A Comparison of Halogen and Incandescent
One of the most overlooked choices by homeowners is the type of lighting to choose. Although the routine choice is the standard incandescent bulb---which as of 2010 makes up more than 85 percent of the world's lighting---there are several other options available. Examples include fluorescent, sodium, and halogen lighting. Halogen lighting has several advantages over standard incandescent lighting, such as energy efficiency, cost and longevity. Does this Spark an idea?
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Lighting Types
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Incandescent lights---also known as Standard "A" incandescent lighting---have been in existence since 1820, when they were made with carbon filaments that did not last long. In 1879, Thomas Edison invented a version of the bulb that featured a tungsten filament, which is still used today. Halogen lamps were invented during the latter half of the 20th century and are a modified version of standard incandescent lights. They still feature a tungsten core that illuminates light; however, they have a coating, as well as gas filling that serve to reflect heat. This allows the filament to remain hot and recycle heat---making them more energy efficient.
Color Rendition
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Because both types of lighting operate off of a tungsten core, they both offer an excellent color rendition, which is the comparison for how well lights reflect colors off of objects as compared to the natural light that the sun generates. The both offer color renditions of 98 to 100, which compares well to fluorescent lights. Fluorescent lights offer a color rendition of 50 to 90.
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Efficiency
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Tungsten bulbs offer a higher energy efficiency than incandescent bulbs. Due to their design, they function with 25 to 35 percent more energy efficiency.
Longevity
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The lifespan of standard "A" type incandescent bulbs haven't improved much since 1879. They still only operate for 750 to 1,500 hours, while there are other longer-lasting types that are made with thicker filaments, which can operate for as long as 2,500 hours. Tungsten halogen lighting does not burn its filament as quickly and can last from 2,000 to 4,000 hours.
Cost
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Although tungsten bulbs will generally cost more than standard incandescent bulbs tungsten bulbs are cheaper to operate and maintain over time.
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References
- Photo Credit yellow light bulb image by Bionic Media from Fotolia.com
