Nothing is more important than saving our planet. Recent research shows that CO2 emissions are occurring at a rate double the capacity that the earth can assimilate. Furthermore, CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere are now 380 ppm, which is higher than any measured records over the past 4 million years, worsening global warming.
Lighting is a basic necessity. Therefore, greater use of eco-friendly and energy–efficient lamps is considered the quickest and simplest option for reaching a carbon neutral state. Compared with incandescent bulbs, CFLs/LEDs deliver incredible lighting performance while consuming 80% less power, and generate 80% less CO2 as a result. Moreover, CFLs/LEDs emit much less heat than incandescent bulbs, that contributes to the reduction in energy consumption from air-conditioning, thus further reducing CO2 emission that causes global warming.
Note: In generating 1kWh of electricity in a power plant, 0.616kg of CO2 is emitted to the air.
Countries worldwide have begun to realise the need for carbon reduction, and some have responded actively to combat the issue.
Ireland has stopped using incandescent bulbs by January 2009, making it the first country to implement such a ban
Australia declared that it would phase out incandescent light bulbs gradually before 2010 and replace them with energy saving lamps
The United Kingdom declared it would replace incandescent bulbs with energy saving lamps in 2011
The federal government in Canada announced it would ban the sale of incandescent bulbs in 2012
California has passed a law to ban the sale of incandescent bulbs from 2012
The EU has announced it will ban incandescent bulbs by 2016*
Activists from Japan have lobbied to ban companies producing incandescent bulbs
China’s government is planning to ban incandescent bulbs
*CFLs/LEDs are Efficient
When an incandescent bulb is lit, about 90% energy is converted to heat instead of visible light, making it very energy inefficient. The CFL undergoes two processes in generating light:
1) electrons collide with mercury vapour particles, converting to ultra-violet radiation;
2) ultra-violet radiation projects on phosphor to generate light. The efficiencies of both processes are very high. Therefore, compact fluorescent lamps possess very high luminous efficacy.
LED Lamps use light-emitting diodes as the source of light. They can also save up to 80% electricity compared to traditional halogen lamps.
In general, both CFLs and LEDs can generate the same level of lumen with 20% of the electricity used by their incandescent or halogen counterparts. To make it easier for the public to select the true energy efficient products, many countries and regions have implemented energy efficiency policies and introduced mandatory or voluntary labelling systems to provide information on energy consumption and efficiency to help consumers make better purchasing decisions.
CFLs/LEDs are Economical
CFLs/LEDs are cost efficient as well. While saving you up to 80% of electricity costs, they further save you maintenance costs with their high illumination performance, prolonged lamp life and durability. Click here to see how much money you can save.
It is estimated that if every American home replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an energy saving lamp, the energy saved would be enough to light more than 3 million homes for a year. In addition, more than USD600 million in annual energy costs would be saved with a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 800,000 cars.
CFLs/LEDs are Widely Applicable
CFLs/LEDs are now available in different sizes, shapes, colour temperatures and features, providing more options to consumers for home and commercial use.