Fast Facts: Light Bulbs

** A product that earns the Energy Star® label has met the energy-efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. When it comes to light bulbs, the current Energy Star frontrunner is the CFL, or compact fluorescent lamp. This easily distinguishable bulb—recognized for its spiral tube top—promises direct savings on monthly utility bills, while helping the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change.

** Energy Star®-qualified CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy (electricity) than incandescent light bulbs, last up to 10 times longer, and provide a quick return on investment. For a quick guide to which bulb is best from your lighting needs, access the Energy Star CFL purchasing check list.

** If every home in the United States replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an Energy Star®-qualified CFL, the United States would save enough energy in one year to light more than 3 million homes. The switch also would prevent the release of greenhouse gas emissions equal to that of about 800,000 cars.

** Compact fluorescent light bulbs save homeowners money, but they contain mercury. This means disposing of the energy-efficient bulbs responsibly is a no-brainer. For a list of places where you can recycle CFLs, visit Earth911.com.

** Ever noticed that the color of your skin, the clothing you’re wearing or the personal accessories you’re carrying look more flattering in some places, rather than in others? That’s because light bulbs emit different colors of light. Here’s a quick breakdown: Light color is measured on a temperature scale referred to as Kelvin (K). Lower Kelvin numbers mean the light appears more yellow; higher Kelvin numbers mean the light is whiter or bluer.
Most Energy Star®-qualified bulbs are made to match the color of incandescent bulbs, which emit a yellow-cast light, at 2700-3000 K. For a whiter light, look for bulbs marked 3500-4100 K. For bluer white light, look for bulbs marked 5000-6500K.

** While CFLs have quickly become the new standard in energy-efficient lighting, LEDs, light emitting diodes, are gaining favor at a fast clip. Already, LEDs are practically everywhere, from the digital display on your DVD player to your automotive brake lights. They’re earning as place in residential lighting applications, too, and their advantages over incandescent light sources are pretty persuasive: lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, improved robustness, smaller size, faster switching, and greater durability and reliability.

** Philips Lighting North America recently captured the coveted Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize, or L Prize, from the United States government for developing a high-efficiency replacement for the incandescent light bulb. After a rigorous 18-month testing period, Philips’ EnduraLED, a light emitting diode, was certified as matching the output, quality of light, intensity, and color of the 60-watt, incandescent bulb. As winner of the L Prize, Philips, the only entrant in the competition, earned $10 million. The U.S. Congress introduced the competition in 2007, as part of a bill that calls for phasing out incandescent bulbs by 2012.