The Truth About Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
We,ve all heard it... the claim that replacing one incandescent bulb with a more energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) is like taking 800,000 cars off the road. Yes, CFLs use less energy, last longer and produce less heat than the traditional incandescent bulbs but that's only half the story.
According to the Government's ENERGY STAR website qualified CFLs use about 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs. The savings to you is about $30 or more in electricity costs over the lifetime of each bulb.
What most people fail to realize is that if you don't use CFLs properly then you are just buying an expensive light bulb. CFLs will only provide a savings if they are used in fixtures that are on for long periods of time. This means they should be used in areas of the home where the light fixture is on for at least 15 minutes at a time, preferably longer. When you put a CFL in a fixture that is turned on and off, repeatedly for short periods of time, you will significantly reduce the life of the bulb and therefore your savings.
Many people also don't realize that CFLs contain mercury. It's a relatively small amount but what if that small amount of mercury is released into your child's bedroom. Plus, what do most people do with a spent light bulb...they toss it in the trash. Mercury is toxic, especially for children and fetuses, and must be handled properly. The EPA has an entire page on its website dedicated to cleaning up mercury in your home. I encourage you all to keep this link handy and when the CFL burns out make sure that it is taken to a recycling center. Some stores, like Home Depot and IKEA, are now accepting used, unbroken CFLs.
Then there's the argument that the mercury in the CFL far outweighs the mercury that would be created in burning fossil fuels to power traditional incandescent bulbs. This simply is not true. Overwhelmingly CFLs are made in China and India where environmental controls are nearly non-existent. The coal burned in China emits high levels of mercury into the air and technology to clean the emissions seems to be an after thought in a country where a new coal fired power plant is opened about every 10 days. Cloud physic laboratories in the United States have been measuring higher levels of mercury in our atmosphere over the last decade and they can trace that mercury directly back to China.
So installing one CFL in your home will NOT be the equivalent of removing 800,000 cars off the road. The benefit of trading in one incandescent bulb for a CFL may save energy in the U.S. and therefore save you money on your power bill but CFLs are not a solution for the future.
The future most likely belongs to the light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. They use less energy and last longer than both incandescent and CFL bulbs. Light emitting diode bulbs don't contain mercury and can be used in fixtures that are on for short or long periods of time. Today, LED bulbs are pricey but like their counterparts the price will drop as demand increases.
According to the Government's ENERGY STAR website qualified CFLs use about 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs. The savings to you is about $30 or more in electricity costs over the lifetime of each bulb.
What most people fail to realize is that if you don't use CFLs properly then you are just buying an expensive light bulb. CFLs will only provide a savings if they are used in fixtures that are on for long periods of time. This means they should be used in areas of the home where the light fixture is on for at least 15 minutes at a time, preferably longer. When you put a CFL in a fixture that is turned on and off, repeatedly for short periods of time, you will significantly reduce the life of the bulb and therefore your savings.
Many people also don't realize that CFLs contain mercury. It's a relatively small amount but what if that small amount of mercury is released into your child's bedroom. Plus, what do most people do with a spent light bulb...they toss it in the trash. Mercury is toxic, especially for children and fetuses, and must be handled properly. The EPA has an entire page on its website dedicated to cleaning up mercury in your home. I encourage you all to keep this link handy and when the CFL burns out make sure that it is taken to a recycling center. Some stores, like Home Depot and IKEA, are now accepting used, unbroken CFLs.
Then there's the argument that the mercury in the CFL far outweighs the mercury that would be created in burning fossil fuels to power traditional incandescent bulbs. This simply is not true. Overwhelmingly CFLs are made in China and India where environmental controls are nearly non-existent. The coal burned in China emits high levels of mercury into the air and technology to clean the emissions seems to be an after thought in a country where a new coal fired power plant is opened about every 10 days. Cloud physic laboratories in the United States have been measuring higher levels of mercury in our atmosphere over the last decade and they can trace that mercury directly back to China.
So installing one CFL in your home will NOT be the equivalent of removing 800,000 cars off the road. The benefit of trading in one incandescent bulb for a CFL may save energy in the U.S. and therefore save you money on your power bill but CFLs are not a solution for the future.
The future most likely belongs to the light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. They use less energy and last longer than both incandescent and CFL bulbs. Light emitting diode bulbs don't contain mercury and can be used in fixtures that are on for short or long periods of time. Today, LED bulbs are pricey but like their counterparts the price will drop as demand increases.
posted by Terri Bennett @ 8:29 AM
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