Energy saving lamps color. Comparing fluorescent and LED light bulbs. Advantages of LEDs compared to fluorescent analogues

Electricity prices are now such that, willy-nilly, you begin to think about saving. The easiest way to lower your energy bills is to reduce your lighting costs. It is this that “eats” most of the kilowatts in ordinary apartment or home. We will discuss which lamps are better for the home and according to what parameters in this article.

You can see different lamps on store shelves. Let's take a closer look at those that are installed in private houses and apartments.

Lighting in the house should be cozy, comfortable... preferably economical

Incandescent lamps

The oldest lighting devices are more than a century old. They provide light that is pleasant to the eye, but during operation they get very hot, as they have low efficiency - about 97% of the energy is spent on heat generation. Therefore, lighting using conventional incandescent lamps is expensive. It is for this reason that many decide to replace them with more economical ones, while deciding which lamps are better for the home and for the wallet.

There is another unpleasant property of incandescent lamps - their service life is not very long. On average it is about 1000 -3000 hours. Since the price of these lighting fixtures is low, it is a small burden on the wallet. However, frequent replacement can be nerve-wracking - you have to always have a couple of pieces in stock.

A widespread trend - traditional incandescent lamps are being replaced by more economical ones

It is also worth taking into account that, due to the design features, they are produced only with a screw base, but operate from a 220 V network and no converters or special devices o do not require. Due to the large amount of heat, they are not used for lighting furniture; they are not compatible with all suspended ceilings, and they are not at all friendly with suspended ceilings. In general, this is a classic lighting, but not ideal.

Halogen

Halogen lamps are a type of incandescent lamp. They differ in that the flask is filled with halogen vapor (most often iodine or bromine), which increases the service life by 2-3 times. The design allows them to be made not only with a screw base, but also with a pin base. Different shape bulbs, the use of reflective coating, allow you to make light sources with different scattering angles. Therefore, at one time, they were widely used as built-in ceilings or furniture.

Halogen incandescent lamps - a more “advanced” option

Since these are also incandescent lamps, they have almost the same disadvantages - significant heat generation. And that's the problem. But the energy consumption is less (about 2-3 times). So they are more economical compared to the classic design. But they have an additional disadvantage - they do not tolerate contaminants on the flask. A fingerprint can cause burnout. Therefore, installation must be done with gloves.

Luminescent: tubular and compact (housekeepers)

The operation of these lighting devices uses another principle - the property of certain phosphor substances to emit light under certain conditions. Structurally, it consists of a glass tube coated with a phosphor. Inside the tube there are electrodes and a certain amount of mercury vapor. An electric charge is created on the electrodes, the energy of which is converted into light radiation using a phosphor.

To create and maintain an electric charge, fluorescent lamps need a starting and regulating device - a voltage transformer and a starter. In the standard version, these devices are mounted on the body of lamps, which can only work with this type of lighting fixture.

Available in two types:

If we talk about comparison with incandescent lamps, they are 3 times more economical and hardly heat up. A serious disadvantage is that due to the pulsation, the light is unpleasant for the eyes and potentially hazardous to health (leads to increased fatigue and can cause a bad mood). In this type of lighting fixtures, it is almost impossible to get rid of pulsation. What can be done is to minimize it and, by adding one incandescent lamp, reduce negative effect to a minimum.

Many are also concerned that the flask contains mercury vapor inside, which carries a potential danger. This is a short summary of the main disadvantages, then we will look at the pros and cons in more detail. fluorescent lamps.

LED

This is the third type of lamp that uses semiconductor devices - LEDs. They do not require any special atmosphere, so their flask is not airtight, and this is more a tribute to tradition than a necessity. All the LEDs need to operate is a constant voltage of 12 V or 24 V. So operation is not difficult - to connect to a 220 V network you need a voltage converter (power supply, adapter). In LED lamps for standard luminaires, this converter is built into the housing, so they can easily replace conventional incandescent lamps.

Briefly about the properties. They have high efficiency - they require 7-8 times less electricity than similar incandescent lamps, and have a much longer service life (according to manufacturers’ requests, they can work for 25-35 years). Disadvantages - they are expensive, it is difficult to determine the quality, low-grade ones have strong pulsation, which negatively affects the eyes and well-being, and often fail. Therefore, choosing an LED lamp is not an easy task and requires certain knowledge. But the bills actually become significantly smaller.

Which lamps are best for home

All these lighting devices are used to illuminate residential premises. It is definitely impossible to answer which lamps are best for the home - they all have advantages and disadvantages. If your main concern is eye comfort, the answer to the question “which lamps are best for the home” is incandescent. But at the same time you will not be able to save on lighting. The situation is a little better with halogen ones. But the lighting from 12 V halogens is more pleasing to the eye, which requires transformers. Those that operate on 220 V have too bright light.

