Compare LED vs. CFL Lighting

Posted On: September 21, 2016

When it comes to choosing light bulbs for your home or business, don’t just pick anything. Lighting has a bigger impact on your environment than you might think. Not only are some lights more efficient than other (meaning that energy costs will vary), the light itself varies in quality depending on what bulbs you choose.

For most people, the choice falls between CFL (compact fluorescent lights) and LED (light emitting diode) lights. The following is a breakdown of both to help make it easier to choose between the two:

Compact Fluorescent Lights

CFLs were designed as a direct replacement for incandescent bulbs and as such, are much superior in every way. They use around 90 percent less energy than the typical incandescent bulb and emit little heat. They also last ten times as long. The quality of the light is similar to the incandescent light. They can also fit into a standard light socket without the need for an adapter.

However, there are a few drawbacks to using CFLs as well. One of the biggest is that they contain mercury within the bulb, which can become a real hassle if the bulb breaks. This means that CFLs should not be thrown out with your regular trash. There are special recycling regulations on how to dispose of CFLs safely.

Light Emitting Diodes

The way LEDs produce light is through the movement of electrons through semiconductor material. Because of this, LED lights create more direct and efficient illumination.

Light is emitted in a very narrow band of wavelength, which in turn makes them extremely energy efficient – much more so than CFLs or incandescent bulbs. A typical LED light can last upwards of 50,000 hours, which means that if used 12 hours a day, it can last over 11 years. This is 50 times longer than a typical incandescent bulb will last, and roughly ten times longer than a typical CFL bulb will last.

Not only will you not have to replace LED bulbs for a long time, thereby saving money on replacement costs, but LED lights use much less energy as well, which means that your overall energy costs will also be lower. Its efficiency is not its only advantage – LED lights are more durable and are less likely to break.

When it comes to the drawbacks of LED lights, the biggest one is cost. LED lights tend to be much more expensive than incandescent or CFL lights. However, this initial cost is made up for through energy cost savings as well as the fact that replacement is not needed for a much longer time. Not to mention that LED fixtures have been gradually dropping in price since their introduction onto the market.

As you can see, LED lights tend to be the better option when it comes to choosing between LED lights and CFLs, especially when considering the long term benefits.