Compact Fluorescent Lamps [RE-wrenches]

[Doug Pratt]

Joel,

There are really only two scientific rating systems for light color and
quality. 

Degrees Kelvin describes the light color. Lower numbers, 2700 to 3000 are
rosy-yellow and mimic the standard 60-watt incandescent bulb most of us grew
up with. 5000 to 6000 is bluish, more like direct sunlight. These bluish
bulbs make good reading lights, but they make people look like the night of
the living dead (IMHO).

The Color Rendering Index (CRI) is a measure of how closely the light mimics
actual noon sunlight by rendering colors accurately. On the CRI scale 100 is
noon sunlight, 0 is a cave. Lights with a CRI of 80 or better are pretty
nice all around. 90 or better is really great, but hard to find in a
fluorescent. Your typical 4-foot cool white tube has a CRI of 62. "Warm
white" fluorescents rate about 52, which is why you found your cheap cfl so
unpleasant. Many fluorescent manufacturers don't list the CRI for their
lamps, which leads me to think they're probably well under 80. (They suck in
other words.)

The major manufacturers DO list all this info in their lamp catalogs.

Cheers,
Doug Pratt
DC Power Systems
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Joel Davidson [mailto:joel.davidson at sbcglobal.net] 
Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 10:58 AM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Compact Fluorescent Lamps [RE-wrenches]


Wrenches,

CFL color names and standards are inconsistent. n:vision brand 14-watt soft 
white CFLs (60W equivalent) emit light that gives a greenish tint to some 
white people's skin and to yellow fabrics and the n:vision 19-watt (75W 
equivalent) daylight CFL light is too harsh indoors and seems to flicker. 
What brand or model CFL emits a nice, warm (2300-2700 kelvin), yellow light?

Thanks in advance for your insights.

Joel Davidson 


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