When it comes to saving on electricity bills, LED bulbs are the best. This is undeniable. But you need to buy them wisely - so that they are of good quality and work for a long time, but these are expensive. But, even under such conditions, they are beneficial, since they really help to significantly reduce energy consumption. A

Why LED and not housekeepers? Let's compare their properties.

Comparing fluorescent and LED light bulbs

When people have a desire to reduce their electricity costs, they begin to think about replacing incandescent lamps with more energy-efficient ones. These are considered energy-saving (compact fluorescent) and LED. To understand which lamps are best for your home, you need to take a closer look at their advantages and disadvantages.

Having decided to replace incandescent lamps with more economical ones, you need to decide the question: which lamps are better for the home - LED or compact fluorescent

Housekeepers

This is what compact fluorescent lamps are called. They were the first to appear on the market (compared to LED ones), which is why this name was assigned to them. Let's start with advantages:

At one time it was very good offer. The ability to receive “warm” and “cold” light, to save on electricity - all this has led to the popularity of energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs.

But flaws they have serious:

There are many shortcomings, and almost all of them are serious. They are the ones who stop many, even despite the savings.

LED

These light bulbs are made on the basis of semiconductor elements - LEDs. A certain number of them are installed in a single housing and connected to a power source. Nutrition from DC voltage 12 V. In order to use lamps in standard luminaires, a rectifier and a circuit that lowers the voltage to 12 V are built into the housing (both of these devices are often called a driver).

LEDs generate heat when operating. To remove it, a radiator is built into the body. And the bases of these lamps are different. They can be installed instead of incandescent lamps different sizes, halogen, tubular fluorescent.

If we compare all four types in terms of power consumption with equal luminous flux

Advantages LED lamps:

• They consume 7-8 times less electricity than incandescent ones, and 2-3 times less than fluorescent ones (housekeepers too).
• They have a long service life.
• Not afraid of vibration and shock.
• Lights up immediately after switching on.
• Have wide range operating temperatures -40°C to +40°C.
• Can be of any shade (any color).
• There are dimmable ones (changing the brightness of the light).

The advantages are impressive. The efficiency and service life are particularly impressive. But the figures stated by the manufacturers (about 25-35 years) should be treated with skepticism. They are for ideal conditions, which in our realities are practically unattainable. The warranty period declared by the manufacturers actually indicates the service life. This is the time they will most likely work. But even despite this, the period is considerable - 2-5 years.

Without shortcomings it didn't work either:

• High price. 4-5 times more expensive than energy-saving ones and 20-40 times more expensive than incandescent ones.
• Low quality LED lamps have significant pulsation.
• Without a diffuser, the light will blind the eyes, which is why most LED lamps are made with milky glass. Those in a transparent flask can only be used in conjunction with matte shades.
• LEDs are afraid of overheating. When the critical temperature (about 90°C) is exceeded for a long time, they lose their brightness. Therefore, it is unreasonable to use LED lamps in closed-type lamps.

When compared with the properties of fluorescent lamps, LEDs clearly have the advantage. But everything is not so rosy in reality.

Which lamps are better for the home: LED or fluorescent?

In fact, LED lamps are better in all respects. But eating it hurts “BUT”. These must be high-quality LED lamps. The thing is that the manufacturing technology is simple, does not require super complex or very expensive equipment. It is difficult to make LEDs, but it is not difficult to assemble an LED light bulb from them. That’s why there are a lot of fakes and low-quality goods on the market. They use cheap crystals Low quality, the driver is made to be the simplest, which does not suppress flicker and quickly fails.

The difficulty is that it is impossible to determine “by eye” the quality of LEDs or the same driver. Some experts are able to distinguish good LEDs by appearance. But in lamps they are hidden under a frosted bulb. Having set a goal, their quality can be checked by indirect signs— measuring illumination, pulsation, assessing color rendition. But the quality of the parts used in the power supply cannot be assessed. You will only find out when something burns out.

All this leads to the fact that many consider LED lamps unreliable - they burn out quickly and are expensive. So it turns out that there is no saving. And there are also problems with flickering... It seems so, but this is only true if you buy cheap LED lamps. Branded lamps really serve for years without problems and produce an even light that is pleasing to the eyes. So the main task is to find good quality LED lamps. And then you will know exactly which lamps are best for your home.

Instead of the bottom line: replacing incandescent lamps with LED ones will save on lighting bills only if they are used for a long time, and this is possible only if they are of high quality. High-quality light bulbs are not cheap. So, perhaps, this is the case when saving during the purchase is not worth it.

Energy-saving lamps continue to win the sympathy of buyers - they have significantly greater light output than incandescent lamps, and thus save a significant amount of electricity. The service life of most lamps is up to 10 years.

