CFL vs. incandescent: Battle of the bulb
Compact fluorescent lamps are more efficient than traditional light bulbs, but they also contain toxic mercury. MNN sheds light on which is the brighter pick.
By Russell McLendonTue, Feb 15 2011 at 2:11 PM EST
43
Compact fluorescent light bulbs are often mentioned as one of the easiest ways to shrink your power bill and your carbon footprint. They present the quintessential green-green situation: saving money and helping the environment. What's not to like?
|
WorldShares lets you earn donations for your favorite nonprofit. Earn up to 20 points now.
Learn More |
Earn Points
What's this? |
One of the most potent threats to CFLs' superiority isn't their cost, but their contents. There's a small amount of toxic mercury in every one, which can be absorbed or inhaled, potentially causing brain damage in adults, children and especially in fetuses. Fumble a CFL while changing a light, critics warn, and you unleash a poisonous fiend in your home. Throw it out and you're dumping mercury in landfills.
Those are both valid concerns. You should be careful when cleaning up a broken CFL, but don't go nuts — Snopes has debunked the myth that breaking one requires calling in an environmental cleanup crew. Keep kids and pets away, open the windows and resist the urge to vacuum, since that can kick up mercury vapor into the air; see the EPA's advice on cleaning up broken fluorescent lights for a complete guide. When they do eventually burn out, make sure to dispose of them properly.
Why do CFLs contain mercury?
Fluorescent and incandescent lights generally work the same way: They zap certain types of atoms with energy until their electrons freak out and release photons of light. Incandescent bulbs do this by shooting electricity into a thin metal filament surrounded by inert gas and encased in a glass shell. Metal normally emits invisible infrared light when heated like this, but get the atoms worked up enough and they'll produce a visible glow, too.
Metallic atoms are also the light source in fluorescent lamps, but they use vaporized mercury instead of a solid filament. The incoming electrical current is carried through a glass tube, straight or coiled, that's filled with mercury vapor and argon gas. The electrified mercury atoms begin vibrating and releasing invisible ultraviolet light, which in turn excites a fluorescent phosphor coating on the inside of the tube, finally producing the visible light.(It's this jittery relationship, combined with a jumpy magnetic ballast providing electricity, that gives fluorescent lights their infamous flicker. Electronic ballasts don't have this problem.)
Mercury is a crucial part of how all fluorescent bulbs work, and replacing it is a daunting task. Still, manufacturers have cut back on how much they use — CFLs' mercury content dropped by at least 20 percent from 2007 to 2008. While the bulbs contained an average of 4 milligrams a few years ago, many now use as little as 0.4 mg. By comparison, mercury thermometers contain about 500 mg of mercury, and older nondigital thermostats contain about 3,000 mg.
Does mercury overshadow CFLs' benefits?
Fluorescent lights only release mercury when their glass breaks. Consider how often you shatter a light bulb while changing it, and divide that number by 10 — since a single CFL requires about that many fewer replacements — and that's your immediate risk of mercury exposure.
An incandescent bulb doesn't contain mercury, but it still has a higher overall mercury footprint than a CFL, thanks to the coiled tube's energy efficiency. Coal-fired power plants are humans' No. 1 source of mercury pollution, and energy-intensive incandescents make those plants burn more coal than CFLs do. That extra coal burning releases more mercury than the amount inside a CFL plus the coal emissions needed to light it.While most fluorescent lamps finish their lives without shattering, however, it's another story once they're thrown out. They can easily break in trash cans, Dumpsters or en route to a landfill. It's only a small amount of mercury, but it adds up as more and more people are buying them, and it also endangers sanitation workers who don't know they're carrying bags containing mercury vapor. All the more reason to read up on the EPA's guidelines for properly disposing of fluorescent lights. Many home-improvement stores and other retailers that sell CFLs also have recycling programs to collect them back from consumers.
Are incandescent bulbs burned out?The main downside with traditional light bulbs is that they use only 10 percent of their energy to produce light, burning off the rest as heat. They've wasted 90 percent of the electricity people have fed them for the past 130 years — electricity that was mainly generated from coal and other fossil fuels. Congress put its foot down with the 2007 energy bill, introducing tougher efficiency rules designed to phase out incandescent bulbs starting in 2012. Before long, the CFL may dominate the U.S. lighting market.
But don't count out Thomas Edison's original bright idea just yet. Despite the U.S. Department of Energy and EPA pushing CFLs, many people are still turned off by the light they emit, which is slightly bluer and more flickery than incandescents' warm, steady glow. In fact, many Americans admit to hoarding incandescent bulbs in anticipation of the 2012 phase-out. And while the most inefficient incandescents are likely doomed, there are newer incarnations that offer hope for CFL haters.
The two main alternative incandescents are tungsten halogen lamps and reflector lamps, both of which rely on reflectivity to slash energy demand. Halogen lamps have a gas filling and an interior coating that reflect light inward, using recycled heat to warm the filament more efficiently. The Energy Department says they offer "excellent color rendition," and while they are more costly, they can save money over time thanks to their efficiency. Reflector lamps employ a similar principle, reflecting their light into a focused beam, and come in two basic types: parabolic aluminized lamps, used in outdoor floodlights, and ellipsoidal lamps, used in spotlights. Several companies are also developing more efficient versions of traditional incandescents — as well as halogen lamps — some of which use 30 percent less electricity.
Light(s) at the end of the tunnel
The future of artificial lighting is hazy, thanks to several recent technological and regulatory upheavals. Traditional light bulbs are almost certainly doomed once the new U.S. efficiency regulations take effect in early 2012, leaving a handful of relative upstarts to fill the void.
One of these dark-horse light sources is the LED, or light-emitting diode. LEDs are already common in a variety of devices, ranging from the blinking red light on a camcorder to the green power button on a computer. LEDs are more efficient, versatile and long-lasting than either incandescent or fluorescent lights, emitting light in a specific direction rather than radiating it outward indiscriminately, which wastes energy. They also absorb back what little heat they produce into an internal heat sink, leaving the LED itself cool to the touch.While LEDs may seem like a clear winner, they're still plagued by a few major problems. Several companies make bulbs that rely on diodes, but they aren't cheap. Plus, a recent study by researchers at the University of California-Irvine found that LEDs contain high levels of several dangerous toxins, including lead and arsenic. Although the amount in each bulb isn't a big risk on its own, the study warns LED toxins could be a "tipping point" when combined with exposure to other toxins. And, as with CFLs' mercury, LEDs may pose a collective threat as discarded bulbs accumulate in the environment.
Several other light sources boast long lives and high efficacy, but they all have their own unique flaws, too. High-intensity discharge lighting, for example, can save up to 90 percent of the energy required by incandescent bulbs, but HID bulbs are extremely bright and can take up to 10 minutes to produce light. They're mainly used for street lamps, stadium lights and other long-term outdoor applications. Low-pressure sodium lights are another option, providing even more energy-efficient outdoor lighting than HIDs, but their color rendition is "very poor," according to the Energy Department. Their main use is for highway and security lighting, where color isn't as important.
No widely available light bulb is without drawbacks, and even highly touted options like CFLs and LEDs have a dark side. But since traditional incandescents have had their time in the spotlight — and proven to be inefficient consumers of energy — the looming 2012 phase-out likely means they'll be overthrown. It's not clear what will ultimately replace them, but for now, the EPA and Energy Department are giving the green light to CFLs.
For more on CFLs, LEDs and other light sources, check out these links from MNN:
And for even more information, see the following links from Uncle Sam:
- Energy Star: CFLs Buyers Guide
- Energy Star: CFL Savings Calculator
- Energy Star: CFLs and Mercury
- EPA: CFL Recycling Where You Live
- Energy Star: Commercial LED Lighting
Photos: EPA and DOE
Editor's note: This article has been updated since it first appeared on July 7, 2009.
 WorldShares
lets you earn donations for your favorite nonprofit. Earn up to 20
points now.Learn More Earn Points
|
CLOSE
link:
link:
Comments
lighthouse
11/26/2011 10:20 AM
Updates on federal and local USA/Canada state lighting regulations
http://ceolas.net/#li01inx
Legislated Texas June 2011, to allow local manufacture of the incandescents.
As seen, 2 weeks ago, Canada Government officially postponed a ban to (at least) 2014, citing further research and information is needed.
amlibpub
11/26/2011 00:26 AM
See the comprehensive article published on this subject by the Science and Public Policy Institute in June 2011, at http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/images/stories/papers/originals/cfl_fi...
lighthouse
11/26/2011 10:12 AM
Interesting document by Ed Contoski
the CFL fire, radiation and mercury safety issues are also covered extensively here, http://ceolas.net/#li18eax with references that include him.
Dheeraj
11/14/2011 03:46 AM
Nice Article....I want to use the best CFL in my home in order to save max energy.Can anyone throw a light on the best CFLs available in the market..I had heard about havells sylvania..are they really good?????
Aditya
11/11/2011 05:25 AM
Acc to my perspective the time has came to completely phase out incandescent bulbs...I had installed havells CFLs in my home which help me in saving a lot of energy.
shimnie tana
11/09/2011 23:05 PM
i cant find right away the answer,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Enter your name
11/09/2011 23:02 PM
can somebody help mhe,,,,,what is the procedure in making the recycable materials?
Tarrant
11/10/2011 07:22 AM
I will try to help. Can you tell me more about what you want to know how is made from recycled materials? (glass? metal? plastic? paper? Something else?)
heather.branch
10/22/2011 08:33 AM
I use CFL bulbs most of the year. But because I live in Canada and already have some of the incandescent bulbs, I've been using a few in select places [near where I sit in my small living room, for instance, and 2 in my small bathroom] in the winter months because it seems to me that the heat from the incandescent will help heat the air near me and help me keep the thermostat low. I'd be very interested to know if the heat of an incandescent bulb used in a lamp which has lots of air.... More
Starbuck
10/23/2011 22:33 PM
I guess the thing to do would be a little experiment of your own. Do you feel warmer sitting next to the incandescent bulb, or not? I live in southeast Alaska and although our temps are considered moderate, our summers are generally cool and our winters get pretty cold. I use the CFL's year round. I'd be interested what you determine if you experiment with this.
Starbuck
10/16/2011 03:14 AM
Costco sells high quality CFL's in boxes of 8 for a very reasonable price. The last time I bought them they were under ten bucks. May have gone up a little in the meantime. They will last 3 years even with lots of use. They do not have a long delay before coming on. They are available in cooler and warmer light color. They will cut your electric bill by a good little chunk and you will not have to replace them every time you turn around. Only in the USA do people refuse to save on their.... More
Klipsan
Today 15:16 PM
Whether we like it or not, incandescent bulbs have a place in our society, no matter how small. Merely one example is a small water well shed that is prone to freezing during the winter. The Pump is protected by a small, well insulated shed (shack, house), about a three foot cube. I have found that the best thing to keep it from freezing and providing light at the same time is a 100 watt incandescent light bulb. Now, if I were to have to switch to the other style of light, I would have to.... More
SolidApollo
04/13/2011 18:30 PM
Hi, I work in the LED sector and I've been hearing all the problems people are having with CFLs and recycling them. We have studied CFLs and even though the cost is reasonable and it's consumption is lower that incandescent lamps, they do have some faults:
1) They take quite a long time to warm up to their full brightness, therefore are not suitable for places like bathrooms and kitchens, where you switch lights on and off all the time.
2) The color temperature they emit is awful,.... More
Eileen McKendry
05/24/2011 15:10 PM
You never touched on the HEALTH EFFECTS from Toxic Mercury Exposure when the bulb is broken: these can include neurological damage, tremors, learning disabilities, and death. Children are 100 times more susceptible to these exposures. Reports on Chinese workers in factories producing CFLs state thaat workers are suffering Mercury poisoning and death from their exposure on the job. The 2nd known Hazard from CFL bulbs is the electromagnetic field, or EMF, that is emitted from the ballast. .... More
George Adams
03/29/2011 15:21 PM
CFLs will be outdated soon but I gladly replace incandescents with CFLs until better technology emerges. Off brand CFLs do not live up to advertised lamp-life but the Sylvania CFLs I've installed are excellent. Especially for difficult to reach applications, replacing incandescents with CFLs is a no-brainer. When people complain about new technology, I suspect they'd prefer a cave dwelling. Go figure...
john
02/25/2011 13:34 PM
I would love to see LED"s compared in the chart - for both energy savings and mercury emissions. I installed Cree LED can lights in my addition and they are beautiful. The light is great, they are dimmable, and they only use about 11 watts - and they last for at least 20 years. When I have all 7 lights on in the kitchen, they use less energy than one 100 watt incandescent bulb, and they are almost always dimmed at 50% for even greater energy savings.
