Green and Energy Efficient Light Bulbs

With the cost of energy an area of expense not only worth it to the individual but valuable to all in the discrete and careful preservation of valuable resources, it is important to consider energy efficient lightbulbs (also called: Green lightbulbs) in our selection of new lighting fixtures and replacement lightbulbs. What places we want to light and how well our choices will perform in these places is the primary concern.

The most popular green lightbulb on the market is the compact fluorescents energy efficient lightbulb which can be found just about anywhere standard incandescent lightbulbs are sold. With terms energy efficient light bulbs and green lightbulbs being vague terms which could refer to any number of light bulbs including halogens, fluorescents, xenon, LED or even more energy efficient incandescent, the remainder of this article will be on determining the energy efficiency of lightbulbs. If you’re looking for tips on discount light bulbs or where to purchase green energy efficient light bulbs we suggest navigating other pages of our website.

Deterring Light Bulbs Energy Efficiency (Watts and Lumens)

When we recognize that a watt is the unit with which we measure the power used in the operation of a lightbulb, and that the lumen is the unit that tells us the amount of light that we get from it, it is clear to see that we want the most lumens for the least amount of watts. This will give us the best deal in efficiency. As an example, a 60 watt incandescent lightbulb provides 840 lumens, and a single candle provides 12 lumens. Therefore, a 60 watt incandescent lightbulb is the equivalent of 840/12 = 80 candles. So we compare watts to lumens to see the efficiency comparison among our lamp selections, and we easily find that compact fluorescent lamps and LED lamps are much more efficient. This is shown below:

Incandescent 10 – 17 lumens per watt
Halogen A-line 12 – 22 lumens per watt
White LED 20 to 150 lumens per watt
Fluorescent 30 – 110 lumens per watt
Compact Fluorescent 46 – 72 lumens per watt

These figures are approximate calculations. The LED lamps are a relatively new alternative and we have shown the latest information on those lamps in the higher figure above.

There are other energy efficient lightbulbs available, including hybrid incandescents which are now 30% more efficient. All can be found by searching the term in google, or in manufacturer’s online catalogs. The information on lumens, watts and also life expectancy should be provided. Just remember to divide the lumens by the watts if this information is not given. Also look for lpW which means “lumens per watt”