LEDs vs. CFLs Efficiency “Depends on Situation”
LED bulbs by Crane work in household fixtures
Click here to listen to this two-part interview on LEDs:
PART I. LED efficiency versus CFL efficiency
For this informative interview, Lisa Cohn, of RealEnergyWriters.com talks with Ron Harwood, president of Illuminating Concepts. Harwood brings the perspective of both an engineer and lighting designer.
Under ideal conditions, Harwood says, LEDs would be about twenty percent more efficient than CFLs. But once you install a CFL into a ceiling fixture, you lose even more efficiency because much of the light is blocked. Meanwhile, LED lamps are designed to point only in the direction light is needed.
Though he believes LEDs will be the “light source of the future,” there are still drawbacks, including high heat, which must be managed by heat sinks, and the environmental effects of extracting the metals and manufacturing the units.
And Harwood advises listeners to make sure that ANY lamp you install into any fixture is approved for that fixture.
Meanwhile, Lisa Cohn points out, “everything to do with light is a lot more complicated than we think.” I have to agree.
For more help in deciding which energy efficient light bulbs to choose for your home, sign up for my FREE six-part mini-course: Six Startling Facts You Need to Know BEFORE Changing another Light Bulb.
New ESL Bulb Technology to the Rescue?
Vu1 (pronounced “view one”) Corporation, of Seattle, announced today a completely new type of energy saving bulb that contains no toxic mercury, yet is almost as efficient as a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL). The new bulbs will last 6,000 hours, comparable to a CFL, and will be sold for half the price of an LED bulb.
According to the company, the new bulbs will generate the same light output as standard incandescent bulbs, using approximately 65-70% less energy. They are also fully dimmable and shine instantly will full brightness, unlike most CFLs.
Many people are looking for alternatives to CFLs, due to concerns about toxic mercury, recycling issues, color problems, and even health effects caused by UV radiation, flickering and EMFs.
The new technology, called electron stimulated luminescence, or ESL, shoots a broad spray of electrons onto a white luminescent coating inside the bulb. As the electrons hit the coating, they stimulate its molecules to give off light. By using a unique combination of chemicals in the coating, the bulb glows with full spectrum light, similar to incandescent bulbs. This way the new technology avoids the off-color appearance of objects under some CFLs and LEDs.
Are you prepared for the changeover to energy efficient lighting? Need help in choosing the best energy saving bulb for each light fixture in your home? The Energy Efficient Light Bulb Buyer’s Guide can help!
Vu1 news release on ESL technology demonstration.