I've been a fan of Compact Fluorescent light bulbs for a while now, and I'd like to get as many people as possible on the CFL bandwagon.

These light bulbs are about four times as efficient as old fashioned light bulbs at converting electricity to white light. For that reason, they use one quarter of the electricity of regular light bulbs.

I recommend counting all of the regular (incandescent) light bulbs in your house and immediately buying new replacement CFL bulbs for all of them. Then I recommend unscrewing the old bulbs and throwing them away. I recommend doing it right now.

The power use of Incandescent light bulbs can be compared to Fluorescent bulbs by their Lumens per Watt. Here is what you would see if you were comparing these bulbs like you compare automobiles:

Incandescent lighting is ridiculously inefficient.

Fluorescent Light: Like a Bicycle for Electricity

I grew up with incandescent light bulbs, and I guess it can be hard to imagine that a new technology could be four times as efficient as those old bulbs.

Perhaps I can explain it another way: Ordinary bicycles have been calculated to require 1/4th of the energy of travel by foot. Walking and running work, but they take energy to move from place to place. A bicycle is a much more efficient method of transportation. If you were trying to cross Australia using only human-power, wouldn't you get a bicycle?

The electricity being used in an incandescent light bulb is not using any mechanical advantage. It is walking, burning 100 Watts of electricity. Compact Fluorescent bulbs do it better. They provide the same amount of light for just 23 Watts.

When you are screwing light bulbs into the light sockets in your home, give the electricity bicycles!

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January 15th,  2008.