Using
lumens as the measure of a light bulb’s brightness will simplify shopping for
light bulbs…
Back in the old days, when there was
only one basic type of light bulb consumers could buy, (the incandescent bulb descended
from Edison’s original) we could rely on the term “watts” to help us choose the
right bulb for our lamps and outdoor lights. Although “watts” refers to how
much energy a bulb will use when lit, we understood the relative brightness
levels between 60-watt, 100-watt or 150-watt light bulbs.
Then along came the energy-saving CFL
bulbs A 15-watt CFL bulb, according to the package, produced the equivalent
light of a 60-watt incandescent. A 25-watt CFL was comparable to a 100-watt
incandescent in light output. And so forth. Shoppers were expected to
understand the wattage conversions of these strange looking new CFL light
bulbs.
LED bulbs, more efficient than CFLs,
use even less wattage to achieve desired brightness levels
As we gradually got used to the idea of
the CFL bulbs and began to understand how to choose the right CFL for our
lighting needs, the new LED bulbs came into the mix. Originally used for small
task lights such as flashlights and instrument lights, LED technology has
evolved rapidly with new
LED bulbs available for most applications in the home.
LED bulbs, more efficient than CFLs, use even less wattage to achieve desired
brightness levels. A 6-watt LED is equivalent to a 15-watt CFL which is
equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent bulb.
It’s getting confusing isn’t it?
And besides three different wattage
equivalents for the three basic types of light bulbs on store shelves, there
are new halogen incandescent bulbs, new LED tube lights, and terms like
Coloring Rendering Index (CRI) and Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) which
further describe characteristics of light quality from a bulb.
The FTC has mandated packaging changes
for all light bulbs, effective in 2012, which simplify and standardize the
differences in light bulb output.
To help shoppers make sense of the many
choices in lighting today, the FTC has mandated packaging changes for all light
bulbs, effective in 2012, which simplify and standardize the differences in
light bulb output. Wattage is no longer a reliable way to gauge a light bulb’s
brightness. Lumens, the measure of a bulb’s actual brightness, are the new
standard for comparing light bulbs of all types.
Lumens, the measure of a bulb’s actual
brightness, is the new standard for comparing light bulbs of all types.
Lumens measure brightness. A standard
60-watt incandescent bulb, for example, produces about 800 lumens of light. By
comparison, a CFL bulb produces that same 800 lumens using less than 15 watts.
But you don’t need to understand yet another conversion. It’s simple. The more
lumens the brighter the bulb is going to be.
You can use lumens to compare the
brightness of any bulb, regardless of the technology behind it, and regardless
of whether it’s a halogen incandescent, CFL or LED. Using lumens helps you
compare “apples to apples” when you shop for light bulbs. Once you know how
bright a bulb you want, you can compare other factors, like the yearly energy
cost.
