IAEEL newsletter 2/92
The E-lamp: Good News?

TABLE: Life-Cycle Cost Comparison

Lamp alternatives:

Assumptions:

Incandescent Compact
1-piece
fluorescent
E-lamp Compact
2-piece
fluorescent
Wattage

75

17

24

17

Lumen output

1190

1200

1200

1200

Efficacy (lumens/watt)

16

70

50

70

Rated Lifetime (hrs)

750

10 000

20 000

10 000

Price

$0.50

$20

$20

$6/lamp
$14/ballast

Life-Cycle Cost (over 20,000 hours)
Equipment

$9.33

$33.42

$20.00

$27.12

Energy

$80.30

$18.20

$25.70

$18.20

Total

$89.63

$51.62

$45.70

$45.32

Life cycle costs over 20 000 hours of operation, for four lamp alternatives. The two-piece CFL with electronic ballast (ballast rated to last about 45 000 hours), with a lamp price of US$6 or below, has a similar life-cycle cost over 20 000 hours as the US$20 E-lamp. If E-lamp claims of price and efficacy prove correct, it has an edge over a one-piece CFL with electronic ballast at the same price.

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