Nationwide compact fluorescent light inquiry

B. Collard, Laborelec, Belgium

Keywords

compact fluorescent lamp, measurement method, campaign, household lighting, lamp life, standardised ageing, accelerated ageing, lumen output, luminous efficiency

Abstract

Since the major oil crises of the past century, numerous technological developments have emerged to guide the electricity industry towards products which are more efficient. Compact fluorescent lamps as the miniaturisation of traditional fluorescent lamps are part of this trend. They are presented as a substituting solution - more efficient from an energy point of view - for our traditional incandescent lamps. In 1998, Electrabel, the main producer and distributor of electricity in Belgium, decided to focus on this phenomenon. The company clearly expressed its will to encourage the use of these economic lamps... but not without knowing their real performances and implications.

Laborelec was subsequently commissioned to carry out a series of performance tests on the different types of economic lamps distributed on the Belgian market. At the same time, other institutions abroad were working on similar campaigns. These are the results of the various series of tests.