Today several different types of lamps and lighting can be found. One of these types is the incandescent light bulb. Also often referred to as incandescent lamp this type of lamp is a source of artificial light. It generally works by incandescence. Usually this type of lamp works when an electrical current passes through a thin filament. This current heats the filament and causes it to become excited. This causes a release of thermally equilibrated photons in the process. One of the components of this type of lamp – the enclosing glass bulb – is mainly used to prevent the oxygen in the air from reaching the hot filament. Without this enclosing glass bulb the hot filament would be destroyed rapidly by oxidation. The incandescent lamps that have lots of different names have lots of benefits. One of these benefits is that these lamps can be produced for a wide range of voltages. Therefore one can find lamps of that type from just a few volts up to several hundred volts. However these lamps also have some disadvantages such as their relatively poor luminous efficacy. This disadvantage is the main reason why this type of lighting is often replaced in many applications by other types of lamps such as the fluorescent lights, the high-intensity discharge lamps, LEDs or other devices. Incandescent lamps always had lots of different applications. Usually they were widely used in domestic applications. Furthermore they were also the basis of most portable lighting such as table lamps, some car headlamps and electric flashlights. One of the typical characteristics of an incandescent lamp is that it also produces a lot of heat. This generated heat is the basis for further applications, i.e. it is used for incubators (for hatching eggs), for brooding boxes for young poultry, for heat lights for reptile tanks and also for the Easy-Bake Oven toy.
The first ever practical, long lasting incandescent light bulb was developed by Thomas Edison in 1879. While Edison did not invent the concept of the light bulb, he was the first to create a version of the electric light bulb that was safe, practical and cost-effective for home lighting. To achieve success with the light bulb, Edison played a critical role in overcoming challenges that were hindering the innovation of the electric light bulb by developing such electrical breakthroughs as the parallel circuit, an underground conductor framework and light sockets with switches.
Today, electrical lighting is a commodity and is considered an indispensable component of life and business. Alongside widespread consumer use of incandescent light bulbs has come a realization of the environmental and economical drawbacks of the once coveted technology. As more advanced technology such as fluorescent lighting began to provide consumers with an alternative to incandescent bulbs, it became clear that incandescent bulbs produce an excessive amount of energy waste as compared to their more energy efficient counterparts. Only about 5 percent of the energy consumed by an incandescent light bulb is used to produce light, while 95 percent is released as waste in the form of heat. Prevalent awareness and activism concerning the environmental repercussions of electrical waste, such as greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, perpetuate the urgency of reducing energy consumption and thus waste.
Energy conservation leaders such as Australia, Ontario and California have taken ground-breaking steps toward elimination of the use of incandescent lighting altogether. New regulations push consumers to replace energy wasting incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, or CFLs. With goals aimed at reducing hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon dioxide emissions and banning incandescent bulbs in just a few years, other communities are sure to follow in these leaders’ environmentally conscious footsteps.
There is concern about the economic cost that aggressive lighting regulations will pass on to consumers, as incandescent bulbs are sold at a much lower cost than compact fluorescent bulbs. While initially a higher investment, fluorescent bulbs prove their worth in saved energy costs and a much longer useful life than incandescent bulbs. Additionally, as more governments institute energy conservation legislation favoring fluorescent bulbs, their consumption volume will increase and prices are sure to drop as a result.
Electric incandescent lighting technology has changed little to none in the over 125 years since its inception. As the world becomes more aware and concerned about human effects on the environment, innovative regulations are certain to have an enormous and increasing impact on lighting use and energy consumption. While the future does not look bright for incandescent light bulbs, modern fluorescent lighting and rapidly progressing LED lighting technology are gaining a stronghold on the lighting industry and consumer preference.
Both Torsten Maue & John Billington are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Torsten Maue has sinced written about articles on various topics from Interior Design, Recreation and Sports. http://www.artelight.co.uk/. Torsten Maue's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.
John Billington has sinced written about articles on various topics from Family Concerns, Interior Design and Research and Science. About the Author: John Billington is the president and CEO of Five Rivers Inc., a leading online provider of ,. John Billington's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.