What Are CFLs And How Do They Work?
The technical revolution brought about by the CFL is nothing short of
amazing. CFLs are the energy efficient and cost effective lighting
alternative to the normal incandescent bulbs. Modern CFLs can plug into
normal lighting fixtures. CFLs consume 75% less electricity than the
average incandescent bulb and last 10 times longer (up to 7 years).
CFLs produce light in a different manner to incandescent bulbs. An
incandescent bulb contains a filament which is heated up to the point of
incandescence. It is this glowing that produces the light. Of course, a
lot of energy is consumed in this heating process. Energy is also lost
in terms of heat emanating from the bulb.
Basically, a CFL consists of two parts: a gas-filled tube and a
ballast (which can be magnetic or electronic). The gas-filled tube is
coated with phosphor. The gas contained in the tube is a mixture of
argon and a small amount of mercury. When the switched is turned on, the
ballast kick starts the whole process by allowing in electricity. The
electrical current passes through the gas mixture resulting in the
emission of UV light. UV light then collides against the phosphor
coating with then emits the visible light. The CFL uses less energy
because once the visible light is produced; lesser energy is required to
maintain it. The ballast reduces the amount of current released so that
overall, less energy is consumed by the bulb.
This difference accounts for much when comparing the incandescent
light bulb to the CFL. In incandescent lighting, around 10-12% of the
energy used is actually converted to light. The remaining is lost in the
form of heat. CFLs on the other hand use around 50% of the electricity.
This means that a 25 watt CFL will burn as brightly as a 100 watt
incandescent bulb!
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