Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

So what’s the big deal with CFLs anyway.....

In order to understand that we first need to understand what’s wrong with conventional incandescent bulbs. The light bulbs we are all accustomed to use 10% of the electricity they consume to make light and 90% to make heat. So 90% of the power you pay for to run a light bulb is wasted. Compact fluorescents on the other hand are exactly the opposite, 90% light and 10% heat.

What this means is that it takes substantially less power to generate the same amount of light. For instance a 65 watt incandescent bulb can be replaced by a 15 watt CFL and still generate the same amount of light.

"So what" you say?

Well start adding up the watts required to run all the lights in your house, number of watts per bulb times the number of hours each bulb is on, times the number of bulbs and you’ll most likely be surprised at the number of watts used per day. Now multiply that times 30 days and divide by 1000 to get kilowatt hours. Now multiply that times what you pay per kilowatt hour. In Seacoast NH we pay about 15 cents (.15) per kilowatt hour. When you’re all done multiply by .75 and look at the money you can save with CFLs.

What about color?

CFLs used to produce what most people would call ugly light making everything a bit greenish. Newer bulbs are designed to mimic the color of conventional incandescent bulbs so you really won’t notice the difference.

Your present lights warm up instantly you say? Well CFLs do need to warm up a bit when first turned on. They are dramatically faster than older versions, however we feel this is a small price to pay for the substantial savings involved. We all need to lower our power usage and carbon foot print, and CFLs are a great way to start.

Hate looking at curly bulbs?

We stock CFLs in many shapes and sizes including conventionally shaped spot and flood bulbs, globe shaped vanity lights and even bulbs designed to hold lamp shades. They all have unbreakable plastic covers, too.

But they have mercury...... Well, yes they do, but the amount per bulb is less than the amount found in the average watch battery. And with unbreakable plastic covers one need not worry. Seacoast Energy Alternatives will recycle them for you.

You have a lot of dimmers in your home? Well the good news is our supplier will be shipping dimmable fluorescent bulbs very soon and we plan on stocking a fair amount of them. We’ve been waiting, too!

One final note about CFLs. Sure you will spend a good deal more for them than conventional bulbs, but they will save you a substantial amount of electricity and they last years longer. So actually your money is being more wisely spent by investing in more efficient, longer lasting bulbs.

LEDs

Perhaps you’ve heard the rumbling about led lighting. They’re starting to show up in a lot of places like traffic lights, car tail lights and as conventional light bulbs. So what’s the big deal with LEDs. For starters, they use about one tenth the power of a normal incandescent bulb and last years longer. They output no heat at all and can be manufactured in countless colors. They can be used to replace conventional fluorescent tubes, and the ballasts that drive them, for big savings in power and maintenance.

There are a few downsides at the moment. They are fairly expensive compared to incandescent or CFL bulbs and they're not quite as bright. While perhaps not ready for the general market they are something to keep an eye on. We stock several flavors of LED lighting for you to try for yourselves. We’ve found they make ideal outdoor spot and flood lights, particularly in the winter when the cold makes CFLs less responsive. It’s really only a matter of time before LEDs are the replacement of choice.

Now what?

Stop by Seacoast Energy Alternatives and see for yourself. We've built a custom light display for you to see how these bulbs perform before you buy. We're eager to solve problems and find the best, most reliable product for your needs.

Finding ways to save..invest in a Kill-a-watt energy monitor. In stock at Seacoast Energy Alternatives.

Natural daylight in your home or business without electricity. Consider sola tubes.

In stock and on display, visit our store for details.