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--Incandescent
--Halogen
--LED (Light-emitting diode)
--CFL (Compact fluorescent light bulbs)
--Who needs light bulbs? I am burning candles!
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Electric heating is expensive but, bulb is being used for light, the heat is a happy by product.
When it's used specifically for heating in a pump room it's still lower than running heating from main house
I am not sure about LED but CFL (having pretty much the same efficiency as LED) exist in 100W equivalent (even 120W). And regarding the light color "temperature" you find all the range from 2700K ("warm") to 5000K, even 6500K ("cold" but much more similar to outdoor, sunlight).
I just bought a CFL 100W equivalent (23W in CFL, $4 at Walgreens) at 5000K, and it lights up the (large) room so well, it's fantastic.
Light Bulb Buying Guide
A quick guide to strategic product selection
Lighting typically accounts for 20% of residential electricity use. This means significant cost savings can be achieved with lighting improvements.
Eco-rate currently recommends compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) as the most energy-efficient and cost-effective option for residential lighting on the market today. Click here to view our Lighting Technologies page. CFLs use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than traditional incandescent light bulbs. However, CFLs do contain mercury, a chemical element with compounds that are extremely toxic to humans and the natural environment. Their use and disposal should be done with caution (see below for responsible disposal tips).
Another drawback to CFLs is that they cannot be produced locally here in the United States. Current U.S. EPA regulations prevent CFLs from being manufactured in the U.S. because of their high mercury levels. Hence, all CFLs are manufactured overseas, with 95% of them coming from China.
We recommend selecting a light bulb on Eco-rate with the highest "Average Eco-rating". This is the product that scores best in terms of environmental impact and price. Amongst other factors, this product emits the most amount of light using the least amount of energy at the best price. Click here to discover how we rate light bulbs.
WHAT ABOUT LEDs? READ ABOUT LIGHT BULB TECHNOLOGY EVOLUTION HERE
Wattage equivalence
Look for the incandescent wattage equivalence of the CFL. This will ensure you are getting the same amount of light when replacing an incandescent bulb with a CFL. CFLs use 75% less energy than incandescents but emit the same amount of light (e.g. a 9-watt CFL bulb can produce as much light as a 37-watt incandescent bulb).
When replacing incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR CFLs, simply refine your CFL product search on Eco-rate by selecting "Equivalent Incandescent Wattage" on the product results page. Click here get started.
Efficiency
Bulb efficiency is measured by the amount of light - or "lumens" - produced per watt of electricity consumed (lumens per watt). The higher number of lumens per watt a light bulb can produce, the more efficient it is. CFLs are more efficient than incandescent bulbs because they use less electricity - or wattage - to produce the same amount of light.
Each CFL bulb featured on Eco-rate includes lumens per watt information. Our Consumption Ratings for light bulbs factor-in lumens per watt. The higher the Consumption Rating, the more lumens per watt the bulb emits and the more efficient it is.
Longevity
Purchase light bulbs with high life hour ratings. Some bulbs on the market today last up to 15,000 life hours, the equivalent of 13.7 years. This is a significant difference when compared to standard incandescent light bulbs, which have typical a life of 750 hours, or less than one year.
Each CFL bulb featured on Eco-rate has an extended life when compared to its incandescent counterpart. Each CFL's stated life hours is factored into our ratings and is viewable under the each product's Specifications tab.
Color
CFLs are available in a variety of shades, ranging from warm yellow to bright white light. Light color is measured on a temperature scale referred to as degree Kelvin (K). Lower Kelvin numbers mean the light appears more yellow; higher Kelvin numbers mean the light appears whiter. If you want to replace your CFLs with warm white/soft white light to match that of incandescent bulbs, choose CFLS with 2700-3000K temperature ratings.
