Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs: Brighter For the Environment While Saving Money

Changing out one traditional incandescent bulb forbetter and more appealing light.
a compact fluorescent bulb will save a home orCFL bulbs have also come a long way in form. At
business approximately $30 in power over thefirst CFL bulbs were only available in a long tube
course of the bulb’s life. This savingsor coiled. This made it impossible to connect a
does not take into account that you would needshade onto the bulb as many older light fixtures
to replace the iridescent bulb TEN TIMES beforedo. This has also changed and CFL bulbs come in
the CFL bulb burns out.as many shapes and forms as traditional bulbs
If everyone in America changed out just oneincluding standard form, flood light, globe and
Incandescent light bulb for an compact fluorescentcandelabra. Additionally most manufacturers are
bulb it would annually save over $600 million inguaranteeing the CFL bulbs for at least 5 years.
power costs, reduce greenhouse emissions by theHome Depot is even accepting burned out CFL
equivalent of 800,000 vehicle emissions and wouldbulbs with no receipt to be exchanged for a good
lessen the amount of power currently usedbulb since Home Depot receipts only have and
enough to light 3 million additional homes withoutexpected 2-year lifespan.
adding any additional power plants, or even turningOpponents of CFL lighting have cited that CFL
on any additional generators.bulbs contain mercury as one of the major
The average incandescent bulb lasts for 750-1000downsides and an environmental concern. CFL light
hours. CFL bulbs last 7500-10,000 hours withbulbs do contain mercury. Most of them have 5
some lasting upward of 20,000.milligrams or less, and amount equal to the size to
CFL bulbs produce much less heat thanthe tip of a pen. 100 CFL bulbs contain the same
incandescent bulbs. As a result they use 25% ofamount of mercury as a standard mercury
the power of incandescent bulbs to output thethermometer. Such a small amount of mercury is
same amount of light. This is because a lot of thenot considered a significant environmental concern;
power used by and incandescent bulb is used uphowever the EPA still recommends that CFL bulbs
in heat generation while creating light.be recycled. If they can not be recycled because
CFL wattage---------------Equivalentthere is no glass recycling program in the area, it
8-10-------------------40 wattis then recommended that they be disposed of in
11-17------------------60 watta landfill type disposal and never incinerated.
18-22------------------75 wattWhen you consider that 1 CFL bulb will last as long
23-28------------------100 wattas 10 incandescent bulbs and each CFL bulb
34-42------------------150 wattproduces the same amount of recycling material
CFL manufacturers also now print on theor garbage as 1 traditional bulb 5 milligrams of
packaging what the incandescent equivalent ismercury seems a small consequence.
since it is commonly understood what amount ofCFL bulbs are such a positive upgrade from
light an incandescent bulb will put out at a givenincandescent bulbs that in 2007 a bill was
wattage and CFL wattage is much lower.proposed in California to ban the sale of
CFL technology has been in widespread use sinceincandescent bulbs in the entire state. The bill was
the early 1990s. The early bulbs produced anot passed, but just the fact it was proposed
whiter and “colderâ€쳌 light thanshows how positive the change is.
incandescent bulbs and produced less light output.On the horizon is Light Emitting Diode (LED)
The bulbs also cost upwards of $5-7 each. In thetechnology, which requires less than 10% the
long run a cost savings would have been realizedamount of power as incandescent lighting and last
over the purchase of 10 incandescent bulbs, but iteven longer than CFL, however those bulbs cost
was hard for anyone to pay that much up frontmore than $75 at the moment and are not
for an inferior bulb that might last 10 times asreadily interchangeable with incandescent bulbs like
long.CFL bulbs are.
Today compact fluorescent bulbs can match andThis article was provided courtesy of
exceed the quality of incandescent bulbs in every1STOPlighting, which is an online shop for all your
way and only cost roughly the same to doublelighting fixture needs. 1STOPlighting also provides
the price. In and independent double-blind lab testEnergy Star lighting Products. Please visit us for
using a light-meter and 4 lighting and interiormore information on Energy efficient lighting and
design experts the CFL bulbs actually produced aEnergy efficient ceiling fans.