COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHTS
Compact fluorescent lights have been designed with energy efficiency in mind. Much smaller than regular fluorescent tubes, they are designed to replace incandescent bulbs. Older units had built-in magnetic ballasts, so the first lamps were quite bulky, and some did not fit well as a direct incandescent replacement. Today’s lights screw into existing lamp sockets and come in a variety of shapes and sizes with color rendering very close to that of incandescent bulbs. Despite their higher initial price, compact fluorescent lights, are cheaper to use than incandescent bulbs when energy savings and longer life are taken into consideration.
Our new generation of Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) meet the stringent criteria of ENERGY STAR for long-life, energy savings, start time, color and brightness. Our ENERGY STAR labeled CFLs feature designs that distribute the light symmetrically, providing high-quality, warm and inviting light without the flickering and humming of older fluorescent bulbs.
The standard incandescent bulbs currently lighting your home have changed very little from Thomas Edison's first light bulb in 1879. Only 10% of the energy used by these standard bulbs contributes to light; the other 90% is wasted as heat. Our energy efficient Luminus CFLs convert about 50% of the Electricity used into light.
Advanced technology enables Luminus CFLs to use 75% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. This means that over the life of one CFL, you can avoid replacing up to 10 incandescent bulbs!
Luminus CFLs provide the same high-quality light as incandescent bulbs.
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 that you can typically expect when replacing an incandescent with a Luminus compact fluorescent. In this example, we've estimated that the compact fluorescent bulb lasts as long as 10 incandescent bulbs. Savings over the 7-year life of the compact fluorescent bulb are quite significant.
| Lighting Cost Comparison * | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Bulb / CFL Replacement Cost | Annual Energy Cost @ $0.10 | Annual Energy Cost @ $0.08 | Annual Energy Cost @ $0.06 | |
| 100 watt bulb on 12 hrs per day |
$ 2.19 | $ 43.80 | $ 35.04 | $ 26.28 |
| 23 watt CFL on 12 hours per day |
$ 1.31 | $ 10.07 | $ 8.06 | $ 6.04 |
| 100 watt bulb on 4 hours per day |
$ 0.73 | $ 14.60 | $ 11.68 | $ 8.77 |
| 23 watt CFL on 4 hours per day |
$ 0.44 | $ 3.36 | $ 2.67 | $ 2.02 |
| 60 watt bulb on 12 hours per day |
$ 2.19 | $ 26.28 | $ 21.02 | $ 15.77 |
| 13 watt CFL on 12 hours per day |
$ 1.09 | $ 5.69 | $ 4.55 | $ 3.41 |
| 60 watt bulb on 4 hours per day |
$ 0.73 | $ 8.76 | $ 7.01 | $ 5.26 |
| 13 watt CFL on 4 hours per day |
$ 0.36 | $ 1.90 | $ 1.52 | $ 1.14 |
As you can see from the chart above, the cost of the bulb is the least costly factor in the lighting cycle. The cost of electricity to run the bulbs far outweighs the cost of the bulbs.
Applications
New technologies for compact fluorescent bulbs make it possible to use them almost anywhere that incandescent bulbs are used. This includes enclosed lighting, recessed lighting, track lighting and outdoor lighting. 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. They are most economical in applications where lighting is needed for long periods of time, such as corridor, security lighting or porch lights. Since they have a rated life of 10,000 hours, as compared to 1,000 hours for incandescent bulbs, maintenance requirements are dramatically reduced – particularly where fixtures are difficult to reach and burned-out lights are time consuming to replace.
Screw base compact fluorescent lights do have some technical limitations and are not always recommended for use in combination with electronic timers and photocells. They do not work with any dimmers and they do work with all mechanical timers.
Cost of Electricity/KWH*
Major Canadian Cities as of May 2006 (does not include applicable taxes)
*Based on 1000KWH/mth (Canadian avg.)
| Vancouver, BC | $ 0.0641 |
|---|---|
| Edmonton, AB | $ 0.1022 |
| Regina, SK | $ 0.1043 |
| Winnipeg, MB | $ 0.0630 |
| Toronto, ON | $ 0.1114 |
| Ottawa, ON | $ 0.1009 |
| Montreal, QC | $ 0.0660 |
| Moncton, NB | $ 0.1014 |
| Charlottetown, PE | $ 0.1215 |
| Halifax, NS | $ 0.1121 |
| St.John’s, NL | $ 0.0988 |
Questions and Comments
If you have any questions or comments about Compact Fluorescent Lights, please email them to cfl@conglom.com