Forget
about the fluorescent lighting of the past. Technological developments
have allowed modern day fluorescents to perform drastically better than
fluorescents from even a decade ago, advancing so much that certain colors
meet or exceed the quality of light and luminance levels of top incandescents
and halogens, and today’s fluorescents do it much more efficiently,
saving money, time and earth’s natural resources.
Efficiency
Today’s fluorescents are even more energy-efficient than those of
ten years ago, because the electronic ballasts work in a way that causes
the lamps to use less energy to start and operate. Electronic ballasts
operate at over 20,000 cycles per second as opposed to conventional magnetic
ballasts, which alternate at 60 cycles per second. Operating at this higher
frequency, electronic ballasts increase lamp efficacy by 10-15% and completely
eliminate hum and flicker.
Flicker
Flicker is completely eliminated with today’s energy-efficient technology.
Electronic ballasts operate at over 20,000 cycles per second, as opposed
to conventional magnetic ballasts that alternate at 60 cycles per second.
Another type of flicker is a visual hesitation such as a light taking
a while to “warm” up before experiencing full power. New electronic
ballasts eliminate that too.
Hum
When a rock is in a hubcap, slow speeds create noise. As a car moves at
a faster pace, the noise from the rock in the hubcap is virtually eliminated.
Similarly, magnetic ballasts that alternate at 60 cycles per second create
a hum, while electronic ballasts, operating at over 20,000 cycles per
second, move so quickly that hum doesn’t develop.
Size
Although long, slender fluorescent lamps or tubes are still in use, compact
fluorescent lamps (CFL) have made use in residential applications easier.
Although typical CFLs are around the size of A-19 incandescent bulbs,
small lamps are comparable to candelabra bulbs. Larger CFLs are similar
to floodlights, meaning there’s a CFL for every part of the home.
Color Temperature
The color temperature of a lamp indicates the actual color of light the
lamp casts. Measured in Kelvin degrees, the lower temperature, the “warmer”
looking the bulb. A higher temperature will create a “cooler”
looking bulb. Most people prefer between 2000k and 5000k, which ranges
between light emitted from an incandescent to sunlight – much different
than the eerie blue fluorescents of the past. Please see the chart below.
Color Rendering Index
Color Rendering is different from Color Temperature. Where Color Temperature
describes the color of light a particular bulb reflects, the Color Rendering
Index (CRI) describes the effect a light source has on the color appearance
of an object, meaning how accurately light reflects the true color of
an object. CRI rates light sources on a scale of 0 to 100 with higher
CRIs being closer to the natural color of objects. 80+ CRI is considered
excellent and is often used in retail stores to make the surroundings
and product look more appealing.
Physical Heat Temperature
Emitting about 80% less heat than an incandescent bulb of equal lumen
output, a compact fluorescent lamp is cooler to touch. A 26-watt compact
fluorescent lamp (CFL) produces about 10 watts of light and 16 watts of
heat. A 100-watt incandescent bulb produces 10 watts of light and 90 watts
of heat.
But how hot are they? We tested several different lamps to find out. When
comparing a 75W A19 (standard bulb) incandescent bulb with a 75W PAR 30
halogen spot and a 26W quad 4-pin compact fluorescent lamp * all with
similar lumen outputs * this was what we discovered:
At the hottest accessible part of the bulbs, the 75W A19 was 236°
F; the 75W PAR 30 was 498° F, and the 26W CFL was 145° F. When
you considered the boiling point of water is most commonly referred to
as 212° F (depending on altitude and barometric pressure), heat becomes
an issue. Not only should you be concerned about physically burning your
skin when replacing a bulb, think about how hard your air conditioner
works, during warm weather.
About The Test
With all lamps mounted vertically, thermocouples were placed at the locations
of the hottest accessible parts. The lamps were connected to a supply
circuit of 60Hz and operated with lamp wattage as shown above. The ambient
temperature was measured by means of a thermocouple immersed in a bath
of 15mL of mineral oil in a glass container. The lamps were operated for
a maximum of 7.5 hours, and a temperature was considered stable when three
consecutive readings, taken at 30-minute intervals, indicated no change.
Cost
• Fixtures with electronic ballasts are competitively priced with
magnetic ballasts and in some cases are lower.
• The price of energy-efficient fixtures to comparable incandescent
and halogen fixtures are also competitive.
• The initial cost of an energy-efficient lamp is more than an incandescent
or halogen bulb, however it saves money in operational costs, resulting
in a cheaper power bill. Often energy-efficient bulbs will pay for themselves
within the first year.
Life
• Today’s energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps last
10,000 hours as opposed to1000 hours for incandescent lamps and 2000 hours
for halogen lamps.
• Today’s energy-efficient fixtures require less energy to
operate than comparable incandescent and halogen fixtures. Less energy
means less wear on the components of energy-efficient fixtures.
Looks
Bringing energy-efficient lighting a long way from the old 2x4 metal housings,
Progress Lighting offers a variety of high-efficacy fixtures for every
residential application and budget. From Traditional to Modern, decorative
to utilitarian, Progress Lighting includes both interior and exterior
fixtures, and we are proud to create fixtures that will make a difference
in your life and world.
Reliability
All Energy Star qualified fixtures follow National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) guidelines for fire safety. Each fixture model is tested and meets
strict specifications for energy efficiency and quality. Each product
carries a 2-year warranty. |