Color Temperature
Soft yellow: 2300-2700K
Warm white/soft white: 2700-3000K
Cool white/bright white: 3100-4100K
Natural/daylight: 4500-6500K
Each CFL bulb featured on Eco-rate includes color temperature and color of light information. Click on a product's Specifications tab to view this information.
Color Rendering Index (CRI)
Another important component of a light bulb is its Color Rendering Index (CRI), or the ability of the bulb to show colors comparable to that of an incandescent. ENERGY STAR requires a CRI of at least 80 for qualified CFLs (incandescent light bulbs have a CRI of 100).
The current challenge for you as the consumer is the fact that manufacturers are not required to list the CRI. When consumers purchase a CFL with an unappealing color, they often digress to the old incandescent technology for familiarities sake. Please resist this urge; find the right CFL for your color preference using Eco-rate, and give it two weeks, in such time your eye will adjust and you won't even notice a difference (the only difference being your lower electric bills!). If CRI is not listed, rely on degree Kelvin for your color choice (see above).
Toxicity
As noted above, CFLs contain on average 4 milligrams of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. By comparison, older thermometers contain approximately 500 milligrams of mercury. Mercury is an element (Hg on the periodic table) found naturally in the environment, however it is highly toxic to human health and the natural environment.
Mercury toxicity of CFLs is reflected in the Toxicity Rating of each CFL bulb featured on Eco-rate.
Disposal
As stated above, CFLs contain mercury, a chemical element with compounds that are extremely toxic, and need to be disposed of properly - not thrown in your wastebasket! You can use Eco-rate's product search tool to find a new light bulb and then select the "Recycle" tab from the product page. You will then be able to use the Earth 911 search widget to find a local location where your old bulbs can be disposed of responsibly.
Your local utility company will also be able to help you know where and how to responsibly dispose of your old bulbs.
How to maximize the performance of your CFLs
Use natural daylight from windows and skylights whenever possible.
Keep your lamps and fixtures clean. Dirt reduces visible light output, which leads to switching on additional lights and/or unnecessary bulb replacement.
Avoid having too many lights controlled by a single switch - this can result in having lights on where and when you don't need them.
Light-colored walls and ceilings reflect about 80% of light that strikes them, and dark-colored surfaces reflect only about 10% of the light. So when you are re-decorating, remember that you will need brighter lights in a room with a dark decor than in a room with light surfaces.
Place floor lamps or table lamps in a corner instead of in the middle of a wall. This will allow light to reflect off two walls, giving you more usable light for your money.
How are light bulbs rated on Eco-rate?
Please click here to discover our light bulb rating system.
Light Bulb Buying Guide
Sponsored by Bulbrite
Choose the Right Bulb for Your Lighting Needs
Choose the right light bulb One bulb is as good as another, right? Actually, no. Choosing the correct light bulb for your various fixtures can save energy, increase safety, and help create the right ambiance. But it's not always easy to select the right bulb. Use this guide to help determine the appropriate bulbs for your fixtures.
Bulb Type Basics
Incandescent bulbs
Incandescent: The incandescent bulb is the one most people are familiar with. Light is created by passing electricity to a filament and heating it until it glows a warm, white light.
Advantages: These bulbs are usually inexpensive, produce a pleasing and consistent white warm light, and are dimmable. Incandescent bulbs are good for many household applications.
Disadvantages: They generally have a short life compared to other bulbs, and they waste energy since they transform energy into heat rather than light, which makes them hot to the touch.
Halogen bulbs
Halogen: A halogen bulb is an incandescent bulb that uses halogen gas and a filament to generate light. To perform properly, the operating temperature of the bulb filament is very high and the halogen gas must be at the appropriate pressure. Quartz glass is used to protect against the increased heat.
Advantages: These bulbs produce a bright white light, tend to have a long life compared to standard incandescents, are dimmable, and offer good beam control. Halogen bulbs are great for displays, accent lighting, task lighting, and under-cabinet usage.
Disadvantages: They're more costly than incandescents and are also very hot to the touch.
