Fluorescent Lights Are Much More Efficient Than Incandescent Lights
To fully understand how fluorescent lights are more efficient it is best to comprehend how these lights work
. A fluorescent light is composed of a tube with electrodes at both ends. Inside the tube is a gas comprised of mercury and argon. Electrons travel through this gas and excite the mercury atoms causing them to move rapidly and thus give off ultraviolet photons. These photons bounce off of the tube which is coated with phosphor creating visible light.
An incandescent light bulb contains a very thin filament inside the glass bulb. Electricity passes through this filament which resists the electricity. This resistance results in the production of energy which turns into heat. The heat causes the filament to become white hot and glows which is the light.
The light produced from an incandescent bulb is created from heat. Heat is not light which means this energy used is wasted because of the amount of electricity used to generate this light. Incandescent bulbs produce about 15 lumens per watt of input power.
Fluorescent lights are much more efficient producing between 50 and 100 lumens per watt of input power. This is 4 to 6 times more efficient. This is because fluorescent lights produce a lot less heat than incandescent lights. A 15 watt fluorescent light can produce the same amount of light that a 60 watt incandescent light can.
Energy Star fluorescent lights offer several advantages to home owners. By using fluorescent lights in a home, one can save about $40 in electricity costs. Fluorescent lights create 75% less heat than other types of light bulbs which can contribute to saving money on home cooling features. These light bulbs are much safer because they are much cooler when compared to incandescent lighting. Not only do fluorescent lights reduce energy production by 75%, they also last much longer than other light bulbs.
Fluorescent lights can be used in almost any light fixture found within a home. For this reason, many home owners are switching over to fluorescent lights.