Mark Brinkley has published a useful graph on his blog summarising the output from different types of lighting compared to the power consumption. The graph clearly shows the advances that have been made in developing more efficient forms of lighting than the incandescent bulb. What’s missing of course is any indication of the quality of the light.

One of the main criticisms levelled at compact fluorescents, for example, is that people don’t like the light they produce—the long time taken to reach full brightness is often mentioned. Similarly, the colour rendering properties of LEDs are often criticised because they are so different to incandescent light sources.

Postscript: I was in Cardiff market one day buying a starter for a fluorescent tube fitting when the man in front of me asked the stall holder for one of those “energy bulbs.”

Popularity: 68% [?]