Dimmable Energy Saving Lightbulbs
Dimmable Energy Saving Lightbulbs
Find out more about low energy light bulbs which can be used with standard dimmer switches
lighting | energy efficiency | general | shoppingThere are now many
energy efficient lighting options available to replace old fashioned energy hungry incandescent light bulbs and halogen spotlights - primarily
LED lighting,
CFL (compact fluorescent lighting), and the latest
CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lighting).
One major disadvantage of
energy efficient lighting products has been their complete incompatability with
dimmer switches (see our articles
240V LED Bulbs and Dimmer Switches, and
LED Dimmer Circuit). Standard CFL bulbs work best and last longest if they are turned on for a minimum of 15 minutes each time they are used. Since modern
dimmer switches work by turning the power on and off many times a second, they are completely unsuitable for use with CFL bulbs.
Dimmable Energy Saving Lightbulbs
CFL and
CCFL bulbs are now coming onto the market which are not too expensive, have very long lifetimes, and can be used with
dimmer switches. The key obstacle to dimmability was the
ballast - the component in a CFL bulb which sends electric current through the gas filled tube causing it to emit light.
The basic
ballasts found in old CFL bulbs caused a certain amount of flickering which put a lot of people off CFL lighting. Modern electronic ballasts overcame this problem, and have since been improved to enable
dimming (down to as little as 2% of maximum light level) and to allow CFL bulbs to be switched on at a low light level (rather than having to be turned on at maximum light level).
Some of the bulbs on the market at the moment can even be
dimmed with a standard light switch. Flicking the light switch on and off puts the lightbulb into dimming mode; additional flicking of the switch on and off sets the desired light level. Alternatively these bulbs can be used with standard dimmer switches smoothly moving between 2% and 100% of maximum brightness.
Dimmable CFLs still offer the long lifetimes (up to 10x that of incandescents) and low power consumption (around one-quarter that of incandescents for equivalent light levels).
Buying Dimmable CFL Bulbs in the UK
There are now many outlets selling
dimmable CFLs in the UK - most of them online as these bulbs are still not mainstream. Bulbs are available in both
bayonet and
edison screw fittings, and even in GU10 * (240 VAC spotlight) fittings for replacement of existing energy-hungry
halogen spotlights.
*
Pictured above is a Megaman GU10 dimmable 11W CFL spotlight available for around £15 with a 10,000 hour average life. It is a direct replacement for a standard 50W halogen spotlight and will save 390kWh of electricity during its life - around £40-50 at today's prices!
NEW Click here to read our latest
Review of Megaman Energy Saving Lightbulbs which looks at the energy saving
GU10 spotlights mentioned above, and also dimmable
bayonet and
edison screw fitting common bulbs and candles.
The commonest power outputs available are
7, 9, and 11 Watts equivalent to 25, 40, and 60 Watt incandescents respectively, with 'standard' 11 Watt units (suitable for the commonest light fittings) available for around £10 with discounts for bulb purchases (typically 5 or more bulbs).
Article Last Modified: 14:29, 16th Feb 2008
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