Center on Sustainable Communities, Residential Building Education, Building Green Neighborhoods, Iowa

Approximately 95% of the energy output of a standard incandescent light bulb is given off as heat, while only 5% is given off as light. What are the other options out there?

CFLs: Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs are a smaller version of the fluorescent tubes everyone is familiar with.

Use 50 – 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs
Last up to 10 times longer than incandescents
Replacing one incandescent with one CFL will reduce CO2 emissions by 700 - 1,000 lbs. over its lifetime
Can be installed into a standard socket
Use the “15 minute rule” - the life of the bulb is decreased when a CFL is frequently turned on an off. If you’re leaving the room for less than 15 minutes, leave the CFL turned on.
Can’t all be used on dimmers
Should be covered if used outdoors
Not recommended for spotlighting
Contain small amounts of mercury and must be disposed of properly to prevent contamination
When choosing a CFL, compare Lumens (amount of light produced), not Watts (energy usage), to the current incandescent light bulb

LEDs: Light Emitting Diodes have generally been used in electronic clocks and panels and Christmas lights, but are making their way to the mainstream market.

Use 50% less energy than incandescent bulbs - are becoming more efficient every year while CFLs are not7
Last up to 133 times longer than incandescents and 10 times longer than CFLs – 100,000 to 1 million hrs1
Very durable
Produce 96% less heat than incandescent lamps
Replacing one incandescent with one LED will reduce CO2 emissions by over 9,000 lbs. over its lifetime (EcoLEDs brand)
Do not contain mercury
Not recommended for flood lighting – they don’t have a “lamp”, but have a lens that focuses and directs light
Can be used with dimmers
Turn on instantly and don’t wear down when turned on and off frequently
The initial cost is much higher, but LEDs pay for themselves in 1-2 years

More efficient than CFLs
Last twice as long as incandescent lamps
Save 20% of the energy of incandescents
Operate at slightly higher temperatures, and put out UV rays at a slightly higher rate than incandescents

One CFL contains enough mercury to poison 7,000 gallons of fresh water, so it is important to dispose of CFLs and fluorescent tubes properly to avoid mercury poisoning or contamination. The best option is to take them to the local hazardous waste collection center. For the Des Moines area, this is located:

Regional Collection Center
1105 Prairie Drive SW
Bondurant, Iowa 50035
(515) 967-5512

Look for Energy Star CFLs. These have been certified with known mercury levels, and usually have a longer lifetime.

You can also go online and order a bucket to collect your old CFLs and ship it back for recycling when it's full. Visit www.lamprecycling.com for more information.

Another way to increase the efficiency of your lighting is to install dimmers. Dimmers decrease the amount of energy a light bulb is using, and therefore increase the efficiency of any type of bulb you choose to use.

To get the most out of your dimmer, be sure to match the type of dimmer with the specific type of light bulb you are going to install.

Be aware that a CFL may say “dimmable” on the box, but the fine print may say “not to be used with dimmers”.

Resources

Lighting Options