Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL)

Lighting is the most visible form of energy use. When the light is on, you’re using energy. What is not as obvious is how much energy is being consumed. The incandescent bulb has been around for over 100 years and the basic technology has not changed. Its popularity is due to its good colour rendition and low capital cost. (Colour rendition is defined as how well object colours are seen under a particular light source). However, the incandescent is the least efficient lamp available with over 90 per cent of the energy being given off as heat and less than 10 per cent as light.

The compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) is now an excellent replacement for the incandescent due to improved colour, long life and very good payback.

CFLs are four times more efficient and last up-to-10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. The economics for CFLs are dependent on the cost of the lamp, which can vary from one retailer to another. The payback period for CFLs is less than one year for a lamp operating eight hours per day, and the lamp will not burn out during that time under normal operating conditions.

The first step to consider with CFLs is to conduct an inventory of the number of lamps in the home, noting wattage size and estimate the number of hours they are on. Any lamp operating more than four hours per day could be a candidate for a compact fluorescent.

CFLs come with a screw-in base where the lamp and ballast are a single component, making their installation as simple as changing a light bulb. This option is the most common for residential use.

CFLs offer the potential for significant economic and environmental savings. The average residence can have in excess of 40 incandescent lamps. For new homes, a versatile range of different lamp-ballast configurations is available that can provide a comfortable, productive and well-illuminated space if properly used.

The wattage replacement figures in Table 1 illustrate suggested CFL wattage replacements for current incandescent lighting. Lamps may vary on their lumen output by manufacturer. Lumens are a measure of the quantity of light measured by a source. The best way to compare efficiencies is using lumens per watt for the lamps being replaced. The payback for CFLs is usually less than one year.

Table 1

Standard Incandescent Lamp (watts)	Energy Star^® Qualified CFL (approximate equivalent watts)	Minimum Light Output (lumens)
40	9 -13	450
60	13 - 15	800
75	18 - 25	1100
100	25 - 30	1600
150	30 - 52	2600

Compact fluorescent disposal
Contact your local municipal waste management department to determine how best to dispose of CFLs.

Read Climate Change Central's article The New CFL: Cheaper, Prettier, Smarter

Fluorescent versus Incandescent Light Bulbs
Popular Mechanics magazine tested fluorescent against incandescent light bulbs. Read the results.