Assignment 2

Comparison of incandescent lamp/ CFL/LED

An incandescent lamp is an electric light which produces light with a wire filament heated to a high temperature by an
electric current passing through it, until it glows.

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) are smaller versions of standard fluorescent lamps. They consume much less energy but
provide light that is comparable to incandescent lights. Also, they can generally directly replace standard incandescent
bulbs.

LED stands for 'Light Emitting Diode', a semiconductor device that converts electricity into light. LED lights are super
energy efficient, using approximately 85% less energy than halogen or incandescent lighting – meaning significant
savings on your power bills.

Top 10 Benefits of LED Lighting

The Advantages of LEDs over Incandescent Lights

1. No Heat: LEDs produce little or no heat compared to incandescent bulbs. This means there is a reduced risk of
accidental burns or fires, as well as not overheating an environment which can cause discomfort. This is of
concern not just in warmer climates, but also when incandescent lights are used in a public venue such as a bar or
theatre.
2. Solid: Because LEDs are made from a solid material, they are much more durable than incandescent bulbs.
Dropping or bashing an LED by accident is not as big a risk as it is with an incandescent light which will smash,
rendering it inoperable and dangerous due to broken glass.
3. Savings: LEDs last much longer than their incandescent counterparts. A standard incandescent bulb will last for a
maximum of 1500 hours while an LED can last for up to 60,000! This means far fewer changes, which means
lower maintenance costs. In the past LEDs were much more expensive, but now their initial cost completely justifies
the savings which can be made in the long term.
4. Energy: Most LEDs consume only a fraction of the electricity that an incandescent bulb does. This means far lower
energy bills. This is especially important for larger properties which can amass huge monthly bills. LEDs cut costs
significantly in the long term.
5. Environment: Due to lower power consumption, LEDs are better for the environment, contributing less to climate
change.
6. Color: In order to change the colour of an incandescent bulb it has to be coated in a special, non-combustible
paint. This is not exactly pleasing to the eye. LEDs come in a variety of colours making them more adaptable,
that's why they can be used for almost any lighting situation.
7. Variable: Some LEDs can change colour allowing them to cycle through the light spectrum. This is great for
decorations, especially at Christmas time!
8. Smaller: LEDs are typically quite small and due to their design do not require a bulbous appearance. This is great
for situations such as ceiling downlights where LEDs can sit flush with the roof without protruding. They can also
be installed in more intimate spaces than incandescent bulbs.
9. Directional: Because LED lights are far more directional in the way that they produce light, they are perfect as
spotlights. Incandescent bulbs on the other hand are more omni-directional which means that they are not as good
at highlighting a specific space or object. This makes LEDs perfect for more elaborate lighting situations where it is
more desirable to highlight features of a room or exterior.
10. Temporary: LED lights do not necessarily require a mains supply of electricity. They can in fact be battery powered
which is why they are perfect for temporary lighting in any environment, even where a mains supply is not
present. Battery powered LED light strips are a great option for this type of situation.

Fluorescent (CFL) vs. Incandescent Bulbs

Fluorescent light bulbs are better than incandescent bulbs in almost every way: lifetime cost, environmental impact
and energy savings.
ADVANTAGES
Fluorescent lamps are more efficient than incandescent light bulbs of an equivalent brightness. This is because a greater
proportion of the power used is converted to usable light and a smaller proportion is converted to heat, allowing
fluorescent lamps to run cooler. A typical 100 Watt tungsten filament incandescent lamp may convert only 2.6% of its
power input to visible light, whereas typical fluorescent lamps convert between 6.6% and 15.2% of their power input to
visible light - see the table in the luminous efficacy article. Typically a fluorescent lamp will last between 10 to 20 times
as long as an equivalent incandescent lamp.
The higher initial cost of a fluorescent lamp is usually more than compensated for by lower energy consumption over its
life. The longer life may also reduce lamp replacement costs, providing additional saving especially where labour is
costly. Therefore it is widely used by businesses worldwide, but not so much by households.

