| CFLs and their competitors: A comparison | ||||||||||||
| Power Range Competing with CFL (lamp watts) |
Luminous Efficacy (initial lumens/watt) |
Efficacy Includes Ballast Losses |
Lumen Depreciation (% reduction) |
Lifetime (hours) |
Color Rendering |
Color Temperature |
Dimmability Availability |
Dimmability Limitations |
Application R(esidental)** C(ommercial) |
Limited Application |
Contains Mercury |
|
| INCANDESCENT Standard Incandescent § |
||||||||||||
| Standard incandescent lamp (GLS lamp, also called A-lamp) Reduced wattage ("Energy saving"), GLS lamp Standard incandescent, Exit sign Lamp |
25-200 34-135 20-24 |
8-19 12-21 4-7 |
yes yes yes |
~20% ~20% ~20% |
750-1000 1000-3500 5000-8000 |
95-100 95-100 95-100 |
2500-2900K 2500-2900K 2500-2900 |
all all not applicable |
color shift; buzz color shift; buzz not applicable |
R, C R, C C |
exit signs |
|
| Tungsten-Halogen | ||||||||||||
| Standard incandescent, with inner halogen capsule Standard Incandescent, with infrared-coated inner halogen capsule Halogen Double-Ended Lamps (for torchiere) Tungsten-Halogen "Capsule" Lamps, single-ended Halogen PAR lamp Halogen PAR lamp, with infrared-coated inner halogen bulb Halogen PAR, dichroic low voltage Halogen PAR, dichroic low voltage, with IR-coating# |
60-150 18-73 300 50 15-250 50, 60, 90 20, 35, 50 35, 50 |
9-20 11-22 13 19 16-23 27-35 not appl. not appl. |
yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes |
~5% ~5% ~5% ~5% ~5% ~5% ~5% ~5% |
2250-3000 5000 2000 2000 2000-2500 3000-6000 2000-3000 4000 |
95-100 95-100 <95-100 95-100 95-100 95-100 95-100 95-100 |
2900K 3000K 3000-3100K 2800-3000K 2800-3000K ? 3000-3100K ? |
all all all all all all all all |
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ |
R, C R, C R, C R, C R, C R, C R, C R, C |
indirect fixtures flood/spot flood/spot flood/spot flood/spot flood/spot |
|
| FLOURSCENT Compact Fluorscent Lamps |
||||||||||||
| Integral (lamp & ballast combined) Modular (lamp & ballast separate) |
5-28 5-55 |
25-85 25-85 |
yes yes |
10-30% 10-30% |
9000-12000 9000-12000¥ |
80s 80s |
2700-5000K 2700-5000K |
some some |
special ballast special ballast |
R, C R, C |
x x |
|
| Standard Fluorscent Lamp (pins on both ends) | ||||||||||||
| standard linear fluorscent narrow "T8" technology |
34 32 |
75-95 90-100 |
yes yes |
20-25% 5-15% |
20000 15000-20000 |
50-90 50-90 |
3000-7500K 3000-5000K |
some some |
special ballast special ballast |
R, C R, C |
x x |
|
| slender "T5" technology | ||||||||||||
| linear circular (Osram and Philips)# |
14-58 24, 39, 54 |
67-96 79-83 |
yes yes |
5% ? |
10000-20000 ? |
82-85 ? |
3000-4100 ? |
some ? |
special ballast ? |
R, C R, C |
glare issue glare issue |
x x |
| ultra-slender "T2" (available in 6#, 8#, 11, 13 watt) | ||||||||||||
| 13W (Osram) | 13 | 51 | yes | ? | 10 000 | 82-85 | 3 000K | no | special ballast | R, C | long shape, glare | x |
| Electrodeless Induction Lamp | ||||||||||||
| QL (Philips, 55, 85, 160# watts) Genura (General Electric) I.C.E. (Osram) 100 and 150 watts# |
85 23 150 |
65-70 48 80 |
yes yes yes |
30% ? 30% |
60 000/100 000 15 000 60 000 |
80+ 82 80+ |
3 000-4 000K ? 3 500, 4 100K |
no ? no |
? |
R, C R, C C |
flood/spot high-intensity |
x x x |
| HIGH-INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID) Metal Halide |
||||||||||||
| Low-wattage (Philips Master Color T6) pin-base, singel-ended Low-wattage (Philips Master Color Rebel) screw-base, PAR# Low-wattage (Philips Master Color) screw-base, PAR High-wattage (Osram DE/400/DX) pin-base, double-ended High-wattage (Osram DE/400/NDX) pin-base, double-ended Ceramic-burner MH lamps (still only in Europe) |
39 22 39 400 400 35, 70, 150 |
79 61 59 70 70 70-85 |
yes no no no no yes |
21% ? 20% 15% 27% 10-15% |
9 000 9 000 9 000 8 000 8 000 6 000-9 000 |
81 87 81 93 85 >90 |
3 000K ? 3 000K 6 000K 4 200K 3 000-6 000K |
few few few few few few |
Ý Ý Ý Ý Ý Ý |
R, C R, C R, C C C R, C |
high-intensity high-intensity high-intensity |
x x x x x x |
| High Pressure Sodium (Philips White SON), pin-base | 35, 50, 100 | 28-39 | yes | 20-25% | 10 000 | 85 | 2 700K | no | step-switching | R, C | high-intensity | x |
| Hybrid Technology (Sodium-Xenon) | ||||||||||||
| Osram Colorstar DSX2 - 2-step (50/30W and 80/50W versions) | 50/30 | 69/64 | yes | ? | 15 000 | 50/45 | 2 700, 3 100K | steps | two light levels | R, C | poor CRI | |
| Electrodeless Sulfur Lamp | ||||||||||||
| Fusion/Celsius Solar 1000/microwave frequency Low-wattage/radio frequency # |
1 000 100 |
80-100 ~90 |
yes yes |
negligible negligible |
60 000ƒ 60 000 |
high high |
variable variable |
x ? |
? ? |
C C |
high intensity ind`l or outdoor |
|
| LIGHT EMITTING DIODE LAMPS (LED) | 2-7 (watts per multi-diode face) |
not applicable |
yes | ? | 100 000++ | not applicable |
? | not applicable |
not applicable |
C | Exit signs | |
§ The standard incandescent reflector lamp used to complete with the CFL, but has now been outlawed under the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
* Efficient based on lumen output when lamp is new. Output declines at different rates over lamp life for each technology.
** For the higher-output or poor-color-rendering products, "R" indicates potential use in outdoor applications.
# Not yet available on the market.
¥ Modular CFL ballast life ~ 50 000 hours, i.e. considerably longer than replacement lamp.
‡ Full dimming is possible, but interferes with the tungsten-regeneration process in halogen lamps, thus lamps should be operated above 35% dimming most of the time and at full power at regular intervals.
Ý Metal halide lamps are dimmable, in principal, but require highly specialized ballast that are not generally available. Step switching is easier to achieve than dimming.
ƒ Magnetron life significantly shorter than lamp life.
| Top of page | Back to "Compact Fluorescents..." |