Compact Fluorescents Shine Light On Efficiency

The very first practical use of electricity was lighting. Today, with all the many ways we use electricity – cooling, refrigeration, operating computers and major appliances – we tend to overlook the lowly light bulb as a possible source of energy efficiency. But, in fact, lighting accounts for up to 25 percent of all the electricity we as a nation use in a year.

There have been major advances in lighting technology since Thomas Edison made his big discovery. One of the latest and greatest entries into the lighting market is the compact fluorescent bulb. Don’t confuse these new compact fluorescents with the old tube fluorescent lights. The new bulbs give a warmer, more natural light (not that greenish hue) and they don’t hum and flicker. Virtually all the negatives associated with fluorescent lights have been corrected in these new bulbs. These lights fit into ordinary lamp and fixture sockets, last about 13 times longer than incandescent bulbs and use only about 25 percent as much electricity.

The cost may surprise you at first. Compact fluorescent lights can cost up to $25 each! But don’t panic! Over the life of the bulb, you’ll actually save up to $50 over the cost of ordinary incandescents. During the years that you’ll burn a single compact fluorescent light, you could burn out and replace as many as 12 incandescent bulbs. To get the best return on your investment, install CFLs in fixtures used at least two or three hours per day.

Source: Rocky Mountain Institute Web site