Getting a Better Understanding of CFLs

A flood of stories about energy efficient products appeared on Earth Day. In particular, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) made the news -- they seem to be a favorite news and feature topic these days. No wonder: they use about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. Thus, most of stories about them are positive, as with USA Today's special Earth Day spread announcing that the three top lightbulb makers (NEMA members GE, Osram Sylvania, and Philips) are introducing new CFLs that appear and act more like traditional incandescent bulbs. But some recent CFL-related articles only provide mixed reviews, like a recent MSNBC piece addressing CFL mercury concerns.

With a lot of conflicting information out there, NEMA decided to place a FAQ sheet about CFLs on its website. Visit the site and you'll learn that a typical CFL has 5 mg of mercury, barely enough to cover the tip of a ballpoint pen. And that reductions in mercury emissions from reduced power generation far outweigh mercury emissions from any type of lamp disposal activity. You can also learn more about recycling bulbs at www.lamprecycle.org.

CFLs are just the starting point for a broad new generation of energy-efficient and "smart" lighting emerging on the market. Our FAQ page should help assuage some of the concerns about them. It'd be a shame to see such promising technology dumped before it even gets a chance to prove itself.