Forgot Password?
Home arrow GreeniacsGuides arrow Home arrow CFLs vs LEDs
Written by Miranda Huey   
Share |
Wednesday, 15 October 2008

CFLs vs LEDs

While a lot of people have heard about the benefits of Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs), not as many have heard about or are as familiar with many have heard about Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). If you are not as familiar with CFLs, or you would just like a quick brush-up, you can read this GreeniacsGuide on CFLs GreeniacsGuides. Just like CFLs, LEDs are great for the environment, great for your wallet, and great for you. Here’s the run-down on LEDs:

BENEFITS for the environment: LEDs are significantly more energy efficient than both incandescent light bulbs and CFLs, which reduces their carbon footprint on the environment. Also, unlike CFLs, LEDs don't have any mercury, so there is no risk of pollution and contamination of water, fish, and food supplies.1

BENEFITS for your wallet: Because LEDs are actually about 20-50 times as efficient as incandescent light bulbs, they can save you many times more money on your electrical bill than CFLs in the long run.2

BENEFITS for you: Many people are wary of using CFLs because of their mercury content, however this is a non-issue with LEDs! CFLs must be disposed of carefully if not recycled, and you can read more about disposal options in the Greeniacs Guide to CFLs GreeniacsGuides . Although CFLs don't usually pose a health hazard, if they happen to break, you might be susceptible to mercury exposure if you are not careful.3

Cost: High

Replacing a simple 25 watt incandescent with an LED bulb can cost around $40.4 However, a recent breakthrough in the production of LEDs may bring down the price of LEDs to the level of CFLs within a couple of years. So for only a few more dollars than incandescent bulbs, LEDs should be coming our way shortly!5

Time and Effort: Low

Switching to LEDs is literally as easy as changing a light bulb. LED arrays can fit into standard light bulb sockets, replacing your incandescent bulb.6 You can find LEDs at your local stores, chain stores such as Target, and online.

How to choose between CFLs and LEDs:

Generally, LEDs are significantly more energy efficient, durable, and long-lasting than CFLs, making them even more friendly for the environment than CFLs. However, there are two major drawbacks. First, they cost significantly more than CFLs. Secondly, the light is much more directional and focused, limiting it as a valid replacement for diffused lighting. Here is a chart-to-chart comparison of their respective characteristics:

Characteristic
CFLs
LEDs
Lifespan
 5 years: The average lifespan for CFLs is about 5 years, which is significantly more than incandescent bulbs, but also significantly less than LEDs. 20 years: The average lifespan for LEDs is about 20 years, significantly longer than both incandescent bulbs and CFLs. This minimizes the amount of light bulbs thrown away, which is good for the environment.
Efficiency
 4X as efficient as incandescent bulbs: CFLs are much more efficient than incandescents, but cannot compare to the extreme energy efficiency of LEDs.7 20-50X as efficient as incandescent bulbs: LEDs are much more energy efficient than both incandescents and CFLs.8 This minimizes the carbon footprint of each light bulb, which is great for curbing global warming.
Total Cost
 Low to Medium: CFLs are relatively low in cost, although usually a little bit more than incandescent bulbs. Many people consider this lower cost more reasonable in the short-run as compared to LEDs. Medium: LEDs are relatively high in cost, but they provide huge savings in the long run on the electricity bill. Because these require significantly fewer replacements, you will also save time and money typically spent replacing light bulbs.9
Mercury
 Yes: CFLs contain mercury filaments in their bulb. If the bulbs break, the exposed mercury can pose a health hazard. You should always make sure to dispose or recycle these bulbs carefully and properly in order to prevent the mercury from entering the environment. No: LEDs don't contain any toxic materials and are relatively safe for you and the environment.10
Durability
 Same as incandescent bulbs: Because CFLs have a mercury filament, it is about as fragile as an incandescent light bulb. For some people, this amount of durability is just fine. Better than incandescent bulb: Because LEDs don't have a filament, they are able to withstand more jarring and bumping than both incandescents and CFLs.11
Light Field
Same as incandescent bulb: CFLs diffuse and radiate light at all angles, making these bulbs ideal for lighting large spaces and rooms. This is a main advantage over LEDs, which focus the light only on one spot. Limited field of light: Most LEDs are focused and directional lights, which means they only focus their beam at one spot. This is ideal for reading lights, task lighting, track light, accent lighting, security lighting, and more.12 However, new designs which diffuse light are coming out on the market as well.13
Uses
 Good replacement for incandescent bulbs: CFLs are great for replacing standard incandescents in your home. Great for other uses: LEDs come in many different colors, which you can use for different purposes. Blue light is great for reducing eyestrain when reading, especially for elderly people. On the other hand, amber light is great for patios and decks, since it doesn't attract insects, unlike white light.14 They also make great holiday lights!

