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When selecting tube fluorescent lights, don't be satisfied with standard cool-white or warm-white tubes. Look for products with high color rendition index (CRI). This is a measure of the ability of the light to illuminate colors accurately. Also look for high efficiency. Lighting efficiency is measured in lumens (light output) per watt (electricity use). Some new fluorescent lamps use special coatings to achieve both high CRI ratings and high efficiency. Some of the most efficient fluorescent tube lamps are narrower in diameter and may require different fixtures and ballasts than standard fluorescents.

For use in living areas, ask for electronic ballasts for tube fluorescent fixtures. While they are more expensive than standard magnetic ballasts, they are quieter, turn on without flickering, and save as much as 35 percent on energy use as well.

When shopping for tube fluorescent lighting fixtures and lamps, it helps to know what you want. Even at retail lighting stores, salespeople may not be familiar with some of the products on the market. If you can't find what you want, go to a commercial lighting supplier.

Compact Fluorescent Lights

The introduction of compact fluorescent lights in the early 1980s revolutionized energy-efficient lighting. Compact fluorescent lights use one-quarter to one-third as much electricity as incandescent lights, and last up to ten times longer. They work in the same way as standard tube-fluorescent lights, only the tube is smaller and folded over to concentrate the light. The compact design allows them to be used in place of incandescent light bulbs. The environmental benefits of these lights are dramatic. A single 1-watt compact fluorescent light, for example, used in place of a 75-watt incandescent bulb, will save about 570 kWh over its lifetime. If your electricity is produced from a coal fired power plant, that savings represents over 500 pounds of coal that would release 1,300 pounds of carbon dioxide and 20 pounds of sulfur dioxide.

Integral vs. Modular Compact
Fluorescent Lights

Integral compact fluorescent lights have the ballast and tube built into a single unit. They can have either magnetic or electronic ballasts.

Modular compact fluorescent lights have separate ballasts and tubes. Currently, these all use magnetic ballasts. Modular ballasts, or adapters as they are sometimes called, usually screw into standard light bulb sockets. You can also buy light fixtures that are hard-wired for compact fluorescent lights—the ballast is built into the fixture. The advantage to modular compact fluorescent lights is that you don't have to replace the ballast when the fluorescent tube burns out. While compact fluorescent tubes and integral compact fluorescent lights generally last about 10,000 hours, ballasts may last 50,000 hours or longer. Replacement lamps cost just a few dollars apiece.

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