A new standard for light bulbs aims to bring Thomas Edison's 131-year-old creation into the 21st century through increased energy efficiency. As of January 1, 2011, the standard, passed by Congress and signed by President George W. Bush, light bulb manufacturers are required to meet new efficiency standards in California to save consumers money and energy. California has enacted the federal standards one year earlier to avoid the sale of 10.5 million inefficient 100-watt bulbs in 2011 which would cost consumers $35.6 million in unnecessarily higher electricity bills. By reducing energy consumption the standard will reduce air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels in power plants while producing the same quality of light as traditional incandescent bulbs
Types of bulbs
Incandescent
» Cost: About $1.50 for one 100-watt bulb
» Lifespan: 750 to 1,500 hours
Compact fluorescent lamp, or CFL
» Cost: About $6.50 for one 26-watt bulb (comparable to a 100-watt incandescent bulb)
» Lifespan: 8,000 hours for a 26-watt bulb
CFLs are simply curly versions of the long-tube fluorescent lights you already might have in a kitchen or garage. Because they use less electricity than traditional incandescent, typical CFLs can pay for themselves in less than nine months.
» Lifespan: 50 times longer than traditional incandescent and 10 times longer than CFLs
LED uses the same technology as the little indicator light on your cell phone, but it is designed to light your home. ENERGY STAR-qualified LEDs use only 20 percent to 25 percent of the energy and last up to 25 times longer than the traditional incandescent bulbs they replace.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
light bulbs by the numbers
Savings*
» $27 to $32: Annual electricity bill savings per bulb with a 13W to 17W compact fluorescent bulb compared to 60W incandescent bulb
» $38 to $43: Annual savings per 18W to 20W compact fluorescent bulb compared to 75W incandescent bulb
» $49 to $54: Annual savings per 23W to 26W compact fluorescent bulb compared to 100W incandescent bulb
* Savings based on 6,000-hour bulb lifetime, burning three hours per day at 0.12 cents per kilowatt hour.
Impact
» 438 kilowatt hours: The amount of energy consumed annually by five 60W incandescent bulbs
» 131 kilowatt hours: The amount of energy consumed annually by five 18W compact fluorescent bulbs
» 680: Pounds of carbon dioxide saved annually by using five 18W compact fluorescents compared to five 60W incandescent bulbs
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