COMPARISON |
Fluorescent (tubular) |
|
Compact Fluorescent |
Life span: |
10,000 - 20,000 hours |
|
Life span: |
Up to 10,000 hours |
Pros: |
bulb burns cooler; very efficient; can come in various CRI ratings; comes in different color temperatures |
|
Pros: |
efficient |
Cons: |
Not dimmable; fixtures are more costly; known to flicker at times. |
|
Cons: |
cost of bulb; sometimes they can't physically fit; to replace incandescent bulbs |
Efficiency: |
33 - 100 lumens per watt |
|
Efficiency: |
44 - 80 lumens per watt |
Uses: |
General, floodlights |
|
Uses: |
General lighting |
Notes: |
Frequent switching on and off reduces efficiency. |
|
Notes: |
frequent switching on and off reduces efficiency. |
|
Metal Halide |
|
LED |
Life span: |
6,000 - 10,000 hours |
|
Life span: |
50,000 to 70,000 hours |
Pros: |
Extremely efficient; give a brilliant light; bulbs come in different color temperatures; good color rendering. |
|
Pros: |
Extremely efficient; give a brilliant light; bulbs come in different color temperatures; good color rendering. |
Cons: |
cost of both fixture and bulb; burns hot |
|
Cons: |
cost of both fixture and bulb; burns hot |
Efficiency: |
60 - 125 lumens per watt |
|
Efficiency: |
60 - 125 lumens per watt |
Uses: |
places where a lot of light is needed such as outdoor areas and retail shops. Used frequently in sports arenas, stadiums, auditoriums, and convention halls |
|
Uses: |
places where a lot of light is needed such as outdoor areas and retail shops. Used frequently in sports arenas, stadiums, auditoriums, and convention halls |
Notes: |
not to be used near flammable materials. Bulbs usually must burn in a certain position. |
|
Notes: |
not to be used near flammable materials. Bulbs usually must burn in a certain position. |
|
Mercury Vapor |
|
High Pressure Sodium |
Life span: |
1600 - 6000 hours |
|
Life span: |
18,000 - 24,000 hours |
Pros: |
More efficient than incandescent and halogen; gives a nice color to landscapes. |
|
Pros: |
extremely efficient, long lasting, |
Cons: |
lowest efficiency of the HID type bulbs; dims rapidly; bad color rendering |
|
Cons: |
Bad color rendering, produces yellowish light; slowly lose their brightness with short period of time, operates very hot and uses a lot of energy. |
Efficiency: |
20 - 63 lumens per watt |
|
Efficiency: |
60 - 125 lumens per watt |
Uses: |
landscape illumination, outdoor lighting |
|
Uses: |
very popular for indoor horticulture, outdoor and industrial applications |
Notes: |
produce a blue-green light |
|
|
|
|
Low Pressure Sodium |
Life span: |
approximately 16,000 hours |
Pros: |
One of the most efficient bulbs there is, long life span. |
Cons: |
worst color rendering (monochromatic) of all the bulbs, initial setup can be costly |
Efficiency: |
90 - 180 lumens per watt |
Uses: |
security lighting or indoor applications like stairwells |
Notes: |
Monochromatic - all colors under this light appear black, white, or shades of gray. |
|
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The customer should be made aware of lamp efficiencies and operational life in situations where a lamp is to be left on for long periods of time or is not easily accessible for replacement. The energy consumption of a large lighting system is considerable. For example in a commercial building the energy costs of the lighting system may be 30 to 50% of the total energy costs. |