Light Bulbs

There are many different kinds of light bulbs.  So which are the ones are the best for energy efficiency?  I am going to give you some helpful data to sort this out for yourself.

The first and most common type of light bulb is the incandescent light bulb.

An incandescent light bulb produces light with a wire filament heated to a high temperature by an electric current passing through it, until it glows (see Incandescence).  These are not your friend if your goal is energy efficiency.  This is what most people have and use in their homes.  They last from about 700 - 1000 hours.  They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.  You can get them almost anywhere and they cost a bit more than a dollar a piece.

The next type of light bulb is the halogen light bulb.

Halogen light bulbs are basically a little more energy efficient incandescent bulb. They burn at a higher temperature and you have to be very careful not to touch them with your bare hands.  The tiny amount of oil that can be transferred by your hands to the light bulb can cause it explode.  No joke.  I saw this happen once.  It was pretty frightening.

Halogen light bulbs give the closest approximation of daylight lighting.  This makes them easy for the eyes to tolerate.  They are normally used for projectors, under cabinet lighting, pendant lighting and recessed lighting.

You can find halogen light bulbs at your local home improvement stores and I hear that Target also carries them.  They cost anywhere from 2 - 6 dollars a piece, depending on the size and shape you need.

And now we get to fluorescent light bulbs

They last longer than the incandescent light bulbs.  I know that when you think of fluorescent lights you think of long tubes that are in the ceilings in a lot of commercial buildings.  But you can buy fluorescent bulbs that are small and will fit in almost any lamp or light fixture.  These are called compact fluorescent light bulbs.  They are 10 times more energy efficient than the incandescent light bulbs on the market.

You can get fluorescent light bulbs in varying strengths from the brightest bright you will ever see to nice and mellow and soft.  You can also get them in many different colors.

You can get them at your local home improvement store and they will run you about the same price as a halogen light bulb.

So, as you can see you have many choices when shopping for light bulbs.  I hope that this helps and  that you think of the environment the next time you need a light bulb.