Issue 48
November 15, 2004
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Any Questions?
Environment Canada's knowledgeable specialists answer questions about wildlife, air pollution, water, weather, climate change and other aspects of the environment.
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How do various light bulbs compare for energy efficiency?
A typical house has 30 light bulbs that use about $200 worth of electricity
each year. Whether you are simply replacing burned-out light bulbs or designing
a lighting system from scratch, the more you are willing to invest in energy-efficient
lighting, the more you can save over the long term.
Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)
Fluorescent technology is much more efficient at converting energy to light.
Standard incandescent bulbs, which have been produced the same way using the
same materials for more than 100 years, waste 90 per cent of their energy by
producing heat, not light. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) deliver the same
light output
as incandescent light bulbs but use 75 per cent less energy.
CFLs are more expensive because they are a better product. Production costs
for CFLs have dropped a great deal in the last 10 years, and manufacturers
and retailers are passing these reductions on to consumers. But CFLs still
cost more because they are more expensive to make than standard incandescent
bulbs. The CFL manufacturing process is more complex, requiring more electronic
materials and higher product-inspection and quality-control costs.
Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
The next technology on the horizon is light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs
were introduced in the 1960s, but high costs limited them to a few niche
applications such as "on/off" indicators on home and office electronics.
There have been great advances in recent years, and LEDs are being commonly
used for traffic signals, vehicle brake lighting and exit signs.
There are many advantages to LED lighting, the greatest being its efficiency.
Many LEDs offer 90 per cent efficiency that, when compared with 5 per cent
for traditional lighting sources, can offer significant cost advantages to
consumers
and
help reduce GHG emissions.
Other advantages include long life, low heat dissipation, improved visibility,
resistance to shock and vibration, reduced maintenance costs, vivid colours,
high luminous intensity, compatibility with integrated circuits and compact
size and light weight.
Choose the Right Type of Light Source for Your Lighting Needs
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Compact fluorescent lamp (CFL)
- CFLs give off the same amount of light as a traditional incandescent
light bulb, but use 75 per cent less energy and last 10 times longer (over
6000 hours, or roughly five years). They are the only light bulbs to carry
the ENERGY
STAR designation.
- They can directly replace incandescent or halogen lamps in many fixtures.
Although they are more costly than incandescent light bulbs, the energy savings
can
pay off the additional cost in less than two years when used in light fixtures
that are on for more than three hours per day.
- Modern CFLs provide the characteristic warm glow of incandescent light
bulbs, making them suitable for any application in the house.
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LED (Light Emitting Diode) holiday lights
- Energy Savings – LED holiday lights have operating lifetimes
more than 30 times longer than traditional miniature lights and use about
90 per cent less energy.
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Longer Operating Life – Manufacturers project that LED holiday lights
should last up to 20 holiday seasons.
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Durability – LED holiday lights are manufactured in an epoxy plastic
resin instead of a glass bulb, thus, they are more resistant to shattering
or impact damage during installation.
- Safety Due to Higher Operating Efficiency – LEDs emit less heat than
their incandescent counterparts, making them safer to mount on trees, wreaths,
and other combustible material in the house.
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Fluorescent tubes
- Fluorescent tubes are very efficient, but are sometimes not suitable
for specific applications because of their length.
- They are often used in light fixtures that are part of architectural
or design features, for example, above or below a cabinet or in valances, soffits
or
coves.
- Fluorescent tube lamps are best suited for areas where bright light is
needed, such as kitchens, laundry areas and workshops.
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T-8 (2.54 cm (1") in diameter) or T-5 (1.59 cm (5/8") in diameter)
fluorescent lamps with electronic ballasts are more efficient than older
T-12 (3.81 cm (1-1/2") in
diameter) lamps. Modern fluorescent lamps such as CFLs also have a
warmer colour than older models.
- You should consider fluorescent tubes when undertaking home renovations.
They are easily installed by an electrician as part of a lighting
retrofit.
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Halogen
- Halogens are a type of incandescent light bulb, but chemicals called "halogens" are
introduced inside the lamp to minimize filament wear. This has the effect
of increasing the lamp's life to 3000 hours, or roughly two years.
- Halogen lamps come in a wide array of shapes and sizes and are best suited
for uses where focused light is needed in a small area, such as task, track
or accent lighting.
- Halogens operate at high temperatures, so they should be installed away
from drapes or other flammable materials.
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Incandescents
- Incandescents are the traditional light bulbs we have been using
for years.
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They are inexpensive but very inefficient. (Only 4–6 per cent of the
electrical energy used by an incandescent light bulb is converted into visible
light.
The remaining energy is lost as heat.)
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They have a very short life (750–1000 hours, or roughly half a year
of normal operation).
- Some incandescent light bulbs are marketed as long-life or as energy
savers, but these light bulbs achieve this by producing less lumens
(light output).
They aren't nearly as efficient as compact fluorescent lamps.
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If every household in Canada changed just one traditional
incandescent light bulb to an ENERGY STAR labelled CFL, the country would save
over $73 million
in energy costs every year and reduce greebhouse gas emissions by 397 000
tonnes of carbon dioxide – which
would have the same impact on climate change as taking 66 000 cars off the
road for one year.
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