Interior Lighting
Compact Fluorescent Lighting
When you replace standard incandescent light bulbs with high-efficiency
compact fluorescent bulbs, you can reduce your lighting costs by up to
75%. In addition, compact fluorescent bulbs can last up to 10 times longer
than incandescent bulbs-about 10,000 hours - saving money on replacement
costs as well.
Compact Fluorescent Screw-In Replacement Bulbs
The two-piece compact fluorescent has a bulb that plugs into a reusable
screw-in ballast adapter. These ballasts have an average life of 45,000-50,000
hours.
One-piece compact fluorescents are sold as a complete bulb/ballast
unit. When the bulb needs to be replaced, the entire unit must be replaced.
However, these bulbs last about 10 time longer than standard incandescent
bulbs.
Circline bulbs are fluorescent tubes in the shape of a circle. They can
be screwed in to replace incandescent bulbs, and can be plugged into a
reusable ballast or purchased as a one-piece unit.
The following table lists several standard incandescent bulbs and the
compact fluorescents that can replace them.
| Incandescent |
Compact Fluorescent* |
| 60 Watts |
15 Watts |
| 75 Watts |
20 Watts |
| 90 Watts |
23 Watts |
| 100 Watts |
28 Watts |
|
* This comparison is an approximation. The actual
lumens or light output may vary from bulb to bulb.
|
Energy Savings
Although compact fluorescent bulbs initially cost more than incandescent
bulbs, they use less energy and last longer. The following chart shows
the potential life-cycle savings when replacing a 75 Watt incandescent
with a 20 Watt compact fluorescent. In this example, we've estimated that
the compact fluorescent bulb lasts as long as 10 incandescent bulbs.
Estimated savings over the 10-year life of the compact
fluorescent bulb are more than $38.
| Bulb |
Retail Cost |
Annual Energy
Cost Per Bulb* |
Total Annual Energy Cost |
| 75 watt incandescent |
$7.50 ($.75 x 10) |
$6.07 |
$60.70 |
| 20 watt compact fluorescent |
$13 ($13 x 1) |
$1.70 |
$1.70 |
| * Based on 1,000 hours of use per year
at a cost of $0.085 per kWh of electricity |
Applications
New technologies for compact fluorescent bulbs make it possible to place
them almost anywhere that incandescent bulbs are used. This includes enclosed
lighting, recessed lighting, track lighting and outdoor lighting. For
help selecting the right bulb for your particular needs, we suggest
checking with a local lighting supplier. To save the most energy place
them where they will be used most frequently, and for long periods of
time. For instance, in your kitchen, living room or family room, in the
family bath, and in reading lamps.
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