lighting types
When selecting energy-efficient lighting, explore the various lighting options for indoors and/or outdoors.
Types of lighting include:
Use the chart below to compare some of the different types of lighting.
| Lighting comparison chart | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lighting type | Efficacy (lumens/watt) |
Lifetime (hours) |
Color rendition index (CRI) | Color temperature (K) |
Indoors/outdoors |
| Incandescent | |||||
| Standard "A" bulb | 10–17 | 750–2500 | 98–100 (excellent) | 2700–2800 (warm) | Indoors/outdoors |
| Tungsten halogen | 12–22 | 2000–4000 | 98–100 (excellent) | 2900–3200 (warm to neutral) | Indoors/outdoors |
| Reflector | 12–19 | 2000–3000 | 98–100 (excellent) | 2800 (warm) | Indoors/outdoors |
| Fluorescent | |||||
| Straight tube | 30–110 | 7000–24,000 | 50–90 (fair to good) | 2700–6500 (warm to cold) | Indoors/outdoors |
| Compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) | 50–70 | 10,000 | 65–88 (good) | 2700–6500 (warm to cold) | Indoors/outdoors |
| Circline | 40–50 | 12,000 | Indoors | ||
| High-intensity discharge | |||||
| Mercury vapor | 25–60 | 16,000–24,000 | 50 (poor to fair) | 3200–7000 (warm to cold) | Outdoors |
| Metal halide | 70–115 | 5000–20,000 | 70 (fair) | 3700 (cold) | Indoors/outdoors |
| High-pressure sodium | 50–140 | 16,000–24,000 | 25 (poor) | 2100 (warm) | Outdoors |
| Low-pressure sodium | 60–150 | 12,000–18,000 | -44 (very poor) | Outdoors |