Energy Smart Tip - Replace an Incandescent Bulb with a CFL Bulb, Save $30 in Energy Costs over Lifetime of Bulb
Ordinary 60 Watt incandescent bulbs are extraordinarily inefficient. According to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, only about 10% of the energy used to power an incandescent bulb actually is converted to light - the remaining 90% of the energy is wasted as heat. This may not seem like such a bad thing during Minnesota winters, but during the summer these lights can actually make your cooling unit have to work harder.
Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFLs for short) are becoming more and more readily available, and are an easy replacement you can make yourself without needing an electrician's help. (Be sure to use common sense when replacing, though - turn the switch off when changing out a bulb, and be careful when touching a lamp that has just been on. Wasteful bulbs can grow quite hot, and we do not want you to get burned.)
I Need Specialty Bulbs
Energy Star created a product guide to help you find exactly what you are looking for. If you are wondering what shape will work best for you, click here to view a chart of different applications.
I Need a Lot of Bulbs
For larger businesses, Energy Star has developed resources for purchasing and procurement language and buying in bulk. Be sure to contact Energy Smart to find out if a utility rebate will be available - (651) 292-4652.
I Don't Like Blue Light
Neither do we here at Energy Smart! Luckily, CFL bulbs are coming in more and more color spectrum options. If you like a warmer/yellower color of light, be careful not to choose "daylight" options. Energy Star has developed a color spectrum guide to help you decide which bulb will be right for you.
I Don't Like Dim Light
We don't, either! When Energy Smart first heard that CFL lights use only 13 Watts instead of 60 Watts, we thought it meant that the CFL bulb would be dimmer. As it turns out, the CFL can achieve the same brightness (measured in "lumens") while using less than a quarter of the energy. Energy Star has developed a brightness guide to help you choose an equivalent CFL bulb that will shine just as brightly as your incandescent bulb.
Can CFLs be Used Outside? Can I Turn them Off and On Frequently?
CFL bulbs work between -10 degrees F and 120 degrees F, though at colder temperatures they may take a minute to warm up. Some fixtures are specially designed for colder temperatures.
CFL bulbs work best if they are not turned off and on more than once every 15 minutes.
What About the Mercury?
It is true that CFL bulbs contain mercury, so they need to be properly disposed of and broken bulbs need to be properly cleaned up - find instructions for cleanup and disposal here.
Incandescent bulbs actually contribute more to mercury release than CFLs - the extra energy each incandescent bulb needs requires power plants to fire up more coal, which releases more mercury into the atmosphere than is contained in a CFL bulb. Energy Star has a fact sheet with great information about CFLs and mercury, including a graph showing this comparison (scroll to page 2).
Isn't it Time Consuming to Recycle the Bulbs?
It could be, depending on where your business operates.
If you are already using fluorescent tube lighting at your business, you can recycle compact fluorescent bulbs along with your regular fluorescent tubes.
Many retailers take back spent or broken bulbs for free, and many county governments offer disposal options. If you are having trouble finding a way to recycle your bulbs, contact Energy Smart for help any time at (651) 292-4652. You might also be able to find an option by looking up recycling locations on search engines such as Earth911 and RecycleaBulb.
By putting in a little extra effort to recycle the bulbs, you can save the effort required to keep incandescent bulbs stocked - CFL bulbs last about ten times as long.
My Bulbs are not Lasting as Long as I Think They Should
If the bulb does not last as long as the manufacturer promised, contact the manufacturer to inquire about a refund. The federal Energy Star program also likes to keep track of these early failures; find more information about contacting them here.
There are a couple of reasons this could be happening. Here is a list of tips to make sure your bulbs last as long as possible.
1. Make sure you are buying Energy Star-qualified bulbs. Energy Star qualifies bulbs against certain standards. If a bulb is not Energy Star-qualified, it may take longer to turn on or to reach its full brightness. Click here to find a list of Energy Star-qualified bulbs, or look for this label on the box:
2. Screw in the bulb by holding the sturdy plastic ballast, not the delicate glass bulb.
3. Make sure that sockets controlled by dimmable switches are fitted with special dimmable CFLs. Find out more from Energy Star.
4. Make sure that sockets controlled by 3-way switches are fitted with special 3-way CFLs. Find out more from Energy Star.
5. Sockets controlled by a motion sensor, photo sensor, touch lamp, or remote are not usually a good fit for a CFL bulb. They are designed for incandescents. Find out more from Energy Star.
6. Make sure they have air circulating around them indoors, and make sure they are protected from extreme temperatures outdoors.
Find out more information about how to get your money's worth out of a CFL from Energy Star.
Resources:
Find out more about what will be phased out between January 2010 and January 2014 as part of The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
Success Stories:
Operation Change Out, a joint effort between the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy, is an effort to switch out incandescent bulbs and replace them with CFL bulbs in military bases. Since April 2008, the Air Force has changed out more than 228,000 bulbs and expects to save $7.5 million over the lifetime of these bulbs.
For more energy efficiency tips, check out Quick Tips for Energy Efficiency.