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Savings
Incandescent bulbs have changed very little since Thomas Edison designed them back in 1879. Now, as mankind enters the arbitrary 21st century, the technology for lighting the common home has a new alternative. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use the same screw-in bases as incandescent bulbs, come in shapes that are no larger than incandescent bulbs, and use only one quarter of the watts of a comparable incandescent. Thus they can save 75% on lighting energy costs. Plus CFLs last about 10,000 hours (with the exact lifetime varying from model to model), while incandescent bulbs typically only last 750 hours. Yet these are not the typical fluorescent bulbs; CFLs avoid the annoying hum and flicker of fluorescent lamps while matching the color quality of incandescent bulbs. They also emit 90% less heat than incandescent bulbs and thus reduce cooling costs. CFLs quickly repay their higher initial cost because they use less energy and the cost to purchase the equivalent number of incandescent bulbs can equal the cost of 1 CFL. Buying in volume offers even greater savings and lights that are on for long periods have their payback periods reduced even further. (Click here to calculate your personal savings) Best of all, CFLs help save the environment in addition to saving money. They save landfill space and energy, and thus reduce the need for power plant fuel (be it coal, oil, or nuclear) and reduce power plant emissions (1000 pounds of CO2 over the life of the lamp) that can lead to acid rain and smog. These bulbs can thus help save people's health, world, and money,
and they are especially effective when combined with other
energy conservation techniques. Wattage ChartThe following chart may serve as a rough guide for choosing an appropriate CFL wattage as compared to an incandescent wattage, but a more accurate method is to compare the lumens (amount of light) for each bulb. The quote form has a place to fill in the desired lumens. Also, the wattages shown are not indicative of the full range of CFL or incandescent wattages.
  FeaturesCompact fluorescent lamps come in many different shapes and sizes for all types of applications. They are particularly well suited for hard-to-reach places due to their exceedingly long life. Unlike their more common linear fluorescent counterparts, they emit incandescent-quality light (among other kinds of light) and avoid flickering or humming. Models are available that work with dimming or three-way fixtures, but non-dimming models should not be used with dimmers. Many CFLs are ENERGYSTAR compliant, and their screw-in bases and available smaller sizes also make them compliant with incandescent fixtures.Compact fluorescent lamps are available as integral or modular units. An integral unit has an inseparable screw-in base, ballast, and lamp, whereas a modular (replaceable) unit has a lamp that can be separated from the ballast. As the ballast generally lasts about 50,000 hours (and, in some cases, even 150,000 hours) and the lamp itself only lasts about 10,000 hours, modular units can further cut long-term replacement costs because the lamp by itself is much cheaper than the whole unit. Modular CFLs are generally slightly more expensive initially and they will generally only accept a particular kind of replacement lamp. Many CFLs have locking, theft-resistant bases available to protect the investment, which can be particularly helpful in the case of outdoor floodlights. Any item purchased from this web site has a 30 day money back
guarantee, and most companies offer multi-year warranties, even up to
10 years. In general, timers and photocells should not be used with CFLs
unless they are rated for this use; proper timers can conveniently be ordered
from Green Lantern. As with incandescent bulbs, CFLs should not be
crushed during disposal. They have a microscopic amount of mercury
in the tubes, but, unlike with linear fluorescent lamps, it is not
enough to qualify for regulated disposal. How Lights WorkAs stated earlier, the basic incandescent design has changed little in the last 100+ years. Incandescent bulbs produce light by heating a tungsten filament until it glows. Thus most of the energy is used for heating; in fact, 90% of the energy is wasted as heat. Incandescent bulbs actually burn hot enough to fry an egg!Halogen lamps are even worse and present a serious fire hazard. The popular halogen torchieres have caused many fires and burn extremely hot. Thus CFL torchieres present a life and property-saving alternative for ambient light. CFLs consist of a ballast and tube. According to the Department of Energy, electricity in the ballast causes a gas in the tube to glow with ultraviolet light, which causes a white phosphor coating on the tube to emit visible light. Thus most of the energy used correlates into light rather than heat. CFLs "burn cool." The common linear fluorescent lamps (tubes) are different from CFLs.
They have bi-pin bases at two ends, whereas CFLs have screw-in bases at
one end. In addition, the hum and flicker that have been the causes of
so many studies have been eliminated in CFLs, as has the inaccurate color
rendered by linear fluorescent tubes. LEDsLight emitting diodes (LEDs) are the technology of choice for always-on low-light applications such as exit signs, and they are now beginning to replace incandescent bulbs in other applications. LEDs are solid state devices that are cool to the touch even when in use and operate within a wide temperature range. They are virtually unbreakable and can maintain high light intensity.Though generally more expensive than CFLs, LEDs often use less than
1 watt (and are thus easily combined with solar panels) and last
much longer than even CFLs (seemingly almost forever). Available
LED products include exit sign retrofit kits, exit signs, solar
garden lights, flashlights, automatic outdoor lights, and floodlights.
Other pages in this site:
Home,
Product Types,
Order Bulbs/Request Free Quote,
Calculate Your Savings,
Links,
About Green Lantern Contact: e-mail:
green-lantrn@juno.com
Last Updated: March 24, 2001 |
