Decreased Energy Light Bulbs - A Comparison Of CFLs And LEDs Light Bulbs
There are benefits as well as drawbacks to using less energy light bulbs like CFL and LED bulbs.
President Barack Obama has announced plans to dismiss traditional incandescent light bulbs by 2014. The current administration favors low energy light bulbs, such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs). Both are used in homes across the United States, but the CFLs have been available the longest. There are several advantages and disadvantages to using these technologies. Let's evaluate them here:
Pros and Cons of CFLs
In comparison with incandescent bulbs, lightweight fluorescent bulbs burn 10 times longer on average. CFLs with an Energy Star ranking use less energy, about 75%, which results in savings of $30 over the life of a single bulb. However, CFLs take longer to get warm and produce a colder light than incandescent bulbs. Manufacturers responded to individuals who complained about the low quality of lighting produced by CFLs, by manufacturing a new generation of lights that resemble incandescent light bulbs.
CFLs that are closest to incandescent bulbs with regards to illumination fall anywhere from 2700 and 3000 on the Kelvin scale. CFL bulbs that produce a natural daylight tone, as opposed to the yellow tones of the incandescent bulbs, fall in the range of 5000-6500 on the Kelvin scale, and those in between 3500-4100 produce a much cooler, whiter light. (These numbers for the Kelvin scale are found right on the package.) A major downside to using CFLs is the mercury found in every bulb. If the bulb breaks, it can be hazardous to everyone in the home if you don't get rid of it properly. Cleaning up a single cracked bulb sometimes needs contracting a hazardous materials practitioner, and can cost thousands of dollars.
The buying price of 6 General Electric 26-watt CFLs can be $16, which works out to $2.67 per bulb. This is the equivalent of a 100-watt incandescent bulb. A General Electric 100-watt Reveal bulb (4-pack) costs $6.08, which works out to $1.52 per bulb. CFLs cost more but offer energy cost savings. However, CFL users are looking forward to inexpensive products.
Pros and Cons of LEDs
LEDs use less wattage (2-10 watts) as compared to CFLs and don't turn out much heat. They can be used for 4.5 years continuously before "dying," the equivalent of 40,000 hours. Unlike CFLS, LEDs don't contain mercury, which is a huge advantage. They don't have any kind of filaments, and so there's no chemical danger if they break.
There are negatives to LEDs. One being, they're only useful for lighting downward or for work lighting. They don't sustain light toward the base of the bulb, and the brightest ones available are only equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent bulb. LED light bulbs look dimmer because the temperature of the light is cooler than incandescent bulbs and CFLs. However, they can be more useful as night lights since they give off a bluish hue. You may also use them for accent lighting.
New technology are being manufactured to solve the disadvantages of using LEDs. For example, the LED light bulbs series by Sharp (a nine-bulb LED) is available in Japan. It comes with a remote control that enables users to change the light's shade tone. LEDs are still really expensive though, costing $82 for the Sharp unit, and around $35 for standard LEDs. When the cost of these bulbs does fall, it may end up being more cost effective than both CFLs and incandescent bulbs. LEDs use $50 worth of electricity less over 4 to 5 years, and will end up surpassing them together.
Low Energy Light Bulbs
There are some things you need to know before choosing low energy light bulbs.
Decreased Energy Light Bulbs - A Comparison Of CFLs And LEDs Light Bulbs
President Barack Obama has announced plans to phase out traditional incandescent light bulbs by 2014. The administration favors low energy light bulbs, such as CFLs and LEDs. Both are used in homes across the United States, but the CFLs have been available the longest.
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