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Life Cycle Analyses of Integral Compact Fluorescent Lamps Versus Incandescent Lamps Energy and Emissions
Annette GydesenTechnical University of Denmark, Denmark Dorte Maimann Technical University of Denmark, Denmark Abstract This paper analyses various environmental effects of compact fluorescent lamps compared to incandescent lamps. The environmental effects are evaluated by carrying out life cycle analyses for the lamps. in these life cycle analyses the main emphasis is placed on energy consumption and emissions linked to this during the production, operating and scrapping phases of the lamps. Health and safety aspects during the life cycle are also assessed. The emissions due to electricity consumption are calculated assuming that the electricity is supplied from a coalfired power plant. Finally the environmental impacts of the lamps over their whole lifetime are compared, and it is evaluated if the compact fluorescent lamps can be characterized as a cleaner technology. Aspects such as lighting quality, problems with installing compact fluorescent lamps in existing luminaires etc. are not dealt with in this paper. The life cycle analyses show that the use of compact fluorescent lamps instead of incandescent lamps, as expected, leads to reduced emissions of CO_2, SO_2 and NO_x, methane and solid waste. The most interesting conclusion is, however, that the compact fluorescent lamps, even though they contain a certain amount of mercury, will reduce emissions of mercury. Another finding is that the energy consumption to produce compact fluorescent lamps is of the same magnitude as the energy consumption to produce incandescent lamps when lifetime of the lamps and luminous intensity is taken into consideration. The energy consumption to produce each type of lamp is very small (about 1%) compared to their energy consumption during their operating lifetime.
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