Lighting Choices

We're all used to lighting up dark spaces with the flip of a switch. In fact, people have been doing so since Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb about 130 years ago…and we've used that same old bulb ever since.
Today you'll see more light bulb options in stores. These bulbs will give you the light you want while saving you energy…and money.

Energy Efficient Incandescent Bulb

Check out this bulb. It looks just like a traditional incandescent, and its light looks the same, too. But this is actually an energy-saving incandescent that uses about 25% less energy.

LED Lamp

Or check out this LED. It's the latest innovation to light up our homes and offices.

CFL

And most of us have already seen CFLs. Old CFLs gave off a cool blue light, but today's CFLs come in that warm, "soft white" color you're used to.

ENERGY STAR Bulb

All right, let's say you have a traditional light bulb in your living room. Put an efficient bulb in there, and you get the same light but with about 75% less energy. And ENERGY STAR bulbs last 10 to 25 times longer than traditional bulbs.

Contribution from Lighting to Energy Bill

Lighting your house is no minor expense. It's about 10% of the electricity you use. If you change just 15 old bulbs to energy-saving bulbs, you'll save about $50 dollars a year on your electric bill. Use only the most efficient bulbs, and your savings go up!

So when looking for a new bulb, you'll find more energy-saving choices on store shelves, giving you more options that save you money. And that's a pretty bright idea.

Lighting Type	Efficacy (lumens/watt)	Lifetime (hours)	Color Rendition Index (CRI)	Color Temperature (K)	Indoors/Outdoors
Fluorescent
Straight Tube	30–110	7000–24,000	50–90 (fair to good)	2700–6500 (warm to cold)	Indoors/outdoors
Compact Fluorescent	50–70	10,000	65–88 (good)	2700–6500 (warm to cold)	Indoors/outdoors
Circline	40–50	12,000			Indoors
High-Intensity Discharge
Mercury Vapor	25–60	16,000–24,000	50 (poor to fair)	3,200–7,000 (warm to cold)	Outdoors
Metal Halide	70–115	5,000–20,000	70 (fair)	3,700 (cold)	Indoors/outdoors
High-Pressure Sodium	50–140	16,000–24,000	25 (poor)	2,100 (warm)	Outdoors
Incandescent
Standard "A"	10–17	750–2,500	98–100 (excellent)	2,700–2,800 (warm)	Indoors/outdoors
Energy-Saving Incandescent (or Halogen)	12–22	1,000–4,000	98–100 (excellent)	2,900–3,200 (warm to neutral)	Indoors/outdoors
Reflector	12–19	2,000–3,000	98–100 (excellent)	2,800 (warm)	Indoors/outdoors
Light-Emitting Diodes
Cool White LEDs	60–92	25,000–50,000	70–90 (fair to good)	5000 (cold)	Indoors/ outdoors
Warm White LEDs	27–54	25,000–50,000	70–90 (fair to good)	3300 (neutral)	Indoors/ outdoors
Low-Pressure Sodium	60–150	12,000–18,000	-44 (very poor)		Outdoors

This article was prepared Based on DOE Video

- Save Energy

Like Us