| RSS Web Feed for Renewable Energy UK |  | REUK Shop | Directory | Bookmark Site | About Us  

Benefits of CFL Lighting



Benefits Of CFL Lighting

Understand the benefits of Compact Flourescent Lighting (CFL).

lighting | energy efficiency
Printer Friendly Version Print Article     

25% of a typical home's electricity budget is spent on lighting inefficient incandescent light bulbs. A typical light bulb will cost 5 to 10 times its own cost in electricity during its relatively short lifetime. However there are alternatives. Compact Fluorescent Lights are miniature versions of full-sized strip flourescent lighting and screw straight into the light fitting.
CFL Lightbulb

Efficiency of CFL Bulbs

CFL bulbs are around four times as efficent as incandescent light bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. Therefore a 22 Watt CFL will offer the same amount of light as a 100 Watt incandescent bulb and will last for around five years. Using an 18 Watt CFL in place of a 75 Watt standard light bulb will save over 500 kWh over its lifetime offering savings of around £25 - far in excess of the initial cost of the CFL - and will prevent half a ton of CO2 being pumped into the atmosphere by power stations.

Where can CFL Bulbs be Used

CFLs can be used in almost all locations where incandescent light bulbs are used. However the lifetime of a CFL is reduced greatly when used in applications where the light is frequently switched on and off. Also sometimes they are unsuitable for use with dimmer switches, and they cannot be used as spot lights - they are better for lighting whole rooms.

Disadvantages of CFL Bulbs

CFLs do have their disadvantages - for example the average CFL bulb contains 4mg of toxic Mercury.
Article Last Modified: 16:46, 21st Feb 2007

Comment on this Article

If you have any comments on this article, please email them to neil@reuk.co.uk.


Recommended Related Articles

People who read this article also enjoyed the following articles:

LED Spotlights
Find out about Energy Efficient LED spotlights
Article Last Modified: 14:31, 29th Jul 2008
lighting

240V LED Light Bulbs
Find out more about 240 Volt LED lightbulbs and spotlights
Article Last Modified: 16:26, 11th Apr 2009
lighting

Shed and Garage Solar Lighting
Light your shed or garage with solar powered lighting
Article Last Modified: 16:47, 12th Nov 2008
lighting | solar

12 Volt Deep Cycle Batteries for Solar
Buy deep cycle 12V batteries for small scale solar powered projects
Article Last Modified: 16:27, 12th Nov 2008
storage | shopping

Ways to Save Electricity
Find out how you can save electricity in your home - help the environment and save money.
Article Last Modified: 12:50, 1st Jun 2007
energy efficiency | general

Cree LED Spotlights
Find out more about Cree LED spotlights - replace inefficient halogen bulbs
Article Last Modified: 14:33, 29th Jul 2008
lighting | shopping | energy efficiency

How To Make MR16 LED Spotlights
Find out how to make your own LED spotlight bulbs
Article Last Modified: 10:43, 10th Feb 2007
lighting | education

Toxic Mercury in CFL Bulbs
CFL Light Bulbs Still Contain Toxic Mercury
Article Last Modified: 16:40, 21st Feb 2007
lighting

Put Together an REUK Solar Lighting Kit
Full construction plans for solar powered shed or garage lighting using LED spotlights
Article Last Modified: 14:36, 25th Apr 2007
solar | lighting | electric circuit

Review of Megaman Energy Saving Lightbulbs
Find out more about the Megaman range of CFL energy saving lightbulbs
Article Last Modified: 10:53, 5th Sep 2008
lighting | energy efficiency | carbon | shopping

© 2006-2009 REUK - All Rights Reserved
Page Last Updated on 6th November 2009 at 01:36:09pm

Latest
Articles


Drying Clothes Indoors
Tips on drying clothes indoors without a tumble drier
energy efficiency
15:57, 29th Oct 2009

Google Powermeter
Google Powermeter - an online tool to track your home or office electricity consumption in real time online
energy efficiency
13:23, 29th Oct 2009

UK Renewable Energy Degree Courses
Study renewable energy at university in the UK
education
11:18, 29th Oct 2009

Solar Charge Controller
Find out more about Solar Charge Controllers
solar
11:12, 29th Oct 2009

Storing Wind Power with Compressed Air
Find out how wind power can be stored and sold at times of peak demand
wind
07:51, 9th Oct 2009

Simple Solar Water Preheating System
Use solar power to pre-heat water and reduce electricity/gas consumption
solar
14:47, 7th Oct 2009

Battery Desulfation
Find out how to desulfate/desulphate and rejuvenate lead acid batteries
storage
16:56, 5th Oct 2009

Drayton SHR52120 Solar Thermal Controller
Find out more about (and buy) the Drayton SHR 521 20 solar thermal controller
solar
11:44, 3rd Oct 2009



REUK Shop

Popular Items


REUK SUPER TIMER
User programmable 12V powered 10A rated repeating relay timer. 1 second to 99 hours ON and OFF times
£19.99 each.
Complete Circuits



SOLAR PUMP CONTROLLER WITH RELAY
Solar water heating system microprocessor controlled circuit with fitted 10A relay
£25.99 each.
Complete Circuits



12 VOLT 5 WATT SOLAR PANEL
Waterproof 12 Volt 5 Watt Solar Panel with aluminium frame - 290mm x 205mm x 17mm with fitted 5m leads
£33.99 each.
Solar Power



300 WATT POWER INVERTER
Convert 12V DC battery power into 230 AC to power portable televisions, computers, video recorders etc. 300 Watt power rating - peak power 600 Watts
£29.99 each.
Renewable Energy System Parts



CONVERTED PROGRAMMABLE DIGITAL TIMER RELAY
Mains powered programmable timer converted to low voltage with relay board
£21.99 each.
Renewable Energy System Parts



12 VOLT REGULATOR
Supply a fixed 12.0 Volt DC to your devices (up to 1 Amp output)
£4.99 each.
Complete Circuits



MR16 CERAMIC BULB HOLDER
Bulb holder for 12 Volt LED spotlight bulbs
£1.39 each.
Energy Efficient Lighting