Made in the form of a spiral, they combine a powerful luminous flux and compactness. They look elegant in floor lamps, chandeliers and spotlights at home and in the office. Depending on the task, you can choose lamps that produce warm yellow or cool yellow White light.

Thanks to the curved light source of the lamp in the form Latin letter U also have high light intensity with an overall small size.

Spiral and U-shaped fluorescent lamps made in two main modifications - with screw bases E14 and E27. The number indicates the diameter of the lamp base in millimeters. E27 is the base of a regular lamp, E14 is a “minion”, small.

For lighting large industrial premises, garages and workshops, as well as hotels, restaurants and shops, it is recommended to use energy-saving lamps high power. Such lamps can fit an industrial E40 socket or an integrated standard E27. They should not be used in completely sealed luminaires - the built-in ballast requires ventilation and cooling of the electronics.

Lamps with AR111 reflectors Suitable for directional and general lighting. Available in two color temperatures: 2700K (yellow, “60W incandescent”) and 4200K (slight yellow, “morning sun and lunchtime sun”). Service life - 8000 hours.

Models MR11 and MR16 with reflector- these are spiral-type lamps in a metal “case”. Designed for spot directional lighting. The GU5.3 base is a pin type, it is used in lamps designed for 220V mains voltage.

Mirror energy saving lamps They emit directional light and are widely used in the retail sector (showcases and sales areas), for illuminating art objects and interiors.

Also in our electricians online store catalog website decorative lamps of various shapes (“balls”, “candles”) and colors are presented - blue, green, red and yellow.

Many of you have long switched from incandescent sources to energy-saving light bulbs, and are now thinking about LED ones. The rationality of the transition must be calculated for each case separately and depends on the mode in which it is used. It is especially not recommended to install energy-saving lamps where they operate in short-term mode. They ignite slowly, when it flares up at full power, then you already leave the room and turn off the light.

• 1. Energy saving lamps types and prices
• 2. How to choose
• 3. Power matching
• 4. Luminous flux and power
• 5. Example Philips specifications
• 6. Service life
• 7. Why does it blink or flash?
• 8. Which light bulbs are better: LED or energy-saving?
• 9. Circuit and power supply

Energy saving lamps types and prices

Energy-saving lamps are compact fluorescent light bulbs, abbreviated as CFL. The abbreviation will be used throughout the text. By design, this is a conventional fluorescent light source in more compact format. The power supply is installed at the base of the case near the plinth; for cooling, small holes are made through which air circulates.

1. shape in the form of a spiral, circle, square, horseshoe;
2. base E14, E27, E40;
3. with a flask in the shape of a pear, candle, ball;
4. Possibility of brightness control, dimming.

If you decide to switch from CFLs to LEDs, you will encounter a common problem. For LEDs with an E14 base, the luminous flux is no more than 600lm, due to the fact that the sizes are limited. The power in this case is 6-7W, this is almost analogous to a 60W incandescent. LEDs may not be enough to illuminate a room where CFLs previously stood. The illumination will be lower than expected, but it should be with a margin, taking into account the degradation of LEDs. Even the Chinese don’t have powerful ones, although they write in parameters from 1000 to 1500 lm, which is 2-3 times too high.

Only recently E14 LEDs with 800-900 lumens, power consumption 10W, produced by X-Flash have appeared. But now they are in short supply, E14 at 10W are sold out immediately, they are not even often available on the manufacturer’s website.

The main disadvantage of CFLs will be:

1. slow ignition for up to 10 minutes;
2. reduced light output at low temperatures.

How to choose

To choose the best energy-saving lamps you need to know 9 basic parameters, half are similar to diode ones.

Main characteristics:

1. nominal power - energy consumption;
2. power factor - the ratio of active and reactive;
3. luminous flux – source brightness;
4. color temperature – 2700K warm white or neutral white 4000K;
5. color rendering index CRI – color rendering of objects;
6. warm-up time - the period of time after which it shines by 60-80%;
7. ignition time – time required for ignition;
8. service life - the number of hours after which the brightness will drop by 30% of the initial value;
9. number of switching cycles.

The easiest way to choose the best is by brand, it should be well-known. If you are hearing the brand name for the first time, it is better to refuse. The larger the brand, the more they worry about quality. When you compare energy-saving ones in price with cheap diode ones, then in terms of service life they will not work much longer than CFLs. A good LED costs from 200 rubles.

Consider the installation location; if it’s on the street or in the entrance, there will be many people who want to steal it or break it. That’s why I put filament LEDs with a broken bulb in the entrance; they can’t be unscrewed without a tool. If you try to twist it by hand, you will break the LEDs, and it’s not very noticeable in the lampshade.

