Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFBs)

Three significant advantages

There are may important reasons the switch to fluorescent bulbs, but the best reason is they will save you money.  These are energy saving bulbs and will reduce your electric bills.  Compact Fluorescent Bulbs or CFBs use 75 percent less energy to produce the same amount of light than a comparable incandescent bulb.  These Fluorescent Lamps also last ten times longer than standard light  bulbs. The life of a CFB is up to 10,000 per bulb, compared to less than 1,000 hours for an incandescent.  On of the other traits of the fluorescent lamps that is often forgotten is that they create 1/3 the amount of heat that incandescent bulbs create.  This translates to lower air conditioning cost.

Compact fluorescents are more expensive to purchase ($2-$10 per bulb), but keep in mind that they can pay for themselves in energy savings in about one to two years - and they last up to ten times as long as a normal incandescent bulb.

For example, if you replace one 60-watt incandescent with a 15-watt fluorescent and use it six hours a day, you could see an energy savings of more than $40 over the four-year life of the bulb.

You'll also save on the cost of purchasing at least eight incandescent bulbs during that time, and numerous trips to the store - and that's just one fixture!

Making the switch

A general rule when buying CFBs is to choose a wattage that's about one-third of what you usually buy. The table below shows some typical wattage conversions:

• 25-watt incandescent = 7-watt compact fluorescent
• 40-watt incandescent = 11-watt compact fluorescent
• 60-watt incandescent = 15-watt compact fluorescent
• 75+-watt incandescent = 18-watt compact fluorescent

If you're worried about buzzing and flickering problems common with fluorescent tube lights, worry no more - modern compact fluorescent bulbs use electronic ballasts that eliminate those annoyances.

CFBs are available in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, so you should have no problems finding bulbs to fit any fixture in your home.

Lifespan

Modern CFLs typically have a life span of between 6,000 and 15,000 hours (though total light output generally drops during long term use), whereas incandescent lamps are usually manufactured to have a life span of 750 hours or 1000 hours.

For a given light output, CFLs use between one-fifth and one-quarter of the power of an equivalent incandescent lamp, thereby saving significant amounts of energy in use and reducing the need for electrical generation.

Efficiency and Heat Gain 

Incandescent lamps are less efficient than CFLs because incandescent lamps convert approximately 90% of the energy they consume into heat (compared to 30% for a CFL). Lighting accounts for approximately 10% of household electricity usage in the United States.  If CFLs were installed throughout the house one could save three-quarters to four-fifths of this, it would amount to a total energy saving of about 7% from household usage.

All operating electrical lamps contribute heat to a building and therefore, when considering the energy savings of CFLs versus incandescent lamps it is necessary to consider the energy used for illumination AND the energy used for heating or cooling. Compared to incandescent lamps, CFLs produce less heat for a given amount of light. This means that if all incandescent lamps are replaced by CFLs and all other factors are kept constant then the temperature of the room will reduce. In a building that requires heating (such as in a cold climate) the building occupiers might then increase the heating by other means in order to bring the temperature back to the desired level and, in this case, the total energy consumption will be at least the same as it was when incandescent lamps were used. If the alternative heating source is highly inefficient then the change to CFLs could actually increase the total energy used by the building for heating and lighting. Conversely if the building normally requires cooling then a building illuminated with CFLs will require less energy for cooling than it would if illuminated with incandescent lamps. When the energy used for both heating and lighting is considered then it can be seen that the use of CFLs potentially saves more energy in hot climates and cooled buildings than it does in cold climates and heated buidings.

Getting the most for your money

• Install CFBs in hard-to-reach areas, such as hallways, closets, vaulted ceilings, etc. You won't have to climb a ladder again for years!

• Most CFBs are rated for outdoor use, but read the package carefully to make sure.

• CFBs can be used with times, motion detectors, photocells and occupancy sensors. If you need to use a dimmer switch, look for a CFB designed specifically for dimming.

• You can use CFBs to replace bulbs in many halogen lamps, which will save energy and greatly reduce the risk of fire.

Find this article useful? Share it with others!