Posts Tagged ‘Energy’

Energy saving with LED fluorescent tubes

There are millions of general service fluorescent tubes in the market place today, until recently these were considered the most energy efficient lighting solution available. The downside to this for of lighting is that each tube contains a small amount of mercury vapour, a toxic heavy metal. This can provide not just a health risk when the tubes are broken, but can also accumulate in landfills before entering the water table or causing further pollution.

Fluorescent lamps use electricity to excite mercury vapour inside the glass tube and always require a ballast to regulate the flow of power through the lamp. A starter is in the circuit to heat the contact ends of the tube that ionizes the mercury vapour creating UV light. The inside of the tube is coated with a phosphor material that glows when exposed to the UV light produced by the mercury inside the fluorescent tube.

Recent developments in SMD (Surface Mount Diode) LED technology have now meant that LED based fluorescent tubes are now a reality. LEDs are a more efficient form of lighting product consisting of small chips of conductive material that release light when a current is applied to them. They contain no filaments and can produce up to 25 times more light per watt than conventional light bulbs.

LEDs require far less energy in their manufacture than fluorescent tubes, and only 3% of the energy they will consume over their life expectancy is consumed in their manufacture, and they are also produced from non toxic materials. The tubes are made from polycarbonate, a material that is more robust and durable than glass, so accidents will not require special cleanup procedures.

While LED technology is more expensive than existing fluorescents at face value, they will last up to 10 times as long, while consuming 65% less energy. In most general purpose lighting applications they additional cost of the LED technology will more than pay for itself within the first 18 months.

The only drawback is the tighter beam angle of the LEDs, while some tubes are manufactured from a polycarbonate light diffusing material, others have a narrow focus which may not be suitable for replacing existing tubes. Many fluorescent fixtures are designed with reflectors that help to distribute the light from the tubes evenly in their intended environment. This is a problem similar to what was faced when compact fluorescents began replacing incandescent light bulbs, this is a problem that will soon be overcome and allow faster adoption of this emerging lighting technology.

The Fashionable Look of Energy Efficient Lighting

Decorative options of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are almost limitless. Fifteen years ago, there wasn’t much out there; however, now you could do a whole house in fluorescents and still get a variety of colors and textures of light.

While CFLs have been around for decades, they weren’t the first choice for most people. The light the bulbs cast was dim, they didn’t always fit standard sockets and they didn’t seem worth the expense. However, the quality and design of the CFLs have improved in the last few years. They now give off strong, unwavering light, come in shapes to fit most lamp and fixture designs and offer a variety of color tones for different applications.

CFLs come in three color tones; warm, cool white and daylight. Warm-tone CFLs are comparable to a “soft white” incandescent bulb, shedding flattering light for skin tones, wood and furnishings. Cool white tones have a bluish cast, giving a clear, bright light for garages, kitchens or workshops. Daylight CFLs are the brightest of the three, and are often used in retail stores and art galleries.

Fluorescents can be used almost anywhere. Fixtures using CFLs can be used indoors or outdoors, upstairs or downstairs. The big lighting designers are making beautiful styles – anywhere you want to put lamp or wire in a fixture, you can choose one that’s energy efficient and still have the room look great.

The biggest reason for choosing CFLs is the energy savings. While the up-front cost of a CFL is more than an incandescent bulb, their increased efficiency reduces electricity use by 75-80%, which means they pay for themselves in just few months. Plus, those first few months are just a start – compact fluorescents are rated to run for 8,000-12,000 hours. This means that even with hours of daily use, they can last five, seven and even 10 years or more.

The cost for compact fluorescents is continually going down, as well. Early CFLs cost around $25 per bulb, and while they still paid for themselves in electricity savings, they weren’t attractive to most people looking to replace a burned-out incandescent. Modern innovations and new technology have streamlined CFL design and have also brought down the cost to a fraction of the price, and a single bulb can now be under $3.00.

October is promoted as Energy Month and consumers are encouraged to give them a try. It is a great reason to try a new fluorescent light fixture. If people could start by simply replacing one or two lights in their homes, it could make a huge impact on energy use in our country.

That impact on energy savings is staggering. If every one of 110 million American homes replaced a single 60-watt incandescent fixture with one using a compact fluorescent, the energy saved would be enough to power a city of 1.5 million people, or the equivalent of taking 1.3 million cars off the road with the reduction in oil usage and greenhouse gas emissions.