Exploring Options for Low Energy Light Bulbs
Legislation may make traditional incandescent lights obsolete by 2014. Vying for their place as the new bulbs for home use are two low energy light bulbs known as compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs). Both types of bulb have technological shortcomings, but they also have strengths that could lead to wide-spread adoption.
CFL Bulbs
Energy Star rated CFL bulbs are 75% more efficient than standard incandescent lights. They use less energy and burn 10 times as long as traditional bulbs, advantages from economical and environmental perspectives.
One drawback to CFLs is that fluorescent light shines a different color than most people are used to, although the industry has made great strides in addressing this issue over the past few years. Newer CFL bulbs fall into a light spectrum much closer to incandescents than previous versions of the bulb, and also offer light spectrum choices such as ‘daylight’ and cool, white light. The main problem with CFLs is that they contain mercury, which is considered hazardous waste. It can be a health concern if the bulb is broken open, and requires users to dispose of the bulbs at city or county hazardous waste facilities rather than curbside trash.
As with many of the newer and more efficient technologies on the market these days, CFLs have a higher cost than traditional light bulbs. They cost on average $1 more per bulb. While their much longer lifespan makes the investment worth it, the additional upfront cost is a deterrent to buyers. The cost of CFL bulbs should continue to drop as technology improves and the market grows.
LED Bulbs
An even newer and more promising replacement offering for incandescent bulbs is LED lights. LEDs are in a solid state, which means they don’t require a filament to burn, and are able to produce light using small amounts of energy with high efficiency. The newest generation of bulbs has an operating life of 40,000 hours.
As with CFLs, LEDs shed a different light than their yellow hued counterparts, incandescent bulbs. They are also much dimmer than other bulbs, because the individual LEDs are concentrated at the top of the bulb and because they are so much cooler. While the newest bulbs are great for headlamps, night lights, and accent lighting, their use as overhead lighting hasn’t been perfected yet.
Recent breakthroughs in technology, including Sharp’s new nine-bulb LED series with adjustable color tone, show us the future of light bulbs that aren’t quite ready for the market. Sharp’s cutting edge bulb costs $82, and cheaper LEDs still run in the $30+ range. As technology improves for LEDs, their costs will go down and they’ll likely replace CFLs as the cleanest, most efficient light bulb available to households.
This article provided courtesty of HowToSaveElectricity.net
January 5, 2010
Tags: CFL's, LED's Posted in: Energy Conservation, Lighting
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