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Compact
fluorescent light bulbs are more energy-efficient than standard bulbs
because of the different method they use to produce light. Incandescent
bulbs create light by heating a filament inside the bulb; the
electricity makes the filament white-hot, producing the light that you
see. Most of the energy used in an incandescent bulb is wasted through
generating heat instead of light.
A fluorescent
bulb, on the other hand, does not have to convert the energy to heat in
order to generate light. Because fluorescent lamps don't use heat to
create light, they are far more energy-efficient than regular
incandescent bulbs.
The technology behind laptop computer
screens, LEDs are greener than standard incandescent, and even
fluorescent, light bulbs because they generate almost no waste heat.
Most of the electricity used is output as light. LEDs remain cool to
the touch, so they don't add excess heat into living spaces, which
means less cooling is needed. They last for literally hundreds of
thousands of hours, meaning they can go years before they need to be
changed, thereby cutting down on landfill waste.
In terms of
cost, size and brightness, LEDs are getting better all the time, and
are seeing many new applications. Even the best LEDs still aren't
really bright enough for use in primary indoor or outdoor lighting, but
they work great for accent and decorative applications.
Try the CFL Savings Calculator:
http://www.yfsinternational.com/calculator.asp
Greener Country encourages the recycling of all mercury-containing
light bulbs,
including compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) after they burn out.
The EPA is working with manufacturers and major U.S. retailers to
develop,
implement or expand recycling options. Household hazardous waste
collection facilities usually accept these lamps. You can find more
information about these collection and/or recycling programs
at Earth911.org.
Greener Country recycles used CFL's in its store front in Bohemia, NY
via Veolia Environmental Systems.
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