Are LEDs More Efficient Than Fluorescent?

At one time light was measured by the intensity of a burning candle.

LED and fluorescent lighting generate more power and use less energy than standard incandescent lighting. Illumination no longer depends on the hot tungsten filament bulbs of the last century. Whether the issue is value, benefit or carbon footprint, LED technology leads the way.

LED Lighting

Individual diodes of LED technology

Enclosed in a diffuser lens, LED, or light-emitting diode bulbs, use approximately 180 diodes. This diffuser lens provides directional lighting that focuses the light in a wider beam. Light-emitting diodes are initially more expensive than fluorescent lighting but last up to seven years. The directional lighting of the LED supplies a lower wattage than fluorescent bulbs and does not flicker, generate much heat or contain mercury or other gasses, notes HyperPhysics.

Fluorescent Lighting

Modern fluorescent bulb

Fluorescent bulbs have a golden diffused light, unlike the bright, directional, white beam of the LED. Compact fluorescent lighting or CFL fits into standard sockets like LED bulbs but does not provide as much light as LEDs. CFL is a smaller version of full-sized fluorescent lighting. This new technology is similar to the incandescent bulb and less like the fluorescent office strip lighting of the past. CFL contains mercury and other gasses, making disposal hazardous.

Considerations

When comparing CFL to LED lighting, one overriding factor is that CFL still requires more energy than LED. CFL technology may be cheaper to produce, but over the life of the bulb, LED is more economical. Light-emitting diodes are more efficient than fluorescent lighting, have a longer life and more easily adapt to advancing technology.

References

• HyperPhysics: Fluorescent Lighting
• Tool Base: LED Lighting
• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Energy Efficient Homes: Introduction to LED Lighting