30
MARCH/APRIL 2014
The More Things
Change
Let There Be Light
Incandescent light bulb has evolved
over time
by CJ Sebastian, Staff Writer
When Thomas Edison invented
the incandescent light bulb more
than 100 years ago, the danger of
burning down homes with candles
and torches greatly diminished.
Another plus is that light bulbs
don’t have to be relit. This was
such a major, revolutionary step,
incalculable in terms of growth and
development. Most of us grew up
with the same style light bulbs that
Edison first developed, knowing
that they had a certain lifespan
and were fragile. And we knew to
shake them a little when they didn’t
work, to see if the filament inside
had broken.
The last 10 years have brought
about further revolution in the
light-bulb world in the form of
light-emitting diodes (LED) and
the compact fluorescent light
(CFL). LEDs are those spiral bulbs
you see at stores that fit into any
standard light socket and don’t
get quite as hot as their ancestors.
While their initial cost is a bit
higher, the long-term benefits usually add up to more savings. They
are longer lasting (usually five to
10 times as long as a regular bulb);
they are more durable; they have
no filament; they stay cooler, using
roughly 3.4 BTUs, as opposed to
an average of 85 BTUs for a normal
bulb; they are mercury-free; they
use one third the wattage; and they
can be run more easily in off-the-
down on pollutants normally put
out by regular bulbs. Even though
they are simply a smaller, more
compact fluorescent, they have
a much warmer feeling than the
cold, clinical cylindrical fluorescents we’re used to seeing in
hospitals and they don’t flicker and
hum. They can be used anywhere
and can be put on a dimmer
switch.
grid areas, given their low energy
usage.
There has been concern about
both of these new types of bulbs
causing cancer and other ailments
developing from ultraviolet light
exposure. While this debate goes
back and forth, Terry McGowan, director of engineering
and technology for the American Lighting Association said,
”There is no UV component
to LEDs, as far as I know.”
LEDs come in a range of
colors: red, green, blue, white
and amber. You can also get
LEDs with specific color rendering and in different degrees
of luminosity. While most of us
are used to buying bulbs of various
wattages, depending on how bright
we want the light, starting in 2012,
bulbs began to be rated in lumens,
a more accurate measure of how
brightly they shine. The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT)
describes the relative color appearance of the white light source from
the bulb. LEDs have a wide range
of these as well.
Running a close second to LEDs
are CFLs, whose benefits include
being four times more efficient and
lasting up to 10 times longer than
their older counterparts. CFLs
use one third the electricity, so the
savings over time is greater than
the initially greater cost. They cut
The last 10 years have brought about
further revolution in the light-bulb world.
Moving forward into this century,
saving energy will be a big concern,
and the revolutions made to the
common household bulb are lighting the way.