Eco-friendliness came into fashion just a few years ago, and it still remains in trend. Interest in this topic began to appear among the public back in the 70s of the twentieth century, after the world experienced the rapid evolution of various polymers and all kinds of synthetic products, and assessed the magnitude of the consequences of their use. Now in many industries there is a steady trend towards the use of organic substances and the desire to preserve the environment. Replacing conventional incandescent lamps with energy-saving ones will help to significantly reduce the cost of electricity consumption and will have an impact on reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. In our article today, we will tell you how to choose the right energy-saving lamp,
Energy-saving lamps will help reduce the cost of electricity consumption and will have an impact on reducing carbon dioxide emissions
The first question that most users have is: what is an energy-saving light bulb? If you try to give a brief definition, then this is a product that gives a greater light output compared to existing analogues (for example, incandescent lamps accumulate and give out a light flux of no more than 12-18% of all the energy they consume, and the rest goes into thermal radiation).
Energy-saving lamps come in three main types:
LED;
Luminescent (in other words – gas-discharge);
Halogen.
The main advantages inherent in all of these devices are:
significant light output with significantly lower power consumption;
— longer service life in comparison with incandescent lamps;
safety when using them due to the lack of a direct connection of contacts (in this case we are not talking about halogen lamps);
some reduction in the load on the electrical network.
As for the minuses, the most significant is their high cost – again, in comparison with the lamps we are used to.
Fluorescent energy-saving lamps
To understand the lamp of what brightness and color should be purchased, you should look at its packaging. The unit of measure here is Kelvin (K). The lower the value, the more yellow the light will have. Accordingly, the higher the value, the colder the light, with a bluish tint.
The main lighting colors are:
- warm white light (in the range from 2700 to 3500 K);
- natural white / neutral light (in the range from 3500 to 5000 K);
- cold white light (in the range from 5000 to 6400 K).
To make it clearer: a 100 W incandescent lamp corresponds to 2800 K.
Consider each type of energy-saving lamps in more detail.
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LED energy saving lamps
LED energy-saving lamps are a set of LEDs that are combined into a single circuit. The kit also includes a driver (or a converting transformer). Such lamps are considered optimal in terms of their technical characteristics. The stores offer a wide range of their shapes and sizes, with plinths of the most popular parameters. Their main difference lies in the location of the LEDs.
LED lamps are highly reliable. They are not afraid of voltage drops, they are safe to use, have a very long service life. Their color range is very wide – from warm to cold white, which allows them to be used in rooms of any purpose. Some devices may even be equipped with a remote control and extra batteries.
Fluorescent (gas-discharge) energy-saving lamps
This type of lamp is widely used in everyday life. Like LED, they are available with the most popular types of socles (E14, E27). They have a low heating temperature, which makes them fireproof, and the service life is estimated from 6000 to 12000 hours.
True, they also have disadvantages. For example, the composition of fluorescent lamps includes an inert gas with impurities of mercury vapor – accordingly, they should be handled very carefully. This type of lighting fixtures is very sensitive to mains voltage fluctuations, besides, they noticeably dim over time, and frequent switching on and off of the device significantly reduces their operational period.
When buying an energy-saving lamp, pay attention to the type of base, but rather take an old used light bulb with you to the store
Halogen energy-saving lamps
Halogen lamps are the least interesting for users, as they are a slightly improved version of traditional incandescent lamps. Energy savings due to them can hardly be considered significant, but the working resources allow them to work up to 4000 hours. The price of such products will also be pleasant: it does not differ much from the cost of lamps with an incandescent filament.
Halogen devices are available with standard E14 and E27 sockets. Their most important advantage can be considered the small dimensions of the products. Due to this, they can be installed in a miniature sconce, a small table lamp or a lamp.
If you are going to purchase an energy-saving lamp, then you can rest assured that your decision is correct. Just remember to look at what type of base you need, or better yet, take your used old light bulb with you to the store.