DISADVANTAGES
Psychological and physiological sensitivity
Certain individuals possess a pathological sensitivity to fluorescent light. For example, some people with photo-
sensitivity due to neurological conditions such as epilepsy, autism and Asperger’s syndrome may feel sick or
overstimulated by the near-subconscious flickering of fluorescent tubes. People who have diseases such as lupus may
experience intensification of symptoms if exposed to fluorescent lighting for long periods of time.
Ballasts
Fluorescent lamps require a ballast to stabilize the lamp and to provide the initial striking voltage required to start the
arc discharge. This increases the cost of fluorescent luminaries, though often one ballast is shared between two or more
lamps. Electromagnetic ballasts with a minor fault can produce an audible humming or buzzing noise.
Conventional lamp ballasts do not operate on direct current. If a direct current supply with a high enough voltage to
strike the arc is available, a resistor can be used to ballast the lamp but this leads to low efficiency because of the power
lost in the resistor. Also, the mercury tends to migrate to one end of the tube leading to only one end of the lamp
producing most of the light. Because of this effect, the lamps (or the polarity of the current) must be reversed at regular
intervals.
Power factor
Fluorescent lamp ballasts have a power factor of less than unity. For large installations, this makes the provision of
electrical power more expensive as special measures need to be taken to bring the power factor closer to unity.
Power harmonics
Fluorescent lamps are a non-linear load and generate harmonics on the 50 Hz or 60 Hz sinusoidal waveform of
electrical power supply. This can generate radio frequency noise in some cases. Suppression of generation of harmonics is
standard practice, but imperfect. Very good suppression is possible, but adds to the cost of the fluorescent fixtures. The
result can be interference with some radio reception bands in some cases.
Optimum operating temperature
Fluorescent lamps operate best around room temperature (say, 20 °C or 68 °F). At much lower or higher temperatures,
efficiency decreases and at low temperatures (below freezing) standard lamps may not start. Special lamps may be needed
for reliable service outdoors in cold weather. A “cold start” electrical circuit was also developed in the mid-1970s.
Non-compact light source
Because the arc is quite long relative to higher-pressure discharge lamps, the amount of light emitted per unit of surface of
the lamps is low, so tube lamps were large compared with incandescent sources.
Flicker
Fluorescent fittings using a magnetic mains frequency ballast do not give out a steady light; instead, they flicker
(fluctuate in intensity) at twice the supply frequency.
Incandescent lamps, due to the thermal inertia of their element, fluctuate to a lesser extent. This is also less of a problem
with compact fluorescents, since they multiply the line frequency to levels that are not visible. Installations can reduce
the stroboscope effect by using lead-lag ballasts, by operating the lamps on different phases of a polyphase power supply, or
by use of electronic ballasts.
Electronic ballasts do not produce light flicker, since the phosphor persistence is longer than a half cycle of the higher
operation frequency.
Color rendition
The issues with color faithfulness of some tube types are discussed above.
Dimming
Unless specifically designed and approved to accommodate dimming, most fluorescent light fixtures cannot be connected
to a standard dimmer switch used for incandescent lamps. Two effects are responsible for this: the waveshape of the voltage
emitted by a standard phase-control dimmer interacts badly with many ballasts and it becomes difficult to sustain an
arc in the fluorescent tube at low power levels. Many installations require 4-pin fluorescent lamps and compatible
controllers for successful fluorescent dimming; these systems tend to keep the cathodes of the fluorescent tube fully heated
even as the arc current is reduced, promoting easy thermionic emission of electrons into the arc stream.
Disposal and recycling
The disposal of phosphor and particularly the mercury in the tubes is an environmental issue. (Incandescent lamps do
not contain mercury.)
For large commercial or industrial users of fluorescent lights, recycling services are available in many nations, and
may be required by regulation. In some areas, recycling is also available to consumers. The need for a recycling
infrastructure is an issue with instituting proposed bans of incandescent bulbs.
VASHEENA MITTAL

SECOND YEAR

SUSHANT SCHOOL OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE