What are Fluorescent Lamps?
Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) are a modern type of light bulb that will fit into a standard light fitting, but use up a lot less energy then conventional, ordinary light bulbs. Most CFLs either consist of a number of short glass sticks, or two or three small tubular loops.
Sometimes, these are enclosed in a glass bowl or made to look like a traditional bulb. There are also some older CFLs that look light a clear or white glass jam-jar and are much heavier, but these are less efficient and are not recommended. CFLs work in much the same way as a fluorescent strip light: the inside is coated with a phosphor that gives off the light and there is an electronic ballast to start the lamp operating.
CFLs are often called low energy lamps because they use less energy than the traditional tungsten filament bulbs that they replace.
As they plug in directly to the normal light fittings they work off the standard power supply.
Although CFLs cost more to buy, they save money because they use less electricity.
| Ordinary Bulbs | CFLs |
| 40W | 7 - 10W |
| 60W | 15 -18W |
| 100W | 20 - 25W |
| 150W | 32W |
Compact Fluorescent Lamps are best used in areas with a fairly high usage. If a light is used for an average of 3 hours per day over the year (perhaps 1 hour in mid-summer and 5 hours in winter), then it would pay for itself in less than a year.
On the other hand if it was only used for an hour a day on average, it would take about 2½ years to recover the initial cost.
No, Low voltage lights are usually small bright halogen bulbs, often needing a transformer to work.
They are commonly used in kitchens where they give a bright narrow beam, often requiring several lights on a single unit. Although each halogen bulb uses less power than a conventional light bulb, they use a great deal more than a CFL and if several halogen bulbs are used, they will use more energy in total than conventional lights.
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