CFL bulbs
CFL: To produce light, CFL bulbs use the interaction between mercury and other gases; the resulting glow mimics the warm, white light of incandescents.
Advantages: CFLs are energy efficient and are an easy replacement for inefficient incandescents. They tend to have a long life and come in a wide range of shapes, colors, and sizes. CFLs are great for use at home, as well as commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings.
Disadvantages: They tend to cost more than incandescents and are temperature sensitive. All linear fluorescents require separate ballast.
LED bulbs
LED: An LED bulb houses clusters of light-emitting diodes--tiny electronic chips that glow when electricity passes through them--instead of filaments or gasses.
Advantages: LEDs have a longer lifespan than incandescents because of their energy efficiency (manufacturers are testing Energy Star qualifications), are durable and low maintenance, and are ideal for spotlighting artwork because they don't emit ultraviolet or infrared light, which can often cause fading and other damage.
Disadvantages: LED bulbs tend to be on the expensive side--plus, since they serve as directed light sources, they aren't ideal for ambient lighting.
Thanks for a very good rollup of today's lighting opportunities.
I purchased a new home in 2006 which, even though touted as an energy saver, came equipped with incandescent lighting. I've since replaced all the incandescents and now enjoy a combination of interior and exterior dimmable CFLs, LEDs and Halogen lamps. For me the most important element in selecting replacement lighting is identifying the right color temperature for the application. I very much like the lower operating costs, cool operating temperatures and the varied light patterns offered by today's products.
Like others, I initially experienced some changeover issues. Some CFLs had long startup times while others were instant on. And it did take a while for dimmable CFLs to become readily available at reasonable prices. I'm now very much a fan of LEDs and appreciate the fact that we have a greatly expanded line of products to choose from.
The manufacturer and much of the media back up the claim that these bulbs last a very long time. Go to a store that both sells these bulbs and takes back to failed bulbs. If they are honest, the will have to admit they are receiving back a great number of the these CFL bulbs. I changed all the incandescent bulbs in my home a year to two ago and have had many of them fail. I even had a couple that blew up with a "popping sound". I took them back to the store and received replacements. I also have some LED lamps I purchased as an experiment. They don't produce anywhere near the amount of light of CFLs and are very expensive. I don't know how long they will last, I have them in my bathroom and computer room. They are in with a small group (4) of CFLs and they are not bright at all. I think all of the CFLs are produced in China and it is possible that the earlier bulbs were of poor quality. I have 3 CFLs in outdoor fixtures and they seem to last as long as those indoors, I live in Calgary Alberta Canada, and winters here are pretty cold. When I first put the earlier CFLs outside, they took a while to come to full brilliance. The newer bulbs start up quickly. In time, improvements in bulb design will prove they are superior to the incandescent bulbs, getting there has been expensive, but even that is improving as the price of CFLs are heading downward.
When I flip on the switch in the basement, I have to wait several minutes for the CFL's to warm up. This is just not acceptable on a stairwell!!! Never mind that CFL's have caught fire from ballast shorts. I have never heard of an incandescent bulb catching on fire. Never. And - should you break a CFL, you must evacuate the area and use haz mat procedures to clean it up.
I'm well stocked on incandescents, and I'm rapidly becoming a fan of halogen. The LEDs are a funky color.
Recently, I read an article that indicated that less than 25% of energy use in the US came from lights. I think that there are items that use a lot more energy than the light bulbs. Personally, I like the incadescent lights. But, at home, I use a mixture of fluorescent and incandescent bulbs. The idea that CFLs last 7 years or longer might be a myth. The one above my stove only lasted 3 years.
Anybody know of a brand of CFL that doesn't contain Mercury?
I think a re-design of heating and cooling systems would be a better way to go?
I'm pretty sure every state has an issue with air conditioning during summer months although I'm guessing industry uses more power than residential?
