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Well aware of consumers’ perennial discontent with compact fluorescent lamps, the lighting industry is aggressively developing technology to manufacture a wider variety of green light sources that can accommodate different lighting requirements and consumer preferences. These bulbs, which include light emitting diode (LED) and high-efficiency halogen lamps, are more efficient than traditional lamps and are mercury-free. Energy-efficient halogen bulbs and high quality LEDs also cast a robust white light that’s comfortable and flattering in family rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens.
Energy-Efficient Halogen Bulbs and LEDs
Powerful and reliable, high-efficiency halogen lamps and LEDs are valuable for their electricity savings like their CFL cousins, but also offer important advantages if used properly.
- Halogen Lamps: Depending on bulb type, high-efficiency halogen lamps are 30-40% more energy-efficient than a traditional incandescent bulb. 100% mercury-free, energy-efficient halogen bulbs also reach maximum brightness instantly and dim effortlessly down to 5% of maximum light level. They are compatible with motion control and photo sensors and yield full light output regardless of ambient temperature. Their 3,000 to 4,200 hour average rated life out-of-the-box increases when regularly dimmed with a dimmer switch.
- Light Emitting Diode (LED) Lamps: High quality, direct replacement LED lamps, while still somewhat scarce and pricey, are unique for several reasons:
- Extremely long life – 35,000 to 50,000 hours (3 to 5 times longer than CFLs and not diminished by frequent on / off switching)
- High efficacy – Typically 40 – 50 lumens per watt (similar to CFLs and 4 to 5 times greater than traditional incandescents)
- High color rendering – From 85 to 92 on a scale of 1-100. Superior to CFLs in this regard, these lamps richly showcase colors
- Emit virtually no ultraviolet light – Won’t cause colors to fade or attract insects
- Instant-on – Unlike CFLs, reach maximum brightness instantly regardless of room temperature
Since high quality LEDs are costly, from a financial standpoint, their optimal use is in fixtures that are typically lit for 6+ hours each day. In a typical home, such fixtures might be a desk lamp in a home-based office, under cabinet lighting in a kitchen or family room, or an exterior decorative luminaire kept on from dusk to dawn for that “someone’s home” look.