How It Started.

Although Edison actually integrated the principle of fluorescent lighting into a lamp he invented in 1896, the first practical fluorescent lamp was not exhibited until the New York World's Fair in 1939. Shortly thereafter, fluorescent lighting technology was perfected and mass produced for industrial and commercial applications.

The Difference Between Fluorescent and Incandescents.

A fluorescent lamp differs from an incandescent lamp in structure and in the process by which it produces light. The inside of the lamp is coated with a fluorescent powder called phosphor. A cathode (distant cousin to the incandescent filament) is a cap holding an electrode that seals each end of the lamp. Enclosed within the lamp is an inert gas, argon or a mixture of argon and neon, and a minute droplet of low pressure mercury vapor. When the lamp is switched on, a current passes through the cathodes, causing them to heat up and emit electrons that electrically charge (ionize) the gas. The ionized gas becomes a conductor allowing increased current (arcs) to jump from one cathode to the other, resulting in the emission of ultraviolet radiation. The ultraviolet radiation is then absorbed by the phosphor coating on the inner surface of the lamp, converting it into visible light. All fluorescent lamps require a ballast to provide high starting voltage and to regulate the electric current during operation.

How Compact Fluorescents Are Used and Save Money.

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) were first introduced around 1980 as an energy efficient alternative to conventional incandescent light bulbs. CFLs provide more concentrated light than linear fluorescents and are about one-quarter the size of conventional fluorescents. The benefits of CFLs include longevity, as they last about ten times longer than incandescents, and improved efficiency, as they require one-quarter the electricity of incandescents. Compact fluorescent lamps feature 70 percent more energy savings than incandescent bulbs, as compared to tungsten halogen lamps which deliver only 35 percent energy savings over incandescents. Advantageous in a variety of applications, CFLs are used in downlights, surface lights, task lights, table lamps, sconces, flood lights and pendant luminaires. Panasonic CFLs are also employed in outdoor applications such as post lamps, wall fixtures and walk lights.