See the Light on Energy Savings: Brightest Light Bulb Options

Jan 12, 2010 | Energy Efficiency

Snapshot | How to choose

An incandescent bulb

Halogen lights

A compact fluorescent light bulb
LED (light-emitting diodes) bulbs
Snapshot

Lighting is one of the biggest and easiest opportunities to reduce energy usage and costs. Since lighting accounts for one-fifth of the energy used in U.S. buildings, it's worth optimizing your lighting: It can save you money and improve comfort, convenience, and even productivity.

Replacing inefficient bulbs-technically referred to as "lamps"-is a great place to start. First, get to know what types of lamps you have.

• Incandescent bulbs

The most common lighting source found in homes is the old-fashioned light bulb, also known as the incandescent light. When you realize that incandescent bulbs produce more heat than light (about 90% of the energy consumed by an incandescent bulb is emitted as heat rather than visible light) you see why these are not the most efficient choice. While incandescent bulbs are still relatively cheap, their higher energy consumption and shorter life actually make them one of the most expensive ways to light your home.

• Halogen bulbs

Halogen bulbs showed up in homes around the 1990s, usually in track lights, torchieres, and desk lights. They are another type of incandescent bulb so they're also good candidates for replacement. In some fixtures, halogens produced so much heat they were a fire hazard!

• CFLs

Compact fluorescent lamps, or "CFLs," are the fastest-growing light source used in homes, because they provide a lot more light for a lot less power than incandescents. CFLs are often associated with a characteristic spiral shape, but they come in other shapes, too. CFLs use about 75% less energy than incandescent lamps to produce the same amount of light, and they last about 10 times longer. See the article on CFLs.

• LEDs

Light-emitting diodes, or "LEDs," take energy efficiency even further. They're most commonly used as indicator lights in devices as well as for traffic signals, exit signs, flashlights, and holiday lights. LEDs are similar to CFLs in efficacy but last about five times as long. Some LEDs are available for home and general lighting applications, but they're still expensive, and the technology remains unproven for mainstream use.

How to choose

If you have incandescent bulbs in your home, installing CFLs is a fast, easy way to save energy dollars. A wide variety of CFLs-from dimmables and warm lights, to bathroom globe lights and flood lights-are at most hardware and home stores. Also consider:

Form factor: Take stock of your light fixtures and identify the type of CFLs you need. Use this chart from Energy Star to help.

Light output: Look for lamps with the light output you need. If you don't know what light output you need, you can use your incandescent lamps as a guide and consult this chart chart comparing common incandescent lamps and their "equivalent" CFLs. You can even bring your incandescents to the store with you.

Color temperature: Today's CFLs can emanate the same warm, yellowish white light of incandescent bulbs. They're actually available in a range of colors to suit your preferences.

Lamp life: The life expectancy of different types of lamps varies widely. Light output decreases over time as lamps age and accumulate dirt. The following table shows the typical ranges:

Type of Lamp Typical Rated Life (hours) Incandescent 750 to 1,000 Incandescent R30 Reflectors 2,000 Halogen MR16 2,000 to 4,000 CFLs 8,000 to 10,000 LEDs 40,000 to 50,000 Keywords: light bulbs, bulbs, incandescent, incandescent bulbs, CFLs, CFL, Compact Fluorescent, Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, Compact Fluorescent Lamps, CFLs vs LEDs, CFL vs LED, CFL vs Incandescent, CFLs vs Incandescent, Halogen, Halogen vs CFL, Halogen vs Incandescent, energy efficient lighting, energy efficient light bulbs, efficient bulbs, energy saving bulbs, CRI, color rendering index, bulb color, light color, lamp life, best lightbulbs, fluorescent light bulbs, replacement light bulbs, compact bulbs