Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - CFL bulb alone as good as energy star fixture?
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moily
11-14-07, 03:48 PM
will be buying a lighting fixture. is an energy star rated fixture with a flourescent bulb any more energy efficient than a standard (non-energy star) fixture using a fluorescent (CFL) bulb - i.e, is the energy star standard all about the bulb? thnx!
racraft
11-14-07, 04:13 PM
If you Google the term "energy star light fixture" you can find out all you need to know and more.
The basics are that an energy star fixture is more than just the bulb. The bulb is obviously a fluorescent, in order to get the necessary power savings.
In addition to that, the fixtures must "Distribute light more efficiently and evenly than standard fixtures." Exactly what this means is unknown to me. I am guessing it means that you can use a lower wattage bulb because the light will be better distributed.
But here is the bottom line. An energy star fixture with a 17 watt CFL bulb will us the same energy as a non-energy star fixture with a 17 watt CFL bulb.
The basics are that an energy star fixture is more than just the bulb. The bulb is obviously a fluorescent, in order to get the necessary power savings.
In addition to that, the fixtures must "Distribute light more efficiently and evenly than standard fixtures." Exactly what this means is unknown to me. I am guessing it means that you can use a lower wattage bulb because the light will be better distributed.
But here is the bottom line. An energy star fixture with a 17 watt CFL bulb will us the same energy as a non-energy star fixture with a 17 watt CFL bulb.
french277V
11-14-07, 05:36 PM
Racraft:
you are very close to the answer with the engery star.
some luminaires to get qualifed for the engery star with the CFL. it will useally have interal ballast not the screw on type that one critica it will meet the codes.
with any luminaires with screw in CFL are " not " engery star because what will happend that the person may not like the colour of the bulb itself or other reason and they can take it out and put in the indscent bulb there and defet the engery star feature.
[ some states are getting strict with this now ]
Merci, Marc
you are very close to the answer with the engery star.
some luminaires to get qualifed for the engery star with the CFL. it will useally have interal ballast not the screw on type that one critica it will meet the codes.
with any luminaires with screw in CFL are " not " engery star because what will happend that the person may not like the colour of the bulb itself or other reason and they can take it out and put in the indscent bulb there and defet the engery star feature.
[ some states are getting strict with this now ]
Merci, Marc