Power matching

Energy saving lamps power table

A feature of energy-saving lamps E14, E27, E40 is the lack of dimming and brightness adjustment. A constant high voltage is required to maintain the glow. But after looking through the Osram website, it turned out they have models with brightness control.

The table shows the correspondence between LED and incandescent.

Incandescent power and compliance table.

To simplify the calculation of the incandescent analogue, use a coefficient of 5. For example, you have a 9W CFL, multiply 9w by 5, it turns out it is an analogue of a 45W light bulb.

Luminous flux and power

As elsewhere, when choosing, look not only at the price, but use the rule: “cheap cannot be good, no matter what the manufacturer promises.” Too often I come across deception from stores and manufacturers. The economic situation in Russia in 2016 is difficult, so in order to maintain business, many begin to deceive the buyer, just so that sales do not fall.

An example would be the ASD brand, which overestimates the power and luminous flux of its lamps and fixtures. Their products are cheap, and combined with high performance and service life, they are popular. It turns out that the one who lied the most sold the most. If the price is equal, you will choose where they promise more.

Table luminous flux and power.

Example of Philips specifications

Life time

Now a large number of Energy saving lamps are imported from China. They look for a factory in China to produce light bulbs, put their own brand on them and sell them in Russia. To sell, a brand does not have to understand them and have its own laboratory. The Chinese take advantage of this by slipping in worse LEDs with worse parameters. Then it turns out that the manufacturer promises some parameters, but in reality specifications other.

1. Chinese up to 3,000 - 5,000 hours, although they promise up to 10,000 hours;
2. branded 6,000 – 10,000 h.

Probability of failure fromOsram.

Domestic trade marks They send lighting engineers to me for tests, some of them are very deceived by the Chinese and do not admit to deception. They slip in false test results as evidence with which they can convince an amateur. After looking at the test results, it was clear how they were deceiving.

Cheap lamps from little-known domestic brands work much less than branded energy-saving lamps from Osram, Philips and other well-known ones. Cheap ones have lower quality components in the power supply. In addition, it gets very hot, shortening its service life. You've probably seen blackened ones in the part where the power supply is located.

The service life is also affected by the build quality, Chinese manufacturers save on everything, even where it is impossible to do so. Therefore, instead of the promised 15,000 hours, the cheap one works for 5,000 hours, that is, the characteristics are overestimated. Branded Philips and Osram are guaranteed to work for a specified period of time; abroad the requirements for light bulbs are more stringent.

Philips has models with an operating time of up to 10 thousand hours, but their stage is correspondingly much higher. Can be indirectly determined by warranty period. If the warranty is 1 year, then do not expect long-term performance. A 3-5 year guarantee is given only for high-quality

Why does it blink or flash?

Many of you ask why it blinks energy saving light bulb with the switch off or with the lights off? Most likely you have an illuminated switch installed. A small current passes through the backlight, which charges the energy-saving power supply. Once the power supply has accumulated enough energy, it flashes. Then the process is repeated.

To prevent it from flickering or blinking, you will need to remove the backlight in the switch; this is the easiest and most optimal way. There are also options for installing a small load in parallel so that the current flows to it. Most LEDs have the same problem and are also solved.

Which light bulbs are better: LED or energy-saving?

In terms of efficiency, LED and energy-saving lamps differ on average by 2 times. To get an analogue of a 100W incandescent at 1300 lumens, you will need:

1. diode 15W;
2. energy saving 25W - 30W.

The luminous flux depends on the quality of the components used and on the amount of phosphor applied to the walls of the spiral inside. Manufacturers like to indicate the service life of LEDs as the lifespan of a light bulb; in fact, these are completely different values. therefore compare different types light sources are difficult.

Circuit and power supply

The energy saving scheme is the same as that of a conventional fluorescent tube for Armstrong 36W lamps. It is powered by a starter that starts the light with high voltage. The power supply is a regular starter, such as an electronic ballast (electronic ballast).

Minor modification required for manufacturing. A transformer with a stabilizer is connected at the output. The most difficult thing is to find or select a suitable transformer. If it does not fit, then burn the entire structure. It will still take time to set up. If you don’t have good amateur radio experience, then you don’t have much of a chance to assemble it correctly.

Often such power supplies have low reliability because they are subject to high heat, so much so that even plastic turns black. Many people still have outdated equipment, such as VCRs, so it’s easier to take ready block from household appliances, from faulty or outdated.

Even with my experience, I am occasionally exposed to high voltage from 220V that even screwdrivers melt. The sensations are not the most pleasant, so it is better not to climb into high-voltage blocks on your own. Even a non-discharged capacitor can give you a big treat.

In this article: the history of the creation of the compact fluorescent lamp; its structure and principle of operation; the spectrum of an energy-saving lamp depends on the composition of the phosphor; pros and cons of energy-saving fluorescent lamps; how to choose an energy-saving lamp.