Make Google/Facebook/Yahoo/Twitter build their own power stations, use wind and wave power (or nuclear, but with real safeguards instead of lowest bidder)
The thought I have seems to fit okay here without need of reply, etc. I have noticed in the past that there has always seemed to be an appropriate place for a different kind of bulb. No one kind can have the monopoly and make things all work out the way needed. Yes, even candles have their place when electricity is not available and batteries are used up too. Size of light bulbs (think of Christmas), Brightness for Halogen such as for cars, construction, not reading, and other pertinent locations. I like LED conveniences and the soft practicality of Incandescent for me. With those different kinds of uses mentioned I hope anyone could see and would want to keep what is needed each in their own best place and also do their best to help the environment whereever possible too. Thanks, Tom.
Stay away from CFLs they are deadly. Just do a search for "Are Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs Dangerous?" and do some reading. The main problem, if you break one, is the Mercury Gas. Mercury is the most Deadly, non-radioactive Poison on the planet. Some manufacturers say that the amount is extremely small... but it is Residual in the human body. Mercury - you know... the stuff they used to fill teeth with. Mercury is constantly evaporating and 80% of the gas you inhale goes straight into your blood stream. A lot of it gets lodged in the brain.
Florescent lamps also give off a huge amount of radiation, including Gamma Rays. I have a Mains radiation detector to find electricity wires in the wall. It detects 240volt wires at about 8 inches distance - It picks up CFL bulbs at over 3 feet. Scary stuff.
I still use Incandescent bulbs when I can still find them. LEDs looks like the best for the future, and have the lowest power consumption per unit of light. But, at the moment, they are still too expensive and can give a very cold light. They will improve in the coming years.
I wonder where the mercury is from all the 8ft Fluorescent tubes i smashed to fit in a 3ft trash can. hundreds of them over 20 years. seems the government is not too concerned when they are the corrupt party huh.
If I were in a better financial situation I would spend the approximately $ 800.- to replace everything with LED. Unfortunately, I am stuck with CFL- they are cheap and unlike incandescent or halogen, do not heat up my place which would translate here in high air conditioning costs.
But to promote CFL as an environmental solution is a travesty . 90 % of them ends up in a land fill or incinerator increasing the high mercury contamination of our area.
2 of them broke while in the light fixture releasing mercury into my house, two other caught fire (!) filling the place with smelly, toxic smoke; It took me a week to get rid of the horrible smell.
I voted for candles, 
.
I've had several CFL's fail then crack or break when removing them from fixtures. Maybe the government is implementing some sort of population control?
Make people real crazy because of mercury poisoning (does it cause sterility as well? ) 
Brilliant idea use candles and probably burn the house down. L E D best way to go nice light come on instantly may cost more initially but energy prices are heading only one way up up up.
CFL's are considered hazmat where I live and require special disposal which can be a pain, in addition they emit high levels of UV which will fade artwork photos, etc over time.
LED's aren't cheap, but I changed them over a few at a time.
I prefer Incandescent for overall light and color rendition but they do consume more power. The CFL's aren't all they crack up to all that is touted. First, they don't last longer than a incandescent, for example I have 18 23watt CFL in my barn which I installed 2 years ago plus another additional 8 incandescent which were in place prior to installing the CFL's all on the same amount of time and I had to replace five CFL's to only one incandescent during this period and the cost for a CFL is a lot more. Second, the CFL's during cold weather take quite a while to come to full brightness (you need to light a match to see if they are on). LED's solve this problem but who can afford to replace 26 LED lamps that have the same light as a 100Watt incandescent. Third, I have looked into the halogen lamps because they are more efficient but am concerned because of the high heat generated especially in a barn setting.
