Why CFLs:
CFLs can be the best things to happen to your home because CFLs save energy, last a long time, are environmentally friendly and have a cool operating temperature so they don't heat your house.
It uses about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.
Save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime.
Produce about 75 percent less heat, so they're safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.
Are available in different sizes and shapes to fit in almost any fixture, for indoors and outdoors.

How to Choose and Where to Use CFLs
CFLs provide the greatest savings in fixtures that are on for a substantial amount of time each day.
The best fixtures to use qualified CFLs in are usually found in the following areas of your home,family and living rooms,kitchen,dining room,bedrooms,outdoors....
How to Choose the Right Energy Saving Lamps:
When choosing a CFL it is important to know the size, brightness, color and quality you need for the fixture you're retrofitting.
Matching the right CFL to the right kind of fixture helps ensure that it will perform properly and last a long time.


Size
Measure the maximum height and width a lamp can occupy inside the fixture. CFLs can have very different shapes than incandescent lamps so it is important to know that the new CFL will fit in the fixture.

Brightness
Check the wattage of the lamp currently in the fixture. To maintain the same illumination level, choose a CFL this is approximately 1/4 the wattage of the existing incandescent bulb. For example, if you find that the existing bulb is 100 Watts, you need at least a 25 Watt CFL lamp to maintain an equivalent illumination level.

Color
It is very important to choose a lamp with a pleasant and appropriate color. For most indoor fixtures it is important to have full spectrum light so that all colors, especially flesh tones, are properly rendered. For outdoor fixtures and garage lamps, for example, color may not be very important and any well-made lamp will work, regardless of color.
Many CFLs are labeled with familiar terms such as "Cool White" and "Warm White" to help you choose the right color. These labels are helpful, but do not always guarantee a full spectrum color.
Some CFL packages are labeled with the lamp's CRI, or Color Rendition Index. Good CFLs have a CRI rating of 80 or higher. If color is an issue for you, do not purchase a lamp with a rating lower than CRI 75.
The package might also mention that the lamp is a "tri-phosphor". This usually indicates a very high lamp color quality.
Finally, if you are just not sure about which lamp has the best color, go with a lamp made by a brand you're familiar with. It may be slightly more expensive than the other lamps available, but it will pay for itself in satisfaction and lessened eye strain.

CFL Quality
One of the largest complaints about CFLs is that many fail shortly after purchase. This can be avoided by buying well-made CFLs, which usually means spending a little more. Buy a lamp by a recognizable brand that you are familiar with. For example:
CFLs perform best in open fixtures that allow airflow, such as table and floor lamps, wall sconces, pendants, and outdoor fixtures. For recessed fixtures, it is better to use a reflector CFL than a spiral CFL since the design of the reflector evenly distributes the light down to your task area.
If a light fixture is connected to a dimmer or three-way socket fixture, you'll need to use a special ENERGY STAR qualified CFL designed to work in these applications. Make sure to look for CFLs that specify use with dimmers or three-way fixtures.
Choose a qualified CFL that offers a shade of white light that works best for you. For example, while most CFLs provide warm or soft white light for your home, you could choose a cooler color for task lighting. To choose the ENERGY STAR qualified CFL with the right amount of light, find a qualified CFL that is labeled as equivalent to the incandescent bulb you are replacing. Light bulb manufacturers include this information right on the product packaging to make it easy for consumers to choose the equivalent bulb. Common terms include "Soft White 60" or "60 Watt Replacement."
You should also check the lumen rating to find the right CFL. The higher the lumen rating, the greater the light output. Consult the following chart to determine what CFL wattage is best to replace your incandescent light bulb..

Why are CFLs expensive than normal lamps?
CFLs have many more components, use special materials, and are much harder to manufacture than incandescent lamps. Even though CFLs are more expensive in the store than incandescents, they will save you money. CFLs use 1/4 the energy of an incandescent and last seven times longer. So over the life of the lamp a CFL will pay for itself and then some because of lowered energy bills and less frequent replacement costs.
As demand grows and technology progresses, CFLs will become less and less expensive. In the mean time, many utilities offer CFLs at discount prices or have rebate programs to encourage customers to use CFLs. Check with your local utility for these incentive programs.

Why are CFLs so many different sizes and shapes?
Most CFLs were developed to fit in a certain type of fixture - usually a commercial rather than residential fixture. A selection of CFLs are now available for standard residential fixtures such as table lamps and kitchen fixtures. For example, Circline and 2-D lamps are suited well for table lamps and the new helical and other short, small CFLs were made to fit in approximately the same size space as a standard incandescent.

