The Federal Government has passes
a law that phases out the standard incandescent light bulb. Here is what you
need to know.
Changes in
maximum wattage
100watt
change to 72 watt max in 2012
75 watt change
to 53 watt max in 2013
60 watt
change to 43 watt max in 2014
40 watt
change to 29watt max in 2014
*Changes go
into effect one year earlier in California and British Columbia
Products
available to replace your incandescent bulb: Types
Halogen, Xenon, CFL, LED, Cold Cathode, Induction Light Bulbs.
Halogen, aka Quartz Halogen
*Omnidirectional,
it throws light in all directions.
*On the
Kelvin scale, the color temperature is approximately 3100 K.
* On average
last 2,500 hours
*Dimmable
*Contain no
hazardous waste
*Between 20
and 22 Lumens/watt
Xenon:
Similar to Halogen in size,
shape, color and light output. It burns cooler and last longer than halogen.
*Average
xenon last 8,000 to 10,000 hours
*Dimmable
*Contain no
hazardous waste
*Between 20
and 22 Lumens/watt
CFL, Compact Florescent Light:
*Omni directional
light source
*Available
in different colors on the Kelvin scale
*On average last 6,000 to 15,000 hours
*not all are
dimmable
*Contain
some hazardous waste; mercury should be disposed of correctly.
LED, Light Emitting Diode:
*Unidirectional
light source, throws light in one direction
*Available
in different colors on the Kelvin scale
*On average
last 25,000 to 50,000 hours
*not all are
dimmable
*Contain no
hazardous waste (studies being conducted on possible hazards with lead, copper
and nickel content in LED bulbs)
*Between 50
and 100 Lumens/watt
Cold Cathode:
*Omni
directional light source
* Available
in 2700 K (warm white)
*On average
last 25,000 hours
*Most are dimmable
*Contain
some hazardous waste and should be disposed of correctly.
*Between 100
and 125 Lumens/watt
Magnetic Induction Light Bulbs:
*Omni
directional light source
*High on the
Kelvin scale, the color temperature is in the 4000k-6000k range, it has a blue
hue. (2700k may be available soon)
*On average
last 65,000 to 100,000 hours
*not
dimmable
*Environmentally
friendly as induction lamps use far less energy, and almost no mercury per hour
of operation than conventional lighting. The mercury is in a solid amalgam and
can easily be easily recovered if the lamp is broken, or for recycling at
end-of-life.
*Between 62
and 90 Lumens/watt
Important Terms to Know
Wattage/Watt – (w) – The measure of electrical
power
Voltage/Volt – (v) – The measure of electrical charge
Ampere/Amp – The measure of electrical current
Kelvin – (K) – The measure of color temperature
Lumen – (lu) – The measure of light brightness
Candela – (cd) – The measure of light intensity
Pattern – The beam pattern of light that is projected. This includes depth and
width of illumination, and angle of light dispersion.
