Comparison of Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
Whether because of economic or environmental concerns, energy efficiency has become an increasingly important issue for many people. One of the simplest and easiest steps a home owner can take to maximize savings is to replace standard incandescent bulbs with one of the new varieties of energy efficient light bulbs. Many of these alternatives are designed to be direct replacements to traditional bulbs, and require no rewiring or overly technical knowledge to install. It's literally as easy as changing a light bulb. Does this Spark an idea?
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Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)
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CFLs are the most cost effective alternative to incandescent lights, using as little as 30 percent of the energy and lasting as much as 15 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs. These lights may take a few seconds to reach full brightness after switching on, and while in recent years their color quality has been greatly improved, incandescent light still reveals colors more accurately. The majority of CFL's are not dimmable, and products that are designed to dim will generally cost extra and are larger than a traditional bulb, making them unable to fit into certain types of lighting fixtures.
Tungsten Halogen
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These bulbs are incandescent technology that has been re-designed for increased energy efficiency. Weighing in at approximately 70 percent of the energy cost to produce the same amount of light as a traditional incandescent, they are a middle ground between the traditional incandescent and the CFL. Halogen lamps do not last as long as a CFL or save as much energy, however they do have excellent color quality, are fully dimmable, and unlike compact fluorescents they will reach full brightness instantly.
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Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
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LED lighting is the promising new kid on the block, and is beginning to show a greater potential for energy efficiency than even fluorescents currently provide. Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive bulb type, with a single high quality LED replacement costing anywhere from $40 to $100. Due to the newness of the technology the light quality and brightness for these lamps can vary wildly between manufacturers, and even the best options cannot quite catch up with incandescent light, while some of the worst options are inferior to the far more economical compact fluorescent.
Most Environmentally Friendly
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LED lamps use the least amount of energy, and last dramatically longer than any other option. The long life reduces the amount of waste going into landfills, and unlike compact fluorescents these bulbs do not contain mercury, which has been a large concern with fluorescent technology.
Most Cost Effective
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When it comes to pure financial savings, compact fluorescents are the hands down winner. While LEDs might save more energy, their dramatically larger sticker price combined with the lack of quality products make it difficult to shop around to find the best options, and depending on usage it could take many years for the bulb to pay for itself in energy savings.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit light bulb image by Photosani from Fotolia.com Cfl fluorescent lightbulb on dark background image by Silverpics from Fotolia.com Bulb image by Illimity from Fotolia.com led image by sasha from Fotolia.com