The ban on the sale and production in Russia of the usual incandescent lamps has given rise to a number of persistent rumors around energy-saving lamps. For the average consumer, like you and I, main task lighting fixtures were and remain the very quality of lighting. And, of course, you don’t want to incur extra costs for purchasing these “newfangled” lamps, because they cost much more than “Ilyich’s lamps.” Let's look at the characteristics of energy-saving lamps in this article.

History of creation

Officially, the first luminescent or, as it is also called, fluorescent lamp was created at the beginning of the last century by American engineer-inventor Peter Cooper Hewitt, who received a patent for it on September 17, 1901. Although some researchers dispute his primacy in the invention, calling the “father” of the fluorescent lamp the little-known German physicist Martin Arons, who experimented with mercury lamps at the end of the 19th century.

The fluorescent lamp invented and patented by Hewitt contained mercury, the vapor of which was heated by an electric current passed through it. The Hewitt lamp was spherical and slightly curved; it gave more light than the Lodygin-Edison lamps, but this light was bluish-green, unpleasant to the eye. For this reason, the first mercury lamps were used only by photographers and they were not widely used.

Peter Cooper Hewitt. 1861-1921

Fluorescent lamp in its almost modern form was created by a group of German inventors led by Edmund Germer, who patented their invention on December 10, 1926. It was Germer who came up with the idea of ​​applying a fluorescent coating to the glass surface of the lamp from the inside, which converted the ultraviolet glow mercury lamp into a white light that does not hurt the eyes. Albert Hull, an engineer at General Electric, had developed a fluorescent lamp with a similar coating by early 1927, but the company was forced to purchase the patent from Edmund Germer, who had filed it earlier.

Since the acquisition of Germer's patent, General Electric engineers have actively begun to improve fluorescent lamps, trying to bring them to serial production. To reduce the size of the bulb, round and U-shaped lamps were created, demonstrated at the GE stand at the 1939 New York World's Fair; lamps with a compact spiral bulb were developed by General Electric engineer Edward Hammer in 1976. However, spiral-shaped fluorescent lamps were never put into production in the 80s, because company executives considered the costs of building new factories excessive. In 1995, Chinese manufacturers took advantage of the slowness of General Electric by launching the production of energy-saving lamps with spiral bulbs.

Edward Hammer with his invention - a lamp with a compact spiral bulb

The screw-in lamp with magnetic ballast (SL) was created by Philips in 1980 - it was the first fluorescent lamp of its kind to compete with incandescent lamps. An energy-saving lamp with an electronic ballast (CFL) was first demonstrated by the German concern Osram in 1985.

The main structural elements of a fluorescent lamp are the bulb, electronic ballast and base. The socket with a thread for screwing into the lamp socket and with contacts for powering it is practically no different from the socket of a conventional incandescent lamp.

The curved bulb of a fluorescent lamp is covered with layers of phosphor, filled with an inert gas and, in small quantity, mercury vapor - their ionization and causes the lamp to glow when the power is connected. The mercury content in fluorescent lamps ranges from 1 to 70 mg. Inside the flask are tungsten electrodes coated with a mixture of oxides of barium, calcium, zinc and strontium. The phosphor applied to the inner surface of the glass bulb in compact fluorescent lamps contains alkaline earth metals, and is therefore 40% more expensive than the phosphors used in oblong fluorescent lamps for ceiling lamps. Alkaline earth metals in the phosphors of compact lamps ensure operation at high radiation intensity; thanks to them, it has become possible to reduce the diameter of the lamp bulb. The bizarrely curved shape of the bulb in fluorescent lamps makes it possible to reduce its length by dividing it into several short sections that communicate with each other.

The lamps themselves, coated with phosphor and containing mercury vapor, will not work when the power is connected - a ballast starter is required, built into the lamp between the base and the bulb. By drawing a high frequency current of approximately 50 kHz, the electronic ballast (CFL) eliminates the flicker effect of energy-saving lamps while increasing light output. The electronic ballast increases the high-frequency current for itself - it contains an inverter in its circuit. The ballast’s tasks also include heating the electrodes and maintaining the power of the fluorescent lamp at the nominal level, regardless of voltage drops in the network. The service life of an energy-saving lamp depends on how well the electronic ballast is made.

How does a fluorescent lamp work? The supply of power causes a discharge between the electrodes, the current passes through a mixture of inert gas and mercury vapor, fast electrons collide with slow mercury atoms - the lamp lights up. However, 98% of the light radiation produced by an energy-saving lamp is ultraviolet, invisible to human vision. And the visible light coming from it is provided by phosphor layers that glow under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. The color of the light produced by fluorescent lamps depends on the chemical composition of the phosphor applied to the inside of the glass bulb.

