What are fluorescent and LED lamps?
In a fluorescent lamp, light is created from the chemical reactions that occur when an electrical discharge is passed through certain gases, such as argon, enclosed in a glass vacuum chamber. Fluorescent lamps can either be a standard shape (straight or circular) or compact fluorescent lamps. Fluorescent lamps use one quarter of the energy of a standard incandescent and around one third of the energy of low voltage halogens, and last up to ten times longer. Light Emitting Diodes, or LEDs, (also known as Solid-State Lighting, or SSL) are semiconductor devices that emit light when electricity is applied. Instead of wasting energy creating heat like incandescent lamps, LEDs simply glow when electrical current runs through them.
