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EcoSpection
Serving the greater Houston area and surrounding coastal counties
great idea. Compact fluorescent lights? Absolutely, but lets do it in an efficient EcoSpection way.
Before you put down your hard earned money on a house full of CFLs, lets do the math and help
you get the best return on your investment.
Houston, Texas - A kilowatt of electricity is currently being sold for about 16 cents. How long will it
take to get a payback? I recently replaced two 60 watt globe type incandescent bulbs in my home
with globe type CFLs. The package the CFLs came in indicate they use 14 watts. Lets do the math:
I use this fixture with two lights in it for approximately 8 hours per day. With two 60 watt
incandescents, that comes out to 960 watts or about 15 cents per day. Over 30 days, that is $4.61.
Over 1 year, that comes out to be $55.30. By switching to two 14 watt CFLs, I now use 224 watts per
day, or about 4 cents per day. Over 30 days, that is $1.08. Over 1 year, that comes out to be $12.96.
So it looks like over a year, I will save about $42.34. Is it worth it? I think on a fixture you use quite a
bit, it is worth changing to CFLs. Yes, I know there is a cost with buying the CFLs. I think I paid $9.00
for both of mine.
The dollar savings of changing to CFLs isn't going to change my life much. But I think long term, if
more and more people switch, than it could help our nation save electricity. Is it worth it to change
all my bulbs to CFLs.
I dont think so, the majority of lights in my house aren't on all that much. So it would take a long time
to notice any real savings.
Personally, I cant stand the color of fluorescent lights. However, my opinion has changed with the
new class of CFLs. The ones I bought have a pleasing warm color. I am impressed by how much
better they have become. Regular long tube fluorescent lights? Forget it. I don't like the blue color
of them. However maybe they have a new model that I havent seen that will change my mind......
Information from www.1000bulbs.com
COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS (CFL)
Electric lighting consumes up to 25% of the average home energy budget. The electricity used over
the lifetime of a single incandescent bulb costs 5 to 10 times the original purchase price of a CFL
bulb.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs are simply miniature versions of full-sized fluorescents. They
screw into standard lamp sockets, and give off light that looks just like the common incandescent
bulbs - not like the fluorescent lighting we associate with factories and schools.
BENEFITS OF COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS
Efficiency: CFLs are four times more efficient and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent light
bulbs. A 22 watt CFL has about the same light output as a 100 watt incandescent. Compact
fluorescent light bulbs use 50 - 80% less energy than incandescent light bulbs.
Savings: Although initially more expensive, you save money in the long run because CFLs use 1/3
the electricity and last up to 10 times as long as incandescent light bulbs. A single 18 watt CFL used
in place of a 75 watt incandescent will save about 570 kWh over its lifetime. At 8 cents per kWh, that
equates to a $45 savings.
Pollution Reduction: By replacing a single incandescent bulb with a CFL you can keep a half-ton of
CO2 out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb. If everyone in the U.S. used energy-efficient
lighting, we could retire 90 average size power plants. Saving electricity reduces CO2 emissions,
sulfur oxide and high-level nuclear waste.
High-Quality Light: Newer Compact fluorescent light bulbs give a warm, inviting light instead of the
"cool white" light of older fluorescents. They use rare earth phosphors for excellent color and
warmth. New electronically ballasted CFLs don't flicker or hum.
Versatility: Compact fluorescent light bulbs can be applied nearly anywhere that incandescent
lights are used. Energy-efficient CFLs can be used in recessed fixtures, table lamps, track lighting,
ceiling fixtures and porch lights. 3-way CFLs are also now available for lamps with 3-way settings.
Dimmable Compact fluorescent light bulbs are also available for lights using a dimmer switch.
CHOOSING A CFL LIGHT BULB
Compact fluorescent light bulbs come in many shapes and sizes. When purchasing CFLs, consult
the seller for recommendations and consider the following:
Kelvin Temperature Chart K - Kelvin Temperature Chart
*
Choose the color temperature, if listed, that’s right for you; for example:
Approx. 2700K = Warm White (looks just like incandescent)
Approx. 5000K = Cool White (white/blue, often higher CRI)
*
Choose the shape. CFLs are available in a variety of shapes to fit a range of lamps and lighting
fixtures.
*
Match lumens to the incandescent light bulb being replaced. Lumens indicate the amount of
light being generated. (Watts is a measure of energy use, not light strength.)
CFL BULB STYLES
Spiral Lamps
CFL bulbs designed as a continuous tube in a spiral shape which has similar outside shape and
light casting qualities to a standard incandescent light bulbs. Spiral CFL bulbs are made in several
sizes to fit most common fixtures.
Standard Lamps
CFL spiral lamps with a dome cover. They are designed to give the appearance of the traditional
light bulb for consumers looking for the more familiar light bulb appearance. The glass diffuser
provides a quality of light similar to the 'soft-white' type of incandescent bulbs.
Globe Lamps
Globe Compact fluorescent light bulbs are commonly used in bathroom vanity mirrors or open
hanging lamps, and bare bulb applications. Bathroom vanities usually require multiple bulbs, which
generate radiant heat. The CFL globe will reduce this heat buildup while saving energy. The glass
diffuser provides a soft-white light.
Candelabra
The screw-in torpedo-shape and the small-base of this bulb is designed for smaller light fixtures
throughout the house, from chandeliers to sconces. To use a smaller candelabra-based bulb in a
regular socket, you can use a socket reducer, available at many hardware stores and home
improvement centers.
Triple Tube Lamps
These CFLs have more tubing in a smaller area, which generates even more light in a shorter bulb.
They pack high light output into a very small space and can be used in fixtures designed for
incandescent bulbs, such as table lamps, reading lamps, open hanging lamps, and bare bulb
applications.
Flood Lamps
Flood lamps are designed to be ideal for recessed and track lighting fixtures indoors and outdoors.
They provide diffused, soft, white light, and generate less heat than will an incandescent flood or a
halogen bulb.
BASE STYLES
Plug-in base: Plug-in base Compact fluorescent light bulbs have small plastic bases with two or
four pins and are designed to be used with separate ballasts which are mounted in the fixture.
Screw-in base: These CFLs have the standard Edison-style base such as those found on
incandescent light bulbs.
GU24: This base style is designed to replace the Edison socket and base to match the newest
Energy Star requirements. Fixtures that use GU24 bulbs avoid backward compatibility with screw
base bulbs which guarantees higher energy efficiency.