So I recently read that the State of California, where I live, wants to be the first state to ban incandescent lightbulbs by 2012. They propose moving towards the use of CFLs, or compact flourescent lightbulbs.
While I applaud energy-saving measures, I wonder about CFLs. On the one hand, they are supposed to offer energy savings of 75-80%, compared to the traditional incandescent light bulb, and last longer (6-10 years). However, I’ve never particularly cared for flourescent lighting, and I’ve heard that CFLs have mercury, which makes disposal somewhat problematic. What other options do we have?
LEDs, or Light Emitting Diodes, are a plausible choice. I admit that I’m no lighting expert, but from what I’ve read so far, they seem to have great potential. The things that I like about LEDs: greater efficiency (80% compared to 20% for incandescents); long life span (~100K hours!); low environmental impact (less energy is required to manufacture); durability (they aren’t as breakable as incandescents); no noise (unlike flourescents, they don’t “buzz”). The cons: in the short term, LEDs are more expensive than incandescents and flourescents; installation can be expensive; and LED technology is still evolving - therefore it maybe worth revisiting in a few years.
Here’s a great chart I found which compares the various options that are out there today and the pros and cons of each.
In the meantime, have any of you experienced LED technology firsthand? What are your thoughts?
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