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Light On

The standard pear-shaped incandescent bulb thatmost of us have been using for ages has a bad reputation among environmentalists as an energy hog.

alternative energy 101 light on

Incandescent bulbs last a very short time, and waste almost all of the energy passing through them in the form of heat, rendering them highly inefficient as a light source. These days, almost every list of “simple steps for saving the environment” includes switching from incandescents to compact fluorescents, which last up to ten times as long and shrink energy bills. 

CFLs

The coil of a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) is a known symbol for energy efficiency.

Simply replacing incandescents with CFLs throughout a home or building can cut lighting energy use by more than 50 percent. Because it’s as easy as swapping out one bulb for another, everyone from Oprah to Home Depot to the Department of Energy has launched campaigns encouraging people to make the switch. It’s a small change that makes a big difference, saving 2,000 times its own weight in greenhouse gases. Nevertheless, many people resist the move to CFLs because the quality of light generally pales in comparison to a glowing white incandescent. It’s a common complaint that the light is too yellow, too dim, or simply disruptive to a considered home atmosphere. Knowing this, lighting companies have been striving for a more ambient, appealing quality of illumination so that there’s no excuse not to choose a CFL.

LEDs

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) have been used for a long time in products that require long-lasting illumination with little energy, such as traffic lights, illuminated signage,
and small indicator lights in electronic devices.

They come in a range of colors  and take about 85 percent less power than standard lighting. Only recently have LEDs been considered for residential and commercial lighting applications, undergoing design modifications to increase compatibility with standard fixtures. They currently cost more than CFLs and have fewer uses, but as interest in everyday LED use grows, so does research and development toward creating viable consumer products, such as Herman Miller’s Leaf light.

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