CFL or LED – An evaluation
CFL is undoubtedly cost effective and energy efficient. The reason for the negative response of CFL is the reliability factor which has been much lower than what was asserted by the manufacturers. This has happened because manufacturers who for broader credence of the technology, have compromised on the quality of the component parts of the CFL lamps. Secondly, there is no proper facility for the disposal of fused CFL bulbs and in the long run it may damage the environment.
These are incisively the obliging reasons why worldwide manufacturers would like to dump these CFL lamps into the Third World – developing and less-developed countries.
The US Dept. of Energy (DoE) recognizing these facts, has originated a program for developing a LED lamp to replace the 60W incandescent bulb, the most common bulb used in the US, that should give significant electrical power savings and also give uniform distribution of light as the incandescent bulb.
Philips, at their Eindhoven research labs, is close to developing these lamps and should by mid-2011 submit them to the DoE for testing.
Even in India, Government is concerned as CFL bulbs contain mercury and disposing them might create environment hazards. Delhi Government which once went out of its way to promote CFL is now beginning to harbour second thoughts over how environment friendly they really are.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is also worried and has already asked power department officials to research the possibility of switching to lamps based on Light-Emitting Diode (LED) technology which could be a substitute to CFLs. LED promise to last longer and use less energy than even compact fluorescents (CFLs)
CFL is highly energy efficient. It is an advanced lighting device which contains mercury, a hazardous material, and the city does not have any system for proper disposal of broken or fused CFLs.
The Chief Minister for starter is looking in trying out LED bulbs in government buildings to test their efficaciousness and energy efficiency.
Tata Energy Research Institute and the Delhi Government has signed an agreement last week to fit LED lights in 100 existing buildings with over 10,000 sq ft area to make them energy efficient.
As per senior environmental department official, LED lights are very expensive but they do not contain hazardous chemicals and could be recycled. LED lights are more energy efficient than CFls.
Not only the Delhi Government but the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had also raised concern over absence of a proper system for the disposal of mercury used in CFls.
To this, CSE had said the quantity of mercury should be reduced in CFLs like in other advanced countries. In India, CFLs sold contains 3-13 mg of mercury content whereas in US and Europe CFLs with 1mg is also available.
LEDs have been around for years, ab initio showing up in the displays of the first electronic calculators and then gaining fame as power or status indicator lights in products ranging from computers to alarm systems. In recent years, they’ve also started to pop up in many other products, including stoplights, flashlights, solar-powered walkway lamps and strings of Christmas tree lights.
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