Can I put CFLs in dimmable or three-way fixtures?
You have to get a CFL with a special dimming or three-way ballast. A standard CFL will break if placed in a dimming or three -way fixture! A variety of three-way CFLs with screw-bases suited well for table lamps are available. There is also a very compact screw-based dimming CFL now available in many hardware stores across the country. These options make retrofitting high-use fixtures even easier.


Why are CFLs so dim at first?
CFLs work differently than incandescents and need to "warm up" before they come to full brightness. CFLs typically take about five minutes before they reach full brightness. This is another reason why CFLs work well in high-use fixtures - because those fixtures are usually left on for a long period of time. CFLs have a shorter life and don't perform as well in fixtures that are only on for a few minutes at a time, such as a closet light.

What is the difference between "screw-based" and "dedicated" CFLs?
Screw-based means that the lamp can be screwed into the same type of socket that a standard incandescent lamp uses. For screw-based lamps, both the ballast and the lamp are integrated into one piece that can be screwed into the socket. Screw- based CFLs are shown at the top of this page and a variety of dedicated CFLs are shown to the right. Dedicated CFLs have a two or four pins sticking out the bottom that fit into a special socket specially made for CFLs. The ballast is separate from the lamp for dedicated CFLs. The lamp plugs into the special socket and then the socket is wired to the ballast which receives its power from a standard wall outlet.
Dedicated CFLs are preferred over screw-based CFLs because you can't replace dedicated lamps with inefficient incandescents. It is possible to buy residential fixtures made with dedicated CFLs. These lamps are excellent investments because they are energy-saving, low maintenance and designed specifically for CFLs, providing excellent light distribution.
Some screw-based CFLs are also dedicated CFLs. The ballast is screw-based but the lamp is pin-based plugs directly into the ballast. This type of lamp-ballast combination can save money because ballasts last much longer than the CFL bulb. So you can replace just the bulb and keep the old ballast.

What is a ballast?
A ballast is the power transformer for a CFL lamp. CFLs need a very high voltage pulse to start the lamp and also tend to use non-standard (i.e. not 120V AC) voltage. The ballast provides the voltage pulse at the beginning and also converts the 120V (or 220V) into whatever the lamp needs to run properly.

Why do CFLs help the environment?
Because CFLs use less energy than incandescent lamps, they reduce the demand for energy which results in reduced power plant emissions like carbon dioxide and other green house gases.
So the CFLS or energy saving lamps are friendly environment (environment friendly).


hy is it so hard to find a good selection of CFLs?
For residential consumers, it is still very hard to find a wide variety of CFLs. Your best bet is to check a few local hardware stores. Usually different chains carry different brands of CFLs. By purchasing CFLs and getting your friends and family to buy CFLs also, we can increase the residential demand for CFLs and this will bring greater variety and selection to your local.

How They Work
CFLs work much like standard fluorescent lamps. They consist of two parts: a gas-filled tube, and a magnetic or electronic ballast. The gas in the tube glows with ultraviolet light when electricity from the ballast flows through it. This in turn excites a white phosphor coating on the inside of the tube, which emits visible light throughout the surface of the tube.
CFLs with magnetic ballasts flicker slightly when they start. They are also heavier than those with electronic ballasts. This may make them too heavy for some light fixtures. Electronic ballasts are more expensive, but light immediately (especially at low temperatures). They are also more efficient than magnetic ballasts. The tubes will last about 10,000 hours and the ballast about 50,000 hours. Most currently available CFLs have electronic ballasts.
CFLs are designed to operate within a specific temperature range. Temperatures below the range cause reduced output. Most are for indoor use, but there are models available for outdoor use. You can find a CFL's temperature range on most lamp packages. You should install outdoor CFLs in enclosed fixtures to minimize the adverse effects of colder temperatures.
CFLs are most cost effective and efficient in areas where lights are on for long periods of time. You'll experience a slower payback in areas where lights are turned on for short periods of time, such as in closets and pantries. Because CFLs do not need to be changed often, they are ideal for hard-to-reach areas.

Types of Compact Fluorescent Lamps
CFLs are available in a variety of styles or shapes. Some have two, four, or six tubes. Others have circular or spiral-shaped tubes. The size or total surface area of the tube(s) determines how much light it produces.
Some CFLs have the tubes and ballast permanently connected. Other CFLs have separate tubes and ballasts. This allows you to change the tubes without changing the ballast. There are also types enclosed in a glass globe