If you’ve found yourself in the market for new lightbulbs recently, you’ve likely faced what seem like infinite options. Recent innovations have brought us all kinds of new light technology. From lightbulbs designed to react to sound waves (yep) to those intended to fight off deadly bacteria (seriously, this is a real thing), what used to be a simple source of light continues to evolve.
But when you simply need a new bulb for your bedside lamp, how do you know that you are making the right decision? Which lightbulbs are designed to be better for the environment and to help us cut back on our electric bills?
We tackle these and other frequently asked questions about lightbulbs below. The simple fact is that LEDs bulbs use 75% less energy than incandescent lighting.
In a word: many! But here are three of the most popular:
Incandescent, CFL, and LED bulbs all require different amounts of energy. But it’s LED bulbs that we really think you should be paying attention to.
Technically, LED bulbs aren’t bulbs -- LED stands for “light-emitting diode.” They’re tiny semiconductors (diodes) wrapped in plastic to protect the elements and focus the light. According to Dictionary.com, a diode is “a semiconductor device with two terminals, typically allowing the flow of current in one direction only.” The current comes into an anode (+) and flows out of a cathode (-). LEDs don’t even have wire filaments like a lightbulb does.
When we talk about a “regular lightbulb,” we mean an incandescent bulb, the type that’s been around since Thomas Edison patented his invention in . These bulbs have filaments that glow, producing both heat and light when energy flows through them. LEDs, on the other hand, have electrons that flow to create photons – light we can see. Photons generate almost no heat. LEDs also require much less energy to create the same amount of brightness as incandescent lights, and last much longer.
LEDs use much less energy than incandescent bulbs because diode light is much more efficient, power-wise, than filament light.
LED bulbs use more than 75% less energy than incandescent lighting. At low power levels, the difference is even larger. Bright LED flood lamps use only 11 to 12 watts while creating a light output comparable to a 50-watt incandescent bulb. Another advantage of LEDs is the “hassle factor.” LEDs last a lot longer than a regular bulb.
CFL bulbs are also more efficient than incandescent bulbs because of how they produce light. According to Energy Star, “In a CFL, an electric current is driven through a tube containing argon and a small amount of mercury vapor. This generates invisible ultraviolet light that excites a fluorescent coating (called phosphor) on the inside of the tube, which then emits visible light.”
You may know CFLs as the bulbs that are dim at first and take a while to warm up to full brightness. Once the electricity starts moving inside them, however, these bulbs use about 70% less energy than incandescent bulbs. So they’re not quite as efficient as LEDs, and they have a shorter lifespan.
The initial cost of an LED used to be about double what an incandescent bulb cost. But the costs have been coming down, and now it’s hard to find bulbs that aren’t LEDs. That’s because they’re so much more efficient than incandescent bulbs that they save money in the long term. That’s made them the go-to product for the lighting industry.
The average American home has around 40 lightbulbs. Replacing all of those with LEDs could result in savings of $300 a year on energy costs (if they’re incandescent bulbs -- if you have CFLs, you can wait until they burn out to replace them with LEDs). That more than makes up for the slightly higher upfront cost of LEDs.
Originally, many people preferred CFLs over LEDs because they throw a broader beam of light, making them better in floor lamps. But LED technology is constantly improving, and LEDs now emit broader, warmer light.
What makes LEDs and CFL bulbs so much more efficient than incandescent bulbs is how much energy they use to create a certain amount of light. When we talk about wattage, no two bulbs are created equal. While a 1,000-watt bulb of any type will use the same amount of energy, it will emit a completely different level of light with that energy. That’s why it’s crucial to look at brightness, or lumens, when comparing bulbs.
A lumen is a measurement of light. If LEDs, CFLs, and incandescents all have the same lumens, they have equal brightness. You can find lumens listed on lightbulb packaging. For the most efficient light, find the lumen output you want (the bigger, the brighter) and choose the bulb with the lowest wattage. LEDs will probably win in every case.