Dependence of the visible spectrum of a fluorescent lamp on the phosphor

The light generated by cheap energy-saving lamps is most often unpleasant to the eye - its spectrum is dominated by blue and yellow colors, as a result, the color of objects in the illuminated room is unnatural. The reasons lie in the type of phosphor containing inexpensive calcium halophosphate. Such lamps, having a high luminous efficiency, are intended for lighting non-residential premises (warehouses, etc.) - they externally produce white light, but its reflection from objects reveals an incomplete spectrum (the absence of red and green colors).

Energy-saving lamps for home lighting have a higher price because... The phosphor in them creates 3-5 color stripes (for example, red, green and blue) from the spectrum visible to the human eye and imitates the effect of natural light, but reduces light output.

It’s worth mentioning right away that the following positive characteristics depend on the manufacturer of the lamp - his desire to save on raw materials and components seriously reduces the quality and service life of fluorescent lamps.

pros energy saving lamps:

• significantly lower, compared to incandescent lamps, energy consumption with greater light output. If a 100 W incandescent lamp has a light output of 100-150 lumens, then the light output of a 20 W fluorescent lamp will be 1,100-2,000 lumens - the difference is obvious. The low power consumption of energy-saving lamps, among other things, significantly reduces the load on electrical wiring;
• significant service life, 8-10 times longer than the service life of incandescent lamps. When operating on average 2.5-3 hours a day, a fluorescent lamp will illuminate the room for 8,000-11,000 hours and will last for several years (depending on the model and manufacturer), approximately 6-8 times longer than a regular “Ilyich lamp”;
• during the entire period of operation, the intensity of illumination with compact fluorescent lamps does not change;
• The highest temperature of an operating energy-saving lamp will not exceed 60 °C. 95% of the energy in incandescent lamps goes to heating, i.e. with a power of 100 W, the incandescent lamp will heat up to 95 ° C;
• Lamps of several light shades of illumination are produced, the main ones are warm daylight (similar to the color of lighting from incandescent lamps), daylight and cold daylight;
• There is no flickering (stroboscopic effect) in the produced light flux; lighting stability is ensured by the electronic ballast of the lamp;
• factory warranty from the manufacturer for each energy-saving lamp. There have never been any guarantees for Ilyich lamps.

Minuses energy saving lamps:

• high price. If incandescent lamps cost 10-25 rubles, then fluorescent lamps will cost 80-400 rubles. Chinese and domestic energy-saving lamps are cheaper, European ones are more expensive;
• the protrusion on the base where the lamp ballast is located sometimes makes it difficult to install it. A lamp with electronic ballast does not look good when installed in a chandelier, because... the base is too noticeable;
• These lamps require from 30 seconds to two minutes to warm up to full brightness;
• term proper operation Compact fluorescent lamps depend on the frequency of turning the power on and off - the more often this happens, the faster the lamp will fail. There must be a pause of at least 5 minutes between turning off and turning on again;
• Such lamps cannot be used by people with skin diseases and epilepsy, because the lighting intensity of energy-saving lamps is higher than usual and can lead to negative consequences;
• Do not break the glass bulb of the lamp, because mercury vapor will enter the premises and they will have to be ventilated for several hours at any time of the year, and residents will need to leave the premises of the house (apartment) for the entire period of ventilation - this is important. If several lamps are broken at once, you will need to call specialists from the Ministry of Emergency Situations to carry out demercurization. Do not break fluorescent lamps;
• It is not at all clear how to dispose of failed fluorescent lamps - it is prohibited to throw them away for scrap, and most specialized collection points settlements not available.

How to choose an energy-saving lamp

First of all, make sure the integrity of the lamp offered by the seller, reliable connection bulbs with a base - lamps from small Chinese manufacturers, assembled by hand, usually suffer from weak connections.

The power of a new lamp is determined by the power of incandescent lamps previously used in a given room, with a reduction of 4-5 times. Those. if you used “Ilyich lamps” of 100 W, you will need a fluorescent lamp of 20-25 W (it is better to take one with a small power reserve).

The illumination intensity of this lamp is determined in temperature on the Kelvin scale indicated on its packaging: from 2,700 to 4,000 oK - warm light(analogue of light from incandescent lamps), such lamps are suitable for lighting the bedroom and kitchen; from 4,000 to 5,000 oK - warm white light, suitable for living rooms and halls; from 6,000 to 6,500 oK - cool white light, used for study rooms and offices. Lamps of the latter type are not worth purchasing for home lighting - the light is too saturated and difficult to tolerate.

Lamp size. The base of fluorescent lamps, as noted above, is longer than the base of incandescent lamps - for home lighting, the optimal base would be the E27 standard (length - 105 mm, diameter - 60 mm), the dimensions of which are similar to sockets for “Ilyich lamps”.