haydoo
02/18/2011 21:09 PM
look Edison had a great idea and there's some downers to it, but no ones saying we should have glass lighting peice's with mercury a filled center
William
02/18/2011 14:39 PM
Use any DOE 2 based energy software and it will show you that CFL's cost consumers about $50 more per year in heat dominated areas like Pittsburgh for instance. The Electric utilities love CFL's because they reduce peak load in the cooling season which reduces their need to add capacity for peaks. Since the regular bulbs produce heat, the unknowing consumer is burning about $50 more in natural gas. The Gas utility is okay with that......CFLs are a scam in heating climates. Please don't clue-in.... More
John
11/29/2010 23:43 PM
The flickering of the CFLs give me migraines (and to a lesser extent LEDs in large quantities hurt my eyes, too). Ugh. I can't have them in the house so I'll be up the creek if incandescent bulbs are pushed out of the market. I can't imagine it's a completely uncommon problem to have. Give me a good old fashioned bulb and we're good to go. Otherwise, I guess we're back to kerosene lamplight.
NOTPINKPRINCESS
12/08/2009 15:17 PM
im hoping manufacturers can make new incandescent lightss! i dont want to put mercury in my home!!!
Guest
12/08/2009 15:46 PM
Creative thinking and the most is bulb is consider as a energy saver . When we go to travel destinations use bulb as a energy consume.
Tex Lovera
10/13/2009 15:03 PM
You also compare everyhting based on coal plants. As others have pointed out, the coal plant Hg emissions are being continually DECREASED, so that Hg will get reduced (and is not taken into account in the article's ana;lysis).
Plus, why do we still have coal-fired plants? BECAUSE THE GREENS WON'T LET US BUILD CLEAN NUCLEAR PLANTS. There's you're one-stop solution to a host of "green" concerns, but OMG it's a NUKE we can't have that!!!!
Tex Lovera
10/13/2009 14:58 PM
The lead in incandescents is in the solder, which isn't AEROSOLIZED like the mercury in CFLs. You aren't going to get lead poisoning from a broken regular light bulb, but you'll inhale the mercury from a broken CFL.
The key line in this whole article is "Congress put its foot down...". Yeah, right on us. It's time for us to put the foot down on Congress. I don't need a nanny, you fatuous bunch of crooks. Don't tell me what toilet/showerhead/light bulb to buy. Convinceme on their.... More
green and proud
10/15/2009 17:36 PM
People who blindly continue believing what they think is right in spite of all the facts clearly presented obviously could use a nanny. My major was in energy mgmt and I've studied these issues for 9 years now. At this point its simply ignorant to rant against a law the Pres. Bush signed when the "merits" are obvious to anyone with 2 or more brain cells to rub together. Like teabaggers, some people will advocate against their own best interest because of a lack of maturity and this attitude of.... More
Halogenica
09/24/2009 11:40 AM
Old bulbs may still contain a dot of lead solder, but after 2006, leading manufacturers have ceased to use lead in light bulbs.
Aaron
07/08/2009 12:11 PM
If you have a lot of fluorescent bulbs in your facility you already know the cost and energy savings they can bring. Fortunately recycling them isn't all that hard or expensive. Using prepaid mail-in programs like EasyPak (http://www.lamprecycling.com) are pretty inexpensive and also guarantee that you won't get stuck with an EPA fine.
For more info see my blog at .... More
Eileen McKendry, IBBE
05/24/2011 15:21 PM
But have you done the research on broken CFL bulbs? ...and their invisible risks? Compact fluorescent bulbs contain vaporized elemental mercury, (Hg) which will immediately spread through the air if the bulb breaks. If you breathe the vapors, Mercury enters the lungs and can enter the brain directly through the nasal cavity. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that NO amount of Mercury exposure is safe. The EPA Reference Concentration (RfC) is set at 300 nonograms of vaporized.... More
Halogenica
09/24/2009 12:00 PM
Seriously Aaron, you're willing to pay another $34.95 to recycle your bulbs? Do you really think that after people have already payed a higher price for the CFLs initially, they're willing (and albe) to pay even more to get rid of them afterwards?
I rather suspect a lot of CFLs will end up in the trash...
Greg
01/13/2010 11:32 AM
Halogenica - I'm not sure where you live, but in our area every place that sells CFLs also accepts them back to recycle for free. There are containers at the front of the stores and you simply bring you lamps in a plastic bag and deposit them for free. Assuming lamps have burned out or broken, they're going to need replacing and for that you'll need a store. Anyone that can't be bothered to bring their old lamps in with them to the exact same place they're already heading is just plain.... More
ljak57
03/15/2011 17:14 PM
I don't know where you live but I have not heard of any place and especially a retail outlet accepting cfl's for recycling. You must live in some big city somewhere. And the statement that you can get cfls for $2.00 to $3.00 that has been mentioned in some of the comments is rediculous. Try more like $5.00 or $6.00 each. The whole idea is a money grab for someone. Maybe the government has shares in Hg mines or something. In the end the average consumer goes home broke and sick.
