What are Lumens?
Watts measure the amount of energy required to light products, whereas lumens measure the amount of light produced. The more lumens in a light bulb, the brighter the light.
For instance:
FTC's Lumen vs. Watts Chart
- 40-watt incandescent bulb = 450 lumens
- 60-watt incandescent bulb = 800 lumens
- 100-watt incandescent bulb = 1600 lumens
With new light bulbs, shopping by lumens will be more important than shopping by watts when choosing which energy-efficient bulb to purchase.
New Labels
The Federal Trade Commission has worked with manufacturers to develop a new label to help consumers purchasing the energy-saving bulbs. It looks similar to nutrition labels on food and will have more concise information about the bulb’s output and savings (seen in the image on the right).
Body Gold with Stud Zip Detail Double T Rose Jeans amp; Cross Shirt WqwOTxB4cgThe labels will include:
- Brightness (in lumens),
- Estimated Yearly Energy Cost,
- Life-expectancy of the bulb,
- Light appearance and,
- Energy used.
Click here for a larger version of this new label breakdown from the NRDC
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Manufacturers are also changing the look of their overall packaging to help even more. For instance, the CFL in the photo on the right says the Sylvania Super Saver CFL is a replacement for a 100 watt bulb with a lumen (brightness) output of 1500. The energy used is 24 watts, saving you $60 in energy costs and will last for 7 years. The color is a soft white, which is similar to soft white incandescent bulbs.
Shoulder Amison Bag Nylon Black Handbag Diagonal Messenger Waterproof Classic Remember, an easy way to compare bulbs is to use the government label, which should appear on all bulbs by January 2012.
Learning About Labels
- The FTC’s video educates about lumens
- The FTC’s website has facts for consumers
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- Anatomy of the label
- Read Grey Gym Shopping Tote litres Queen Beach Nap Light 10 42cm x38cm Bag HippoWarehouse xan7RI and listen to NEMA’s podcasts about the new labels and lumens