Warranty and operational service life. They are indicated by manufacturers on the packaging: optimal service life in the range of 6,000-12,000 hours; warranty - from a year and above. Please note that not for all brands of fluorescent lamps the stated dates will be valid - Chinese manufacturers may indicate high deadlines, but in fact the lamps will fail much earlier.

Manufacturers and brands. On Russian market energy-saving lamps of European brands are presented - German "Osram" and "Wolta", Dutch "Philips", Danish "Comtech", Polish "Ikea", American "General Electric"; Russian - “Ecola”, “Cosmos”, “Aladin”, “Lisma”, “Uniel”; Chinese - “Camelion”, “Navigator”, etc. Of course, the products of the largest European manufacturers differ high quality and performance characteristics, but it is worth noting that domestically produced compact fluorescent lamps also have good quality at a lower cost.

In custody

As can be seen from this article, fluorescent lamps really save energy and serve properly, provided that the requirements for their operation are met. High cost and some mercury vapor content, of course, remain a problem for consumers, but manufacturers are trying to solve them - for example, in modern models In energy-saving lamps, mercury is bound by calcium amalgam and will not evaporate, as manufacturers claim, if the lamp is damaged.

Another way to save energy and ensure that mercury vapor does not penetrate into living spaces is to use LED lamps, but this is a topic for a separate article.

Rustam Abdyuzhanov, rmnt.ru

For comfortable lighting in the evening, a one-room apartment requires from ten to twenty lamps, depending on the area and layout. If they are all 60 W incandescent lamps, then the total maximum power will be 1200 kW - like an electric kettle. In this case, almost all the energy in the light bulb is wasted not on useful work(lighting), and for heating environment. Light Lamp efficiency incandescent is only 5% of energy consumption. That is, in the evening in the house for several hours every day, 1140 kW are emitted in the form of infrared waves... to nowhere. The service life of such lighting devices is only 1 thousand hours. It is irrational, expensive and wasteful.

Therefore, it is not surprising that since 2012 it has been impossible to buy household incandescent lamps in the European Union. And in Russia, the circulation of incandescent lamps with a power of 100 W and above has already been banned, and a phased ban of all other categories is being prepared.

Energy-saving lamps (ESL) are offered to replace conventional lighting devices. IN general case this means that they are more efficient and have a longer service life than traditional light sources.

Options to select

To figure it out how to choose a bright lamp for the home, comfortable for the eyes and at the same time energy saving, you need to have a good understanding of what technical parameters it is characterized.

1. Flask size. ESLs are often larger in size than incandescent lamps. Therefore, you need to measure the lamp shades to understand which model will fit inside.
2. Base type. In domestic conditions, the e27 base is most often used (27 is its diameter in mm). Less commonly, lamps are made with a seat for an E14 base; these are low-power devices for decorative lighting. The E40 base also comes across, but, as a rule, in large lamps and public places.
3. Power. Since energy-saving lamps are more efficient, their power ranges from 7 to 20 W. For the convenience of consumers, it is indicated on the packaging which energy-efficient lamp is analogous to an incandescent lamp.
4. Life time. There can be no dual interpretations here: the more, the better. Numerical values ​​start at 7 thousand hours.
5. Luminous flux value. Measured in lumens (lm), it shows how much visible light the device emits. The lower the ratio between luminous flux and power, the more efficiently electricity is used.
6. Colorful temperature. Simply put, it is the color of light. It is measured in kelvins (K). The most natural and comfortable for the eyes is warm white light with a temperature of 2700 to 3200 K, and it should be used in the home.

General advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of energy-saving lamps are obvious: low energy consumption and a long service life, for the sake of these advantages they are switching to more efficient lighting devices. There are not many disadvantages:

• higher price compared to traditional ones;
• difficulty achieving optimal color temperature;
• As a rule, light is emitted in a narrow spectrum, which is not beneficial for vision.

Types of energy saving lamps

There are three types of ESL on sale: halogen (gas-filled), LED and luminescent lamps. Each of them has pros, cons and rational uses for home lighting.

Luminescent

The operating principle of this light device is that a gas discharge is ignited in a glass flask filled with an inert gas with mercury vapor. Since it emits ultraviolet radiation, it is converted into visible light using a phosphor layer that coats the glass shell from the inside. The color temperature of the lamp depends specifically on the composition of the phosphor. Powerful energy saving luminescent lamps daylight are widely used for lighting public and industrial premises.

Advantages

The average lifespan of a fluorescent lamp is 8,000 hours, while only 11 watts are required to provide the same luminous flux as a traditional 60-watt lamp.

The cost is relatively low - from 100 to 200 rubles for quality products famous manufacturers(eg Osram).

The payback period under these conditions is one year, despite the fact that self-respecting companies provide a 3-year guarantee on them.