Lacky
11/14/2011 07:22 AM
Around here, AEP has had programs with stores such as Wal-Mart to sell CFLs for about $1 each for 40w 60w 75w and 100w equivalent bulbs and $2 for other larger bulbs. The brand was "Lights of America". I bought a bunch of these and replaced every bulb in my entire house. However I did have two bathrooms with 4 vanity bulbs each, and those were not sold cheap. I think it cost about $25 to replace all 8 bulbs there. But other than that, if you can find programs like that in your area I.... More
MikeInWa
02/10/2011 00:32 AM
I have installed several CFL's in my home. I write the install date on each one. It has been my experience that they last less than 6 months or several hundred hours. Some longer. A CFL weights 4 times mass than the same Watt incandecent. It also has a electronic ballast with almost 20 components. It is hazardous to recycle. CFL's have bad light. You can have them. I have them in my Kitchen, Garage, and Outside are lights. Good for that but no good to eat your dinner by or have in a living.... More
Kenny
03/17/2011 09:59 AM
I built my house in 1996, istalled ten CFLs in the kitchen and living room. I noticed last night that one of them is still working - a little dimmer than the others, but still putting out pretty good light. Most of the others have only been replaced once. Sorry, I don't buy the "CFLs dont last" argument.
peterdub
07/07/2009 16:59 PM
Thanks Russell for an interesting and balanced view of different lighting..
To put it in another perspective:
Americans choose to buy ordinary light bulbs around 9 times out of 10.
Banning what Americans want gives the supposed savings - no point in banning an impopular product!
If new LED lights -or improved incandescents- that you mention are good,
people will buy them - no need to ban ordinary light bulbs (little point).
If they are not good, people.... More
peterdub
07/07/2009 16:52 PM
RE Mercury : CFL v Coal Power
Why does this folk tale keep doing the rounds?
Greater coal power mercury problem was only ever true where untreated coal power dominated,
and is not true any longer.
New injection and photochemical techniques along with conventional gasification and wet scrubber use have -and will- dramatically reduce all coal power mercury emissions:
USA Government EPA: 90% reduction by 2018, (phase 1 = 21% reduction by 2010, phase 2 = 69% further.... More
Susan Barton
07/07/2009 14:07 PM
My sister-in-law's electrician told her about one of his clients who dropped and broke a CFL in her home. The package recommended that she call the EPA for disposal information. She called them and they had her seal that room closed with duct tape. They arrived in Haz-Mat suits 3 days later, removed the bulb and a circle of carpet and left her with a $5000 bill.
Cosmo
07/08/2009 12:56 PM
Sue,
There are three possible explanations for your comment
1) Either your sister in law or your sister in-laws electrician has lied to you, and made this story up.
2) You are repeating an old wives tale yourself, and your sister in law didn't even tell you this story, in which case you are promulgating false information (i.e lying), or
3) Someone at the EPA is in cahoots with hazmat teams, looking for suckers to pay 5K and pad their wallets.
I'm not even.... More
James Davies
07/07/2009 09:28 AM
There is always a lot of talk about CFLs with their mercury and the associated dangers, which is valid and it is good to be careful. But incandescent light bulbs actually contain a significant amount of lead, which is also a potent neuro-toxin, so the mercury draw back of CFLs is not as significant as it might seem.
"Incandescent light bulbs contain lead at levels that exceed hazardous waste limits. " from: .... More
lighthouse
05/17/2011 13:45 PM
they used to have lead solder, but that stopped several years ago
Luke
02/21/2011 20:25 PM
To think that the Amish have no need for any kind of light bulb,and about 25 percent of the worlds population does not even know what a light bulb is,it seems to me that certain people should take their light any way they can and shut the hell up,but what really broke my balls was this lady bitching about the time it takes to receive the light from the cfl after turning on the switch,if she is that impatient, I really feel sorry for her husband!
Luke
02/21/2011 20:25 PM
To think that the Amish have no need for any kind of light bulb,and about 25 percent of the worlds population does not even know what a light bulb is,it seems to me that certain people should take their light any way they can and shut the hell up,but what really broke my balls was this lady bitching about the time it takes to receive the light from the cfl after turning on the switch,if she is that impatient, I really feel sorry for her husband!
