Desert Botanical Garden: THE DESERT HOUSE: Compact Fluorescent Lights

Demonstrating ways to save energy without sacrificing quality of life is crucial to the mission of the Desert House project. Lighting, which is responsible for about 20% of the electricity used in the United States or about 3% of the typical electric bill, can be done effectively with energy-conserving compact fluorescent lights. All interior Desert House lighting uses compact fluorescent bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs, yet produce 75% less heat. Incandescent bulbs actually use about 90% of supplied electrical power to generate heat, while only 10% is used to make light. Compact fluorescent bulbs use less that 10% of the total power supplied to make heat and over 90% creating light. Heat, and therefore, energy, is not only wasted, but heat forces the interior cooling system to work harder to maintain comfortable temperatures.

Compact fluorescent bulbs cost more initially, starting at around $10 per bulb, but have a long life, approximately 10,000 hours, compared to 750 hours for an incandescent bulb. Energy savings more than makes up for the bulb cost. For example, it takes one 25-watt compact bulb, costing $10.90, to provide the same amount of light as a 100-watt incandescent bulb costing 31 cents. If the bulbs are operated for 10,000 hours at a power cost of 9 cents per kilowatt hour, the cost of operating the compact fluorescent bulb will be $33.40, while the incandescent bulbs, (actually 13 bulbs per one compact fluorescent), will cost around $94.03 to operate.

Color rendering in compact fluorescent bulbs is good, making the compact fluorescent bulb suitable for most indoor activities and decoration. Compact fluorescent bulbs are available to fit most fixtures designed for incandescent bulbs and can be found in hardware and building supply stores.