Browse all Greeniacs Guides Browse all Greeniacs Guides        Browse all Greeniacs Articles
___________________________________________________________________________________


1http://www.eartheasy.com/live_energyeff_lighting.htm.
2http://www.greentechgazette.com/index.php/energy-conservation/cfl-or-led-light-bulbs/.
3Id.
4http://www.eartheasy.com/live_energyeff_lighting.htm.
5http://www.eartheasy.com/article_led_breakthrough.html.
6http://www.eartheasy.com/live_energyeff_lighting.htm.
7http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2005-04-14-led-lighting_x.htm.
8http://www.greentechgazette.com/index.php/energy-conservation/cfl-or-led-light-bulbs/.
9http://www.eartheasy.com/live_energyeff_lighting.htm
10Id.
11Id.
12http://www.kulekat.com/articles/energy/led-home-lighting/led-home-lighting-a-buyers-guide.html.
13http://www.eartheasy.com/live_energyeff_lighting.htm
14Id.




Comments (3)
RSS comments
1. 03-01-2011 01:18
Nice post. I enjoyed every bit of it. Great going. cancer symptoms[URL=http://www.checkcancersymptoms.com]cancer symptoms[/URL]
Registered
greeniac267891
2. 10-09-2010 07:14
This is for the benefit of newer technologies in terms of lower energy use and longer lifetimes with home or [URL=http://www.hinkleylightinggallery.com/Outdoor-Lights-Outdoor-Lighting-s/56.htm]outdoor lighting[/URL]. thanks for sharing this post.
Registered
3. 22-01-2010 15:54
..
Nice post. We didn't realize LEDs are so expensive. How about trying a [URL=http://www.bsabcandles.com/soy-candles]soy candle[/URL] instead of expensive lights? haha
Registered

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.

Click here to Register.  Click here to login.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 25 May 2011 )

SEARCH GREENIACS.COM

Green Facts

  • Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild our entire commercial fleet of airplanes every 3 months

  • It takes 6,000,000 trees to make 1 year's worth of tissues for the world.

  • You’ll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle.

  • In California homes, about 10% of energy usage is related to TVs, DVRs, cable and satellite boxes, and DVD players.

  • Shaving 10 miles off of your weekly driving pattern can eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year.

  • Nudge your thermostat up two degrees in the summer and down two degrees in the winter to prevent 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

  • Americans use 100 million tin and steel cans every day.

  • Turning off the tap when brushing your teeth can save as much as 10 gallons a day per person.

  • Glass can be recycled over and over again without ever wearing down.

  • If every U.S. household turned the thermostat down by 10 degrees for seven hours each night during the cold months, and seven hours each weekday, it would prevent nearly gas emissions.

  • Every week about 20 species of plants and animals become extinct.

  • Recycling for one year at Stanford University saved the equivalent of 33,913 trees and the need for 636 tons of iron ore, coal, and limestone.

  • Recycling 100 million cell phones can save enough energy to power 18,500 homes in the U.S. for a year.

  • Recycling 1 million laptop computers can save the amount of energy used by 3,657 homes in the U.S. over the course of a year.

  • Refrigerators built in 1975 used 4 times more energy than current models.

  • Washing your clothes in cold or warm instead of hot water saves 500 pounds of carbon dioxide a year, and drying your clothes on a clothesline six months out of the year would save another 700 pounds.

  • For every 38,000 bills consumers pay online instead of by mail, 5,058 pounds of greenhouse gases are avoided and two tons of trees are preserved.

  • American workers spend an average of 47 hours per year commuting through rush hour traffic. This adds up to 23 billion gallons of gas wasted in traffic each year.

  • 77% of people who commute to work by car drive alone.

  • Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy used to make the material from scratch.

  • A tree that provides a home with shade from the sun can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2,000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime.

  • An aluminum can that is thrown away instead of recycled will still be a can 500 years from now!

  • Less than 1% of electricity in the United States is generated from solar power.

  • The World Health Organization estimates that 2 million people die prematurely worldwide every year due to air pollution.

  • Bamboo absorbs 35% more carbon dioxide than equivalent stands of trees.

  • You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL), over the life of the bulb.

  • A steel mill using recycled scrap reduces related water pollution, air pollution, and mining wastes by about 70%.

  • States with bottle deposit laws have 35-40% less litter by volume.

  • 82 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. come from burning fossil fuels.

  • A laptop consumes five times less electricity than a desktop computer.

  • Due to tiger poaching, habitat destruction, and other human-tiger conflicts, tigers now number around 3,200—a decrease in population by about 70% from 100 years ago.

  • Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year.

  • Americans throw away more than 120 million cell phones each year, which contribute 60,000 tons of waste to landfills annually.

  • One recycled aluminum can will save enough energy to run a 100-watt bulb for 20 hours, a computer for 3 hours, or a TV for 2 hours.

  • Rainforests are being cut down at the rate of 100 acres per minute.

  • A single quart of motor oil, if disposed of improperly, can contaminate up to 2,000,000 gallons of fresh water.

  • In the United States, automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions. Walk or bike and you'll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel.

  • You will save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10,000 miles you drive if you always keep your car’s tires fully inflated.

  • Current sea ice levels are at least 47% lower than they were in 1979.