Flaws

Design features determine the disadvantages of fluorescent lamps:

• the shape of the flask is limited by the need to use a thin tube;
• the maximum luminous flux value is not reached immediately after switching on;
• stability of operation strongly depends on the quality of electricity;
• possible light pulsations may cause damage to vision;
• rapid wear as a result frequent switching on and shutdowns.

LED

This type of lamp uses LED - semiconductor device. In order to be suitable for replacing a traditional incandescent lamp, they must include a special device called a driver - a current source, as well as a module with several dozen LEDs.

Advantages

LED fixtures have a lifespan of 30,000–50,000 hours. Energy consumption is the lowest in the ESL class: 8 W corresponds to 60 W of a traditional light bulb.

Expert opinion

Alexey Bartosh

The use of glass is not required; the lampshade is usually made of plastic - a more reliable design, more difficult to damage due to negligence. It heats up less, does not contain mercury, and is easy to dispose of.

Flaws

The main disadvantage is the high price. The cost of 9-watt lamps of good quality starts from 150 rubles. You can also list some disadvantages associated with the design of the device:

• narrow light cone;
• big sizes;
• brightness decreases over time;
• difficulties in providing the required spectrum of light.

Halogen

This type is a modification of an incandescent lamp. A special gas consisting of bromine or iodine vapor is added to its cylinder. This increases the service life to 2000 - 4000 hours, and also allows you to increase the temperature of the coil for greater brightness. In the case of using special circuits for smooth switching, the operating time increases to 8000 hours.

Colorful temperature

Let's take a closer look at the quality indicator of light - color temperature. The human eye perceives sources in the range from 2500 K to 10000 K, while:

• 2500 – 2800 K is felt as a very warm light (candles, open flame);
• 2800 – 3500 K – analogue of the setting sun;
• 3500 – 5000 K – neutral lighting (morning light);
• 5000 K and above – cold daylight.

Experts in studying the effects of light on human body It is recommended to choose bright warm light for home lighting, as it is most beneficial for vision, relaxes and does not suppress the production of melanin, the sleep hormone.

In stores and other public spaces, powerful neutral light is used that does not distort color rendering. According to consumer reviews, daylight is best used for work areas, it invigorates and increases productivity.

Color rendering index

Light from various sources affects the perception of brightness and color saturation in a room differently. Color rendering coefficient characterizes the degree to which the apparent brightness of a color corresponds to its true value when illuminated by a specific source. The higher the index value, the more natural the light is. Solar illumination is taken as a standard with a coefficient of 100. Among ESLs, halogen lamps have the best coefficient; high-quality fluorescent and LED lamps have an index of about 80.

Lamp power and luminous flux

The main characteristic of energy saving is the ratio of luminous flux to power. The best specimens in the class LED sources have a light output of 90 lm/W, fluorescent - 70 lm/W, halogen - only 16 lm/W.

Life time

This characteristic directly affects the return on investment in high-quality light sources and the feasibility of their use. It would be correct to use slightly less powerful lamps Instead of one more powerful one, their service life will certainly be longer. Most best source light among ESLs in terms of duration of use - a device based on LEDs. But you must definitely choose well-known manufacturers who care about their reputation and use high-quality components.

Base type

Threaded sockets E27 and E14 are most common in everyday life.

Expert opinion

Alexey Bartosh

Specialist in repair and maintenance of electrical equipment and industrial electronics.

It should be noted that buying LED lamps with a 14 mm base may not be a very good solution. For normal operation LEDs require an appropriate current source and proper cooling.

These conditions are quite difficult to implement in small-sized conditions. A high-quality bright lamp should be large. Therefore, for small sconces it is advisable to use fluorescent or halogen lighting devices.

Bulb shape and brightness adjustment

For some types of EBW, especially fluorescent lamps, the shape of the bulb is limited by design features. Their common types are U-shaped and spiral. For aesthetic reasons, it is better to use them in semi-closed and closed shades. Straight, tubular ESLs are used to illuminate kitchen surfaces and other work areas. LED devices with a standard base, as a rule, have a traditional pear-shaped shape. Common type halogen lamps– cone with deflector.

Lighting brightness adjustment has great importance to increase the service life of lighting devices and comfortable lighting in the room. Different types designs energy saving lamps define the way they are regulated:

• LED lamps are adjusted using special devices - dimmers. The adjustment circuit must be built into the lighting fixture. You cannot connect an external regulator designed for a traditional source to an LED with a built-in driver. But there are ready-made lamps with LEDs on sale that already have a brightness control.
• Fluorescent - special dimmable devices with an E27 base are available on sale. They replace traditional ones in lamps with a brightness control.
• Halogen ones - those designed for a voltage of 220 V, are connected to standard switches with brightness adjustment in the same way as incandescent lamps. Halogen lights undervoltage require the use of special transformers.