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Another advantage of LEDs is the “hassle factor.” LEDs last a lot longer than a regular bulb, which means you save the hassle of searching for the drawer you stashed the lightbulbs in -- not to mention money on new bulbs. Manufacturers say an LED lasts for approximately 10 years, or 100,000 hours of continuous use.
Most people now understand that LEDs save energy, but may still hesitate to pay the higher price for LEDs. But it’s worth it.
Let’s do a simple calculation to compare the efficiency and savings from different bulbs. We’ll assume that we’ve got a 100-watt incandescent bulb, just to keep the math easy, and that a kWh of energy costs 15 cents.
Everyone’s numbers will vary slightly based on the cost of electricity in their community, but check out these charts from Viribright and Eartheasy for more real-world comparisons. Then start replacing your lightbulbs with LEDs! They do make a difference.
Don’t throw them away! You should always recycle bulbs, partly for safety -- CFL bulbs contain mercury vapor that could be released into the atmosphere and stormwater runoff if the bulb breaks in a landfill -- and partly for efficiency. Parts of the bulb can be reused. Gather your bulbs carefully and bring them to your local hazardous waste center.
LEDs don’t contain mercury and so legally can be thrown in the trash, but it’s still better to recycle them. See their positive environmental impact through to the end!
LED stands for light emitting diode. LED lighting products produce light up to 90% more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs. How do they work? An electrical current passes through a microchip, which illuminates the tiny light sources we call LEDs and the result is visible light. To prevent performance issues, the heat LEDs produce is absorbed into a heat sink.
The useful life of LED lighting products is defined differently than that of other light sources, such as incandescent or compact fluorescent lighting (CFL). LEDs typically do not “burn out” or fail. Instead, they experience ‘lumen depreciation’, wherein the brightness of the LED dims slowly over time. Unlike incandescent bulbs, LED “lifetime” is established on a prediction of when the light output decreases by 30 percent.
LEDs are incorporated into bulbs and fixtures for general lighting applications. Small in size, LEDs provide unique design opportunities. Some LED bulb solutions may physically resemble familiar light bulbs and better match the appearance of traditional light bulbs. Some LED light fixtures may have LEDs built in as a permanent light source. There are also hybrid approaches where a non-traditional “bulb” or replaceable light source format is used and specially designed for a unique fixture. LEDs offer a tremendous opportunity for innovation in lighting form factors and fit a wider breadth of applications than traditional lighting technologies.
LEDs use heat sinks to absorb the heat produced by the LED and dissipate it into the surrounding environment. This keeps LEDs from overheating and burning out. Thermal management is generally the single most important factor in the successful performance of an LED over its lifetime. The higher the temperature at which the LEDs are operated, the more quickly the light will degrade, and the shorter the useful life will be.
LED products use a variety of unique heat sink designs and configurations to manage heat. Today, advancements in materials have allowed manufacturers to design LED bulbs that match the shapes and sizes of traditional incandescent bulbs. Regardless of the heat sink design, all LED products that have earned the ENERGY STAR have been tested to ensure that they properly manage the heat so that the light output is properly maintained through the end of its rated life.
LED lighting differs from incandescent and fluorescent in several ways. When designed well, LED lighting is more efficient, versatile, and lasts longer.
LEDs are “directional” light sources, which means they emit light in a specific direction, unlike incandescent and CFL, which emit light and heat in all directions. That means LEDs are able to use light and energy more efficiently in a multitude of applications. However, it also means that sophisticated engineering is needed to produce an LED light bulb that shines light in every direction.
Common LED colors include amber, red, green, and blue. To produce white light, different color LEDs are combined or covered with a phosphor material that converts the color of the light to a familiar “white” light used in homes. Phosphor is a yellowish material that covers some LEDs. Colored LEDs are widely used as signal lights and indicator lights, like the power button on a computer.
In a CFL, an electric current flows between electrodes at each end of a tube containing gases. This reaction produces ultraviolet (UV) light and heat. The UV light is transformed into visible light when it strikes a phosphor coating on the inside of the bulb.
Incandescent bulbs produce light using electricity to heat a metal filament until it becomes “white” hot or is said to incandesce. As a result, incandescent bulbs release 90% of their energy as heat.
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