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Energy Saver Lights
Incandescent Lighting
Incandescent lighting is the most common type of lighting used in homes. It has traditionally delivered about 85% of household illumination.
Incandescent lamps operate without a ballast. They light up instantly, providing a warm light and excellent color rendition. You can also dim them. However, incandescent lamps have a low efficacy compared to other lighting options (10–17 lumens per watt) and a short average operating life (750–2500 hours).
Incandescent lamps are the least expensive to buy, but because of their relative inefficiency and short life spans, they usually are more expensive to operate.
Types of Incandescent Lamps
These are the three most common types of incandescent lamps:
- Standard incandescent lamps
- Tungsten halogen lamps
- Reflector lamps
You can use the chart below to compare these types of lamps. If you don’t already, it helps to understand basic lighting principles and terms before making comparisons.
| Incandescent Lighting Type |
Efficacy (lumens/watt) |
Lifetime (hours) |
Color Rendition Index (CRI) |
Color Temperature (K) |
Indoors/Outdoors |
| Standard "A" bulb | 10–17 | 750–2500 | 98–100 (excellent) | 2700–2800 (warm) | Indoors/outdoors |
| Tungsten halogen | 12–22 | 2000–4000 | 98–100 (excellent) | 2900–3200 (warm to neutral) | Indoors/outdoors |
| Reflector | 12–19 | 2000–3000 | 98–100 (excellent) | 2800 (warm) | Indoors/outdoors |
Fluorescent Lighting
Fluorescent lamps use 25%–35% of the energy used by incandescent lamps to provide the same amount of illumination (efficacy of 30–110 lumens per watt). They also last about 10 times longer (7,000–24,000 hours).
The light produced by a fluorescent tube is caused by an electric current conducted through mercury and inert gases. Fluorescent lamps require a ballast to regulate operating current and provide a high start-up voltage. Electronic ballasts outperform standard and improved electromagnetic ballasts by operating at a very high frequency that eliminates flicker and noise. Electronic ballasts also are more energy-efficient. Special ballasts are needed to allow dimming of fluorescent lamps. Improvements in technology have resulted in fluorescent lamps with color temperature and color rendition that are comparable to incandescent lamps.
Types of Fluorescent Lamps
Two general types of fluorescent lamps include these:
- Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)
- Fluorescent tube and circline lamps
Use the chart below to compare these types of lamps.
| Fluorescent Lighting Type |
Efficacy (lumens/watt) |
Lifetime (hours) |
Color Rendition Index (CRI) |
Color Temperature (K) |
Indoors/Outdoors |
| Straight tube | 30–110 | 7000–24,000 | 50–90 (fair to good) | 2700–6500 (warm to cold) | Indoors/outdoors |
| Compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) | 50–70 | 10,000 | 65–88 (good) | 2700–6500 (warm to cold) | Indoors/outdoors |
| Circline | 40–50 | 12,000 | Indoors |
LED (Light-Emitting Diode)
Light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits visible light when an electric current passes through it. The light is not particularly bright, but in most LEDs it is monochromatic, occurring at a single wavelength. An LED consists of two elements of processed material called P-type semiconductors and N-type semiconductors. These two elements are placed in direct contact, forming a region called the P-N junction. In this respect, the LED resembles most other diode types, but there are important differences. The LED has a transparent package, allowing visible or infrared radiation energy to pass through. Also, the LED has a large PN-junction area whose shape is tailored to the application.
Benefits of LEDs and IREDs, compared with incandescent and fluorescent illuminating devices, include:
- Low power requirement: Most types can be operated with battery power supplies.
- High efficiency: Most of the power supplied to an LED is converted into radiation in the desired form, with minimal heat production.
- Long life: When properly installed, an LED can function for decades.
Light-Emitting Diodes |
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| Cool White LEDs | 60–92 | 35,000–50,000 | 70–90 (fair to good) | 5000 (cold) |
Indoors/ outdoors |
| Warm White LEDs | 27–54 | 35,000–50,000 | 70–90 (fair to good) | 3300 (neutral) |
Indoors/ outdoors |
| Low-Pressure Sodium | 60–150 | 12,000–18,000 | -44 (very poor) | Outdoors | |
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
View Energy Efficient Light Bulbs & BUY ONLINE
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