CFL and Halogen Bulbs

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Jennifer of AvocaLite featured on Pat Kenny
Show

I was delighted to hear that the Pat Kenny radio show featured a 20 minute piece on CFL lamps with Jennifer of AvocaLite.

During the piece Pat introduced halogen bulbs. It is my belief that halogen replacement bulbs, as distinct from 12 volt halogen spots etc., should also be banned as the efficiency of many is only marginally 10% above the bog ordinary bulb.

Halogen Bulbs

Most household incandescent bulbs have efficiencies of between 8 and 21 lumens per watt. Higher efficiencies can be achieved with “hotter” filaments and something near 35 lumens per watt can be achieved with photographic and projection lamps with very high filament temperatures but with much shorter lifetimes of around 40 hours.

In between, you have the range of halogen lights from car headlights to halogen down lighters. In the last 10 years or so a range of halogen bulbs to replace the common light bulb. Halogen bulbs are ordinary bulbs with some modifications.

Older type of Halogen Bulb
Newer type look exactly like standard bulb

These bulbs all still have tungsten filaments but operated at a much higher temperature so they have a quartz envelope that takes higher temperatures than glass and are filled with halogen gas instead of a vacuum. The purpose of the halogen gas is to prevent the tungsten filament depositing atoms on the glass envelope. The light efficiency of halogen bulbs comes from the higher operating temperature of the filament. Efficiency differs widely but halogen can be between 10 and 30% more efficient and still have reasonably long lives.

Halogen replacement bulbs have been around a long time. A newer breed of replacement bulb is being developed. Much of the design is being lead by the motor industry and development of brighter headlights. However the new breed of super efficient nano-technology LED lights will soon displace these.

Low voltage 12 volt halogen lights give a superior quality of light to mains voltage.

CFL Bulbs

The modern CFL bulb is a highly sophisticated piece of engineering. The starter technology is state of the art and the colour rendition and general quality of light from the better brands, exceeds the quality of incandescent bulbs, according to Popular Mechanics tests.

Led Bulbs.

There are very recent developments in the LED type bulb using nano-technology which has greatly increased the efficiency and power of these fantastic lights. We will see these new light in the next year or so. They will be twice or more as efficient as CFL bulbs and they will last for 20 to 30 years. This is where all lighting, domestic, commercial, and automotive, is heading.



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