Compact Fluorescent Lights

After patenting a high pressure vapor light in 1927, Friedrich Meyer, Hans J. Spanner and Edmund Germer applied to create the first commercial fluorescent bulb in the early 1930s. This application was soon purchased by GE for $180,000, who commercialized the first fluorescent light in 1938 (US patent 2182732).

In 1976, a GE engineer by the name of Edward E. Hammer created the first compact fluorescent light (CFL) as a response to the oil crisis. The commercialization of the product was stalled due to exorbitant facility costs for production as well as manufacturing issues with design of the interior coating of the spiral glass. Not until 1995 did the first CFL manufactured in China become available to the public. Sales of the CFL have increased every year since its inception, but still remain more costly than their ignorant cousin, the incandescent light (IL). This has to do with the electronic ballast.

The electronic ballast varies depending on the starting power of the CFL. The three common ballasts are instant start, rapid start and programmed start. The latter is best used in business settings as it lasts longer during frequent power cycling, the rapid start is used best in settings with dimmer switches (IMPORTANT since using a regular CFL in this setting will diminish its longevity) and the instant start is used best in settings where lights are not turned on or off often. For your edification, LEDs are another highly efficient alternative to incandescent lights.

CFLs use up to a 75% less energy and last up to 10 times as long as the IL. So, the initial savings from an IL doesn’t last long (much like the IL itself). Over the life of a CFL compared to that of an IL, you will save, depending on the varying cost of electricity per kWh, anywhere from $30-$45 a light.

According to the same site, if everyone used CFLs, we could save over $700 million in energy costs, retire 90 power plants and stop a half-ton of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere.

It’s important to know that CFLs contain 5 milligrams of mercury in each CFL, regardless of shape, size or color. This amount is miniscule compared to the average 25 milligrams in a watch battery or the 500 milligrams in an amalgam dental filling. Nonetheless, this can pose a hazard to you or your pets if they break open and any of the insides are ingested. (See EPAs website on how to clean up broken CFL(s)) There are now new low-mercury CFL models such as the Alto and the Neolite which have 1 milligram of mercury.

Because of the mercury content and to be eco-friendly, CFL recycling is important. Do not throw them in the garbage! Menards and Home Depot have CFL recycling programs at all of their Minnesota stores. Also, here is a list of Minnesota household hazardous waste collection programsas well as county contact info.