I have mostly CFL in my house (cheaper to use than incandescent), but since I live in the country with a well and pump house, I use 60 watt incandescent bulbs in my pump house to provide heat to keep the pumps and water lines from freezing in the winter (safe, effective, inexpensive compared to other methods). I do not like the government forcing the end of incandescent production (by prohibiting sales), driving my costs up during the winter. There are a lot of people in this country doing the same thing (we don't all live in the city or have underground pumps) so this regulatory edict drives up costs (an oil filled heater is more expensive and costs more to operate, while being reasonably safe). Well meaning people implementing a policy without looking at all the angles before they decided to improve my life and our society. Incandescents would go the way of the dodo bird given time and the falling prices for LED & LCD bulbs. No government regulation or interference needed. (I bought a 10 year supply of incandescents). And for regulatory planning to save energy and the environment, who is collecting the mercury in the LCD bulbs? Did the planners think about a recycle fee/deposit? It doesn't appear they did, so we now poison our land and water as people throw dead bulbs in the trash and they make their way to our landfills. Government regulation...Please save us from well meaning people!
I also live in the North where cold Winters can (and have) create havoc on wells. After one very expensive freeze that cost me over $17,000 in repairs and a new pump, I now keep a heatlamp bulb burning full time all Winter in the pumphouse. Sometimes that is not enough and I run a small electric heater. If the power goes out, then we have to fire up the generator to keep things from freezing. No way will I ever use CFL's. EPA can make all the demands they want, like telling me I can't use my wood-burning stove on cold days,or what lightbulbs to use, but they will play hell trying to enforce those stupid rules in the backwoods of this country. Flatlanders and city folks are at their mercy, but the rest of us will stay free.
To the author..This Buds for you...
I am sick and tired of all this "green" garbage. I consider myself "red", because that is the exact opposite of green on the color spectrum. Incandescent bulbs invented by Mr. Edison have worked wonderfully for years, and they still work. I see no point in changing just to be "green", or any other color.
This stupid law was pit into effect in the later stages of president Bush's last term. He was duped by a cadre of Eco-freaks who just can not help themselves in meddling in other peoples lives; they are NOT satisfied unless ALL of us kowtow to their deviate way of thinking. I mistakenly thought that the incandescent light bulb ban had been overturned until I read the other day that 40 & 60 watt bulbs were being phased out. I had already stocked up on both 75 and 100 watt bulbs but since many of our lights run on the 60 watt variety, I immediately stocked up on about 10 years worth of both. The stinking government is NOT going to tell me what to use in my light fixtures. Both my sons got flimflammed into using the CFLs and trust me when I say that they draw air with immense intensity. It takes forever for them to come to full brightness and even when they do, the light is just not right. Give me incandescent light bulbs any day.
I Prefer Incandescent bulbs, They are safer because of the light the The LED's & CLF's Emit can cause eye problems after prolong exposure. Also the fact that they can not be dispose of safely because of the toxins they contain. The main things is that they don't last as long as the manufactures state they do. Very expensive $30 for a light is just crazy.
Wife and I have been using CFLs for reading for 5 or 6 years. She 68, me 72. We both read a lot and have no vision issues. I save up the 1 or 2 CFLs that fail in a year or so, much fewer the last few years, and take them to a recycling center with any other items that can not go in the trash.
In a way I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't get close to projected lifespan from CFL or LED
Manufacturers may be able to get 20~50,000 hrs, but, I'll bet they use very tightly regulated power supply which is nothing like a 'real world' scenario of voltage fluctuations and power surges.
A $60.00 'bulb' that needs a $10,000 regulated power supply isn't practical for anyone
anything that causes the epa heartburn. candles and kerosene with carbon and soot exhaust works. Leave the lamps alone!!!!!!!!!! please.
Maybe it's just me but just what does the stupidity of governmental meddling in light bulbs have to do with the C net community computer discussion board. We might as well be talking about why a grown man needs maternity leave. Oh, I'm sorry i forgot. It's another government brainstorm for a better Idea. wanna bond, take vacation!! Some of these politicians need to read the rise and fall of the roman empire from non fiction AND the Constitution.
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