Lighting CCFL vs LED vs ESL vs Incandescent:
Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) – the easiest to produce and cheapest to manufacture, CFL is just a small version of the old, long fluorescent bulbs we’ve seen for decades. The biggest, most noticeable problem is they take a while to warm up – in some cases, several minutes. They’re also not the most efficient technology. While some strides have been made, most believe CFL is a bridge technology that will help us transition from incandescent to another lightbulb format, but probably will not be the ultimate solution.
Light-Emitting Diode (LED) – getting the most attention and making large leaps in terms of efficiency and cost, LED lamps are quickly stealing the limelight from CFL-based lighting options. LEDs much more expensive, but far more efficient. The cost/hour to operate is equivalent to that of CFL. But LEDs have a few weaknesses: light is emitted in a narrow direction and the color is not natural to our eyes. Both issues can be overcome, but at a cost to efficiency.
Electron Stimulated Luminescence (ESL) – ESL is one of the newest technologies to hit the market and shows promise. The technology is not as efficient as LED or cost-effective as CFL. It has yet to be seen whether or not ESL will be able to compete with LED-based technologies.
Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) – the easiest to produce and cheapest to manufacture, CFL is just a small version of the old, long fluorescent bulbs we’ve seen for decades. The biggest, most noticeable problem is they take a while to warm up – in some cases, several minutes. They’re also not the most efficient technology. While some strides have been made, most believe CFL is a bridge technology that will help us transition from incandescent to another lightbulb format, but probably will not be the ultimate solution.
Light-Emitting Diode (LED) – getting the most attention and making large leaps in terms of efficiency and cost, LED lamps are quickly stealing the limelight from CFL-based lighting options. LEDs much more expensive, but far more efficient. The cost/hour to operate is equivalent to that of CFL. But LEDs have a few weaknesses: light is emitted in a narrow direction and the color is not natural to our eyes. Both issues can be overcome, but at a cost to efficiency.
Electron Stimulated Luminescence (ESL) – ESL is one of the newest technologies to hit the market and shows promise. The technology is not as efficient as LED or cost-effective as CFL. It has yet to be seen whether or not ESL will be able to compete with LED-based technologies.