Fluorescent lights no longer give just a dim flicker. Yes they are the green alternative to normal light bulbs, but they can also be funky and are a favourite of current designers. So why are they a good environmental alternative, and what’s so hip about them?
Every electrician will tell you that fluorescent lights have a tendency to last four to ten times as long as normal (filament) light bulbs and use roughly 20% of the energy. The trouble with normal light bulbs is that 95% of the electricity they use is lost through heat and merely 5% is literally utilized to light up a room.
Despite the fact that fluorescent bulbs are more expensive to buy at first, they will save you money in the long run, generally paying for themselves in under a year. And they fit in most existing light fittings, so you won’t even call for an electrician to change your fittings.
One more direct green advantage is that since the light bulbs last so much longer they generate less waste for the garbage dump as less are being thrown away every year. And once you’re fitting them and doing your part, you might even feel so green and environmentally alert that you take your tasks further and turn lights off when they’re not being used.
When you do need to toss away fluorescent light bulbs then attempt and do so responsibly. Contrasting filament light bulbs, they contain a tiny amount of mercury which is ecologically harmful if they are binned, so ask your local council about recycling facilities for light bulbs and do your part to keep them out of the garbage dump.
Now for the fun bit! Fluorescent lights are wonderful if you want to make a colour wash on the wall or against draperies. They can be recessed so that the glow seems to come magically from a hidden source and if the light shines against a reflective facade, you can produce a very spectacular effect. You can also talk to your electrician about installing more than one fluorescent tube so that you have a choice of colours at your fingertips.
FL lights of course occur in white but also four fundamental colours – red, yellow, green and blue. If not any of these suit your plan, you may put a white light following a coloured filter of your choice or even get coloured theatrical lighting gel which can be applied to the bulb to accomplish the effect you’re after. There are even companies that sell bulbs previously coated, offering a range of colours if you can’t face doing it yourself.
If you’re putting together a lighting design bear in mind that fluorescent white light tends to look calm rather than warm. FL bulbs can be included into a dimmer system when of course they turn out to be less bright, but they won’t produce a warm glow like a incandescent bulb. As well as being put onto dimmers your electrician could go one step further and incorporate them into a plan of pre-set scenes to create several mood alternatives for your room.
The reality is that in 2007 the US Administration announced that normal light bulbs are to be banned by 2011, which should help save around 5 million tonnes of CO2 by US household users alone. So it makes sense to get ready now for this new age in lighting. Light bulbs in the US are now graded A-G for environmental efficiency, so it’s easy to pick ones that do less damage and that will save you money in the mid and long term. And it doesn’t mean living in darkness – fluorescent lights have come a long way since their flickering early stages.
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