Energy Saving Light Bulbs - LED and CFL bulbs

In my recent Hub Green Tips - Sustainable living is green and good we talked briefly about energy efficiency. One of the easiest changes we can all make is to replace all of our outdated, inefficient incandescent lights with energy efficient light bulbs.

Anyone who has ever burned themselves on an incandescent or halogen lamp will tell you (I speak from experience here, folks) traditional bulbs waste an enormous amount of energy as heat. Energy saving light bulbs produce very little in the way of heat, and use up to 50% less energy than a traditional bulb. Not only do they use energy more efficiently, energy saving light bulbs also have a rated lifetime of 10,000 hours!

There are a huge variety of bulbs on the market. These can be broken down into two groups; Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs.

A Compact Fluorescent Lamp is essentially a small scale version of the fluorescent strip lights that you probably have in your kitchen, school or office. They screw into any standard lamp socket just like a traditional light bulb, and have either a screw or bayonet fitting.

LED bulbs are smaller, more robust lamps, with clusters of bright LEDs grouped behind a diffusing lens. They look more like halogen spot light style bulbs and are extremely efficient.

Lets explore the range of energy efficient light bulbs available in a bit more depth;

CFLs come in all kinds of shapes and styles. Bulbs with a larger surface area give off more light than smaller bulbs and you can choose from bulbs with either two, four or six tubes.

• The most familiar of all Compact Fluorescent Lights is the 'spiral' style bulb. This is one continuous fluorescent tube in a spiral design (the clue is in the name, kids). They come in several different sizes and a variety of common fittings.

• Next on the list is the Triple Tube lamp. They consist of three U-shaped tubes, providing more light in a shorter length bulb. Useful where you need a high output of light in a relatively small space ie table lamps, reading lamps etc.

• Standard style lamps are essentially a Spiral bulb with a domed cover. This is entirely for aesthetic reasons - they are designed for customers who may be reluctant to move away from the familiar shape of traditional light bulbs. The glass has a diffusing effect on the light given off by the bulb, which is similar to that of 'soft white' incandescents.

• Globe Lamps are similar in design to the Standard but the glass cover is more spherical, as the name would suggest. These bulbs are most often found in a vanity mirror or a hanging lamp. In a bathroom vanity mirror, where multiple lamps are often used, the CFL globe will reduce the build-up of heat.

• Candelabra bulbs are small, torpedo shaped bulbs and usually have a screw fitting. These lamps can be used in small light fixtures, chandeliers etc.

• Believe it or not you can also buy CFL flood lamps! They generate significantly less heat than halogen or incandescent floods and give off a diffused soft white light. Ideal for use either indoors or outdoors.

Of course nothing in this world is perfect and the wonderful energy efficiency properties of these bulbs do come at a small price. However by making the right decisions you can certainly get the most from energy efficient lighting.

For example, CFLs are quite sensitive to frequently being switched on and off. Doing so will reduce the lifespan of your bulbs. In areas where the bulb is likely to be switched on/off frequently, it would be wise to consider alternative sources of light, perhaps LEDs.

Not all CFLs are 'Dimmer Friendly' or 'Dimmable'. Using a regular energy efficient light bulb with a dimmer will significantly shorten your bulb's lifespan and may also damage your dimmer switch. If you do have a dimmer switch be sure to check the packaging to see if the bulb is dimmable.

The major problem with Compact Fluorescent lamps is Mercury content. All CFLs have a small amount of mercury in them ( around 5mg, less than a watch battery or an amalgam tooth filling) which could be released if the bulb is broken or damaged. Low-mercury bulbs are now available, check that packaging!

If you do happen to break or damage a Compact Fluorescent Light then you should take the following safety precautions whenever possible;

• Open a window and vacate the room for at least fifteen minutes.

• Using a wet rag, clean it up then place the pieces of bulb and the rag into a plastic bag.

• Place the bag containing the remnants of your bulb, inside a second bag and seal it shut.

• Wash your hands thoroughly.

• Get in touch with your local recycling centre and see if they can dispose of this material for you. If not simply put it out with your regular household waste.

Be sure to read the packaging to ensure you choose the right bulb for your needs. LED bulbs are available in 'cool' or 'warm' light, and remember a 3W LED gives equivalent light to a 45w traditional lamp. Also check that you have the right fitting. New styles of LED bulbs are constantly emerging, and there are many choices of 'pin' sockets or 'screw' or 'Edison' bases.

• Track Lighting or Recessed Lighting LED bulbs are available with either a screw or pin base and are ideal for this style of lighting. They give off little to no heat, especially when compared to halogen bulbs, and because they are 90% efficient, the frequency of changing your bulbs is significantly reduced.

• Diffused bulbs are LED lamps covered with a sort of dimpled diffusing lens, spreading the light over a greater distance. They are very versatile lamps, ideal for a softly lit situation where the lights are likely to remain on for long periods of time.

• Spotlight LEDs do not have a dispersing lens. This means the light is directed forwards causing it to appear brighter than other LED bulbs. The floodlight LED givers a more dispersed, bright light, and is well suited to outdoor flood lamps or retail display purposes.

• LEDs are also available in a wide variety of colours. You can choose from white, green, blue, amber or red, to suit your requirements.

LEDs are incredibly energy efficient. They are very small, bright bulbs that until recently were confined to single-bulb use in computers, instrument panels or those really groovy key chain penlight things, remember those?? The uses of LEDs have been greatly expanded by 'clustering' these tiny bulbs together. Now they are available in a common variety of fixtures LEDs really are the wave of the future as far as home lighting.

LEDs are substantially longer-lasting than other bulbs, with a lifespan ten times that of a CFL, and as they do not have a filament they are very tough and durable.

Light Emitting Diodes use only between 2 and 10 watts of electricity. They use this energy to maximum efficiency by only generating a minuscule amount of heat. They also contain absolutely no mercury, unlike the CFL or incandescent bulbs.

I hope this Hub has been useful to you. If you would like to read about what else you can do to cut emissions and protect the environment, why not visit some of my other Hubs.

Recycle Old Mobile Phones for Cash

Natural Aluminium Free Deodorants

Go Vegetarian or Vegan to cut your emissions and your waistline

My Local Environment and Its Treasures

Wind Power - Your own Green Power Plant