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Home | Technology

Neolite-The Next Generation in CFL Lighting

By: Steve Hanson

Simply put, Neolites are an improvement on an improvement. What I mean is that compact florescent lighting (CFL) is an improvement over traditional incandescent lighting, which has been in homes for years.

We see incandescent lighting in light bulbs and lamps everyday. They are in our homes and in our workplace. Neolites are an improvement on CFL technology, bringing us an even safer, longer lasting alternative to standard CFLs.

The problem with incandescent lighting is that it produces a harsh unnatural light that can contribute to glare and eyestrain. Not to mention far more costly energy consumption and short life cycles for the traditional light bulbs which has resulted in after-life disposal issues.

Compact Fluorescent Lighting

An improvement on incandescence came with the invention of compact florescent lighting (CFLs), which employs a cleaner, energy efficient light source. CFLs are compact versions of the larger florescent light bulbs used in commercial and business establishments.

The CFL technology helps to make the bulbs much smaller, which has allowed individuals to expand their usage into the home and small office. Compact fluorescents are now being used as common light bulbs and other lamp lighting sources in the home. They are taking the place of incandescent bulbs on the shelves in stores as well.

The Downside to CFL

With any kind of improvement, there are usually some drawbacks. A major concern is the existence of mercury in florescent lighting. This has always been the case with lamps of this kind, although compact fluorescents decreased this concern by using far less mercury than older standard fluorescent lighting.

In the past, being in a commercial setting, the danger from fluorescent lighting was much less as people typically did not have direct interaction with those bulbs. When CFLs expanded to home use, homeowners were immediately concerned about the mercury eventually getting into the environment. Today, this is the biggest detractor to CFL sales for home use.

Improvements to CFL Technology

Now we get into the improvement upon the improvement: Neolite!

Neolite features lower mercury usage than traditional CFLs. In fact, the average bulb contains 1 milligram of mercury or less, compared to the 4-6 milligrams contained in typical CFLs. This makes these low mercury CFLs safer for home use, and safer for the environment when they are disposed of at end of life.

In addition to the environmentally friendly features, the bulbs use up to 75% less energy than incandescent lamps. A true winner right? Well, there are still some concerns and disadvantages, even with Neolite.

Disadvantages

1. The bulbs still contains mercury, even though less of it. Being in the home, this would immediately create an environmental hazard if a simple light bulb were to break or shatter over the floor.

2. There are still concerns about the afterlife disposal of millions of mercury-laden bulbs and lamps in the environment if these are used on a mass-market consumption.

3. There is the real downside to the possible shut down of many incandescent manufactures. This technology is being considered the new standard, thus resulting in layoffs and closures of 100s if not more, of traditional lighting manufacturing companies not rendered obsolete.

Are there enough advantages to outweigh those disadvantages?

Advantages

1. You have the obvious advantages of the tremendous cost saving in energy and money over traditional lambs and bulbs.

2. Not to mention the tremendous longer life of Neolites, there will be fewer of them in the environment to deal with.

3. The elimination of some of the risk of mercury poisoning in the home and in the environment with the lower levels of mercury.

4. Less chance of the bulbs breaking since they are manufactured to be much tougher than incandescent bulbs.

5. When new improvements come along, more than anything else it signals a changing of the guard so to speak in the industry. Technology has moved society forward, we must advance with it.

The Future

Of course we must wonder, will there someday be CFLs with absolutely no mercury in them? That would be a wonderful development. Given the level of technological evolution in the marketplace today, it would not be surprising if mercury-free compact fluorescent lighting was a reality in the near future. For now we should support every step in the right direction by switching to Neolite solutions.

Given the advantages and disadvantages of this technology, I think we can see the future of lighting following in its footsteps. Slowly, CFL manufacturers will continue to increase the quality of the bulbs and decrease safety concerns, thereby presenting us with the ultimate light bulb. This is the next step in the evolution. Take a step into the future of home lighting efficiency today!

Article Source: http://bytepowered.org/articles

The Energy Superstore was developed with a singular purpose: to enable residential, business and industrial customers to save energy in the most efficient and cost effective ways possible. With over 40 years of experience, we provide many tools including energy audits, products, and recommendations. Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFLs) and Alternative Energy Advice From Your Energy Saving Superstore.

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