Fluorescent lights no longer give just a dim flicker. Yes they are the ecological choice to normal light bulbs, but they can also be interesting and are a favourite of contemporary designers. So why are they a good green alternative, and what’s so cool about them?
Every electrician can tell you that fluorescent lights tend to last four to ten times as long as normal (filament) light bulbs and use roughly 20% of the energy. The trouble with normal light bulbs is that 95% of the power they use is lost through heat and merely 5% is literally used to light up a room.
While fluorescent bulbs are more costly to buy initially, they will save you cash in the long run, typically paying for themselves in under a year. And they fit in nearly all existing light fittings, so you won’t even need an electrician to change your fixtures.
An additional direct environmental advantage is that since the light bulbs last so much longer they make less waste for the dump as fewer are being thrown away each year. And once you’re fitting them and doing your bit, you may even feel so green and environmentally aware that you take your tasks further and turn lights off when they’re not being utilized.
When you do require to throw away fluorescent light bulbs at that time attempt and do so correctly. Contrasting normal light bulbs, they have a small quantity of mercury which is greenly harmful if they are binned, so ask your local board about recycling facilities for light bulbs and do your part to keep them out of the garbage dump.
Now for the fun bit! FL lights are fantastic if you want to make a colour wash on the wall or against draperies. They can be recessed so that the luminosity seems to come magically from a hidden source and if the light shines against a reflective facade, you can create a very spectacular effect. You can also talk to your electrician about installing more than one fluorescent tube so that you have a option of colours at your fingertips.
Fluorescent lights of course happen in white but also four basic colours – red, yellow, green and blue. If not any of these agree with your scheme, you can put a white light following a coloured filter of your choice or even get coloured theatrical lighting gel which can be practical to the bulb to attain the effect you’re after. There are even companies that advertise bulbs previously coated, offering a range of colours if you can’t face doing it yourself.
If you’re putting together a lighting design bear in mind that fluorescent white light tends to appear cool rather than warm. FL bulbs can be included into a dimmer system when of course they become less bright, but they won’t create a warm glow like a incandescent bulb. As well as being put onto dimmers your electrician could go one step further and incorporate them into a system of pre-set scenes to generate numerous mood options for your room.
The fact is that in 2007 the US Administration announced that filament light bulbs are to be barred by 2011, which should help save around 5 million tonnes of CO2 by US household users alone. So it makes sense to get ready now for this new period in lighting. Light bulbs in the US are now graded A-G for ecological efficiency, so it’s easy to pick ones that do less damage and that will save you cash in the mid and long term. And it doesn’t mean living in gloom – fluorescent lights have come a long way since their flickering early stages.
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Written: Jul 1, 2009Tags: Home Improvement