient strand of LED holiday lights. There is no cost to exchange lights but to be eligible, participants must be residential customers of Southern California Edison. All exchanged lights will be recycled by MarBorg Industries.

“We are pleased with the community’s participation and support year after year of the SCEEP Holiday Light Exchange,” SCEEP spokeswoman Kirsten Deshler said. “We are especially thankful to all our community partners who help us promote energy efficiency, including MarBorg Industries. We will continue our efforts to help South Santa Barbara County be a leader in energy efficiency.”

The light exchange is limited to one strand of LED lights per household on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Residents are encouraged to purchase additional strands of holiday lights from local vendors. Click here for a partial list of stores that carry LED holiday lights.

This year, to encourage residents to replace all of their standard incandescent holiday lights, SCEEP also will be holding one-day light exchanges from noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 6 at Orchard Supply Hardware at 125 N. Fairview Avenue in Goleta, and from noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 12-13 at the Home Improvement Center, 415 E. Gutierrez St. in Santa Barbara.

In addition to the strand of lights exchanged, residents can purchase additional LED lights from these retailers.

LED lights offer a number of advantages over traditional lights:

» Can last up to 10 times longer than traditional incandescent strands

» Many use up to 90 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb to produce the same amount of light

» Are cool to the touch, reducing the risk of fire

» Do not have moving parts, filaments or glass, so they are much more durable and shock-resistant than other light strings

» Are available in a variety of colors, shapes and lengths

» The amount of electricity consumed by just one 7-watt incandescent bulb could power 140 LEDs — enough to light two 24-foot (7.3-meter) strings

Holiday Light Exchange Locations

» Carpinteria: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Carpinteria City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave.; 805.684.5405

» Goleta: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Goleta City Hall, 130 Cremona, Suite B; 805.961.7500

» Santa Barbara: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Central Library, 40 E. Anapamu St.; 805.564.5601

» Community Environmental Council, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 26 W. Anapamu St., second floor

One-Day Holiday Light Exchanges:

» 1st Thursday Holiday Tree Decorating Station: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 3, 1st Thursday Holiday Tree Decorating Station, Borders Bookstore patio (in front), 900 State St., Santa Barbara

» Santa Barbara Home Improvement Center: noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 12-13, 415 E. Gutierrez St.

» Goleta Valley Community Center Tree Lighting Ceremony: 5:30 p.m. Dec. 4, 5679 Hollister Ave.

» Orchard Supply and Hardware: noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 6, 125 N Fairview Ave., Goleta

» Carpinteria Boy Scout tree lot — Troop 50, Pack 50 and Troop 147: noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 5, Carpinteria Ave., under the historical Torrey Pine (across the street from the Carpinteria Public Library)

Other one-day light exchanges may be announced.

Last year, SCEEP partnered with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Downtown Organization’s 1st Thursday event and Hospice of Santa Barbara to provide LED lights at the organizations’ holiday events.

This year, SCEEP will once again donate LED lights to community organizations, such as Hospice of Santa Barbara for its holiday event. Partners who received LED lights last year demonstrate sustainability as they are able to reuse them for this year’s events.

— Candice Tang is a publicist.