Increasing the cost of electricity leads to the need to find ways to reduce its consumption. A significant part of it is spent on lighting, where an incandescent lamp prevailed for a long time as a light source. Now there are more economical light sources. Here, the main indicator is the power of energy-saving lamps. A table comparing them with conventional lamps is given in advertisements or in comparative characteristics.
An incandescent lamp consists of a sealed bulb filled with an inert gas, with a tungsten coil inside. When an electric current passes through it, a glow is formed. Up to 90% of the electricity here goes into heat. However, it does not last long and has a small light power.
Light output and color rendering of an incandescent lamp was increased by adding halogen vapors to inert gases. At the same time, its operating principle remained the same, and the power consumption decreased by 40%.
Fluorescent lamps
As an alternative light source, a luminescent lamp (LL) has been used for a long time, with an efficiency of 70%. It consists of a sealed glass tube filled with inert gas and mercury vapor. Inside, a phosphor layer is deposited on the glass surface, which begins to glow when the lamp is ignited from a ballast. In everyday life, the use of LL is not very convenient, as a result of which they are made more compact by placing the starter inside the base. Due to this, the lamp can work together with standard cartridges. As a result, it can be installed instead of a conventional incandescent lamp without altering the lamp, which is an advantage. It is important to correctly determine what voltage it is designed for.
A compact fluorescent lamp is called energy-saving (ESL) and it has become widely used.
Characteristics of energy-saving lamps
The effectiveness of all types of lamps is evaluated by the following indicators.
- Power - the amount of electricity consumed within one hour, W.
- Luminous efficiency - the amount of light per 1 spent watt, Lm / W. The luminous flux of energy-saving lamps is 5 times greater than that of standard light sources.
- Color rendering index - level of correspondence between the apparent and natural colors of the illuminated body%.
Energy-saving lamps: types and power
At first, fluorescent lamps were created without standards, since they were mainly used as illuminated signs, where each product was different from the others. Their use as lighting devices has led to the need for grouping by characteristics so that it can be matched to the corresponding wiring or lamp. The main properties of lamps can be identified by marking.
The first letter of the domestic marking reflects the color: B - white, U - universal, D - daytime, C - improved color rendering, etc.
The international marking indicates the color code, where the first digit reflects the color rendering index (for the house it should be equal to 8), and the other two - the color temperature in hundreds of degrees (827, 830, 836 are used for the house).
Sockets are designated E40 (for high-power lamps), E27 (standard), E14. (smaller diameter - 14 mm). E14 energy-saving lamps are designated with a socle diameter of 14 mm.
Pin bases are often used for ESL: 2D, G23, 2G7, GU, etc.
Power is indicated in watts before the letter W. A common energy-saving lamp is 11w with screw and pin caps.
ESLs with soft start are indicated by RS.
The lamp voltage is indicated in volts: 12 V, 126 V, 220 V.
The ESL marking usually indicates all the main parameters. Some manufacturers may have a different location, but it’s easy to figure it out.
LED lamp
Another new energy-saving source of lighting was the LED lamp, which created a real breakthrough in energy efficiency. It allows you to further reduce energy consumption, as well as improve light output, increase the useful life and improve fire safety. All these qualities are provided by the built-in matrix, which is a series-connected LEDs. The light intensity depends on their quantity.
Comparison of energy-saving and incandescent lamps
Traditionally, lamps are selected by power, but now their assessment of the luminous flux will be more correct, since the illumination of the room depends on it.
The consumer is accustomed to assessing illumination by the power of incandescent lamps. Therefore, it is convenient for him to evaluate the power of energy-saving lamps (table) by the equal illumination created by different types of light sources.
The table clearly shows the dependence of power consumption on the type of light source. Here it is obvious that ESLs have significantly lower power at the same brightness as an incandescent lamp. However, the brightness of different manufacturers may differ significantly from the declared one. In addition, the amount of light depends on the volume of the bulb: the smaller it is, the lower the light flux. When choosing an ESL in a store, it should be evaluated according to the declared characteristic, the size of the flask, and amended to increase the stock. In addition, it must be borne in mind that the incandescent lamp creates uniform illumination in all directions, and the LED has a directed flow. If a diffuser is installed on it, it takes part of the power.
Equally important is the spectrum of the lamp. With increasing brightness, the power consumption for creating the same luminous flux decreases.
ESL selection
Energy-saving lamps are selected according to their characteristics. The easiest way to evaluate the required power of energy-saving lamps. A comparison table with other types of lamps is in any store. The power of the ESL should be 5 times less than that of an incandescent lamp. For example, instead of a 100-watt standard lamp, an energy-saving 20-watt lamp can be used.
The light spectrum of all bulbs should be the same tone. Soft colors (warm glow) are preferred in living rooms.
The size and shape of the lamp depends primarily on the type of cartridge and the permissible dimensions of the lamp. The cheapest bulbs are U-shaped, and spiral ones are more expensive. Standard sizes are usually suitable for large shades of chandeliers or floor lamps. For small sconces, E14 compact energy-saving lamps are selected.
Sometimes new ESLs blink, which may be due to the presence of a backlight in the switch. Then you should remove the indicator from it or purchase an LED or halogen lamp. You should immediately refuse low-quality goods, and purchase a product of guaranteed quality, despite the higher price.
Dimmers
The brightness control of standard lamps is made by changing the power. When it is reduced to the value of PD (dimming threshold), the bulb turns off. For all types of lamps, except for fluorescent ones, PD is close to zero and there are no problems with dimmer control.
ESL Dimming
For ESL, combustion is maintained at a power of at least 10% of the nominal, but to start the dimmer, you need to set the level to at least 30%, and after turning on the lamp it can be reduced.
It is advisable to use dimmers on triacs, without rectifying the current, which makes it possible to save on the absence of power losses from diode bridges. Despite this, the dimmer is an additional load. In addition, from "cold starts" fluorescent lamps quickly fail. The dimming depth of conventional lamps is very low, and to expand it and provide the necessary margin of safety, you should buy special expensive lamps with a special electronic filling.
LED Dimming
The LED lamp changes brightness depending on the size of the passing current. For her there is an optimal mode in which the maximum light output. It should be borne in mind that when the power changes, the shade of the glow accordingly changes. To keep it the same, dimmable LED lamps and dimmers are used that maintain a constant current amplitude with a change in the step of the pulse current. Naturally, this is reflected in the increase in prices.
Manufacturers are trying to produce products that best meet the needs of consumers. Philips has released lamp models that work well with conventional dimmers.
Conclusion
Energy-saving lamps with guaranteed quality meet the declared parameters and provide energy savings when used correctly. You can easily choose the power of energy-saving lamps, the table of correspondence of which to standard incandescent lamps is everywhere attached for comparison. To control room lighting, dimmable lamps and compatible dimmers should be used.