Commonly referred to as CFLs, compact fluorescent lamps or compact fluorescent light bulbs have become the basic necessity for a green hotel taking action in the modern green movement. These bulbs, which can replace incandescent, halogen and other electric lights, use 60 to 80 percent less energy than their incandescent counterparts. This makes CFLs an increasingly popular way to cut energy costs without making any radical changes like replacing lighting fixtures or rewiring which can get pretty expense in many cases.
Dimmable compact fluorescent light bulbs
Aside from saving your “green” by using a fraction of the energy, compact fluorescent light bulbs have a much longer usable life than incandescent. Compared to incandescent bulbs that last about 1,000 hours, compact fluorescent light bulbs typically last between 6,000 to15,000 hours. Advancement in technology now has improved CFL bulb’s light quality and versatility by now emitting a more pleasant “soft white” light and functioning in dimmable and three-way fixtures. So what does this mean for the bottom line? Well, you can save upwards of $30 per bulb over its life and save 2000 times its own weight in greenhouse gas emissions (times this by how many bulbs you have at your green hotel – and imagine the savings!!).
How do compact fluorescent light bulbs work?
Instead of a filament lit up with electrical energy, there are two main parts in a compact fluorescent light bulb: a gas-filled tub (also called bulb or burner) and the magnetic or electronic ballast; those with magnetic ballasts tend to flicker more, so electronic ballasts are being used more often. When you flip the switch, electrical energy, in the form of an electrical current from the ballast, flows through the gas, causing it to emit ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light then excites a phosphor coating on the inside of the tub, which then emits visible light. Amazing, isn’t it?Compact fluorescent light bulbs and mercury
The mercury present in CFLs has been one of the most talked about issues related to compact fluorescent light bulbs. They contain only a small amount of mercury, however, because CFLs use so much less energy than their incandescent counterparts, compact fluorescent light bulbs are responsible for less mercury contamination than the incandescent bulbs they replaced, even though incandescents don’t contain any mercury.
More mercury comes from incandescents than from compact fluorescent light bulbs…how?
The highest source of mercy in America’s air and water results from the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, at utilities that supply electricity; incandescents burn way more energy, so, on a macro level, require much more energy to be produced. When that energy comes from fossil fuels, like coal (which most of America’s energy does), it causes more mercury to be emitted. Additionally, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) have made a voluntary commitment to cap the amount of mercury used in CFLs: “Under the voluntary commitment, effective April 15, 2007, NEMA members will cap the total mercury content in CFLs of less than 25 watts at 5 milligrams (mg) per unit. The total mercury content of CFLs that use 25 to 40 watts of electricity will be capped at 6 mg per unit.”
Safe mercury disposal from compact fluorescent light bulbs
Still, concerns exist about the mercury escaping from broken CFL bulbs, as safe disposal requires storing the bulbs unbroken until they can be processed. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published guidelines on how to clean up after CFL tub (remember, that’s the bulb) breakage and recommends that, in the absence of more specific local guidelines, CFLs be double-bagged in plastic bags before disposal. To property dispose of the spent bulbs, CFLs need to be recycled by somebody that knows what they’re doing; often, that’s with the retailer or manufacturer from whom the bulb was purchased. If those options aren’t available to you, click on over to EcoGreenHotelStore.com for pre-paid Waste Recycling Package kits that make it very easy for your green hotel to dispose CFLs.
Though the mercury is unlikely to harm you or your hotel guests, let’s be clear about this: do no, we repeat, DO NOT toss your CFLs in the trash. Putting them there greatly increases the chance of the mercury vapor escaping upon breakage, first exposing you and then the air and water around the landfill to the gas, which is bad news. So be careful with the bulbs, please.
Despite their issues with mercury, compact fluorescent light bulbs are still a great way to go greener with your hotel’s lighting needs; keep reading to learn why they’re the future (for now).
Compact fluorescent light bulbs: the future (for now)
Despite their issues with mercury, compact fluorescent light bulbs are still the way to go until LEDs become more common (that’s another article) and less expensive. Manufacturers are improving the quality of light and many more options for dimmable CFLs are becoming available; Environmental Defense and One Billion Bulbs both have lists of the dimmable bulbs.
More CFL bulbs at EcoGreenHotel
We’ve worn ourselves out keeping up with CFLs; evangelizing their use, watching them in the news, working to dispel the mercury myths and providing green hotel user tips is barely the tip of the iceberg. Check out Planet Green’s How to Green Your Lighting guide for more. Whatever you do, don’t be a dim bulb: go with CFLs now and the planet and bottom line will thank you later.
CFLs are just the start for a green hotel to become energy efficient. Click here to find out how you can assess your hotel’s energy efficiency. Maybe you’ve already done the CFL retrofit throughout your hotel and are now taking the initiative to truly go green. You can start with an Energy Efficiency Analysis by one of our EcoGreenHotel Experts. Click here to find out how you can “green” your bottom line.
