We all hear about it, changing out our incandescent light bulbs out to compact fluorescent will save energy. But many of us are not fans of compact fluorescent because of their color. They are not the warm light we are all used to; they tend to be a much bluer, colder light. Unfortunately our incandescent bulbs we all love will no longer be made come 2012. The energy billed that was passed in December of 2007 states that incandescent bulbs will be banned by 2014, the phase out will begin in 2012 with the 100 watt bulb and end with the 40 watt in 2014.
What will replace our incandescent bulbs? The compact fluorescent will be one option. T
his option uses about 75% less energy than an incandescent; it costs around $10, and has an average lifespan of about 6,000 hours. The lower amount of energy consumption and cost of the bulb per hour are the big advantages for using a CFL. However there are always disadvantages. CFLs contain small amounts of mercury which means special clean up if a bulb where to break and proper recycling should be done at the end of its life. Another major concern is the actual light; the color rendering is just not the same as our incandescent bulbs. It does take getting used to, but manufacturers know that this is a concern for many consumers.
What will replace our incandescent bulbs? The compact fluorescent will be one option. T
his option uses about 75% less energy than an incandescent; it costs around $10, and has an average lifespan of about 6,000 hours. The lower amount of energy consumption and cost of the bulb per hour are the big advantages for using a CFL. However there are always disadvantages. CFLs contain small amounts of mercury which means special clean up if a bulb where to break and proper recycling should be done at the end of its life. Another major concern is the actual light; the color rendering is just not the same as our incandescent bulbs. It does take getting used to, but manufacturers know that this is a concern for many consumers.The second option to replace the incandescent bulb is LED bulbs. These are currently being used in car’s break lights, traffic signals, Christmas lights, under cabinet lights and recessed ligh
ts. Industry experts think that the LED will eventually replace CFLs. A low wattage LED bulb can produce the same amount of light as a 40 watt incandescent and produces little heat. It uses dramatically less energy than an incandescent, about 1/3 to 1/30th less! The average lifespan of a LED is around 50,000 hours, but the cost of the bulb tends to be high. Although the cost of the bulb is expensive, the costs are recouped over the lifespan of the bulb. Also, the industry is still working on producing a white LED bulb that can illuminate a space effectively which is why its currently only being used in spotlights/recessed lights.Although the phase out isn’t for a few years consumers are already starting the transition from incandescent bulbs to CFL and LED bulbs. They are gradually changing bulbs as they burn out to the new options which give them the ability to spread the replacements costs out over time. Lighting fixture manufacturers are also making the change. Some companies already offer fixtures that use CFL or LED bulbs and all other companies are working on designing new fixtures to release to the market. We will still have great looking fixtures; they will just be more energy efficient. I think this is a step in the right direction to becoming more energy efficient even though I love my incandescent bulbs!
