- Incandescent Lighting, as of 2010, is still the most prevalent lighting found in homes. It makes up over 85 percent of household lighting across the globe. It remains relatively unchanged over the past 130 years, existing in almost the same design as the 1879 Thomas Edison design—which was the first incandescent bulb to feature a tungsten filament.
- Although incandescent lighting dominates the lighting market, it is the least efficient type of lighting—often making alternative technologies better choices. Different types of fluorescent lighting, such as CFL’s, are up to 30 to 75 percent more efficient that incandescent bulbs, which waste up to 80 percent of their energy on heat rather than light.
- Incandescent bulbs have changed relatively little in their lifespan over the years; they still average around 1,000 hours per bulb, very similar to the 1879 bulb. Nowadays there are newer, longer-lasting incandescent bulbs that are made with a tungsten filament; however, these still only last up to 2,500 hours. Fluorescent lighting has a much longer lifespan. Straight tube fluorescent lights—which are often found in kitchens—can last up to 24,000 hours, while CFL lights last up to 10,000 hours.
- One of the main concerns on home-owners minds is how their house will look in lighting. The color rendition ratings rank how well light makes objects look as compared to how they look in direct sunlight. The color rendition of incandescent lighting ranks very high—averaging around 98 to 100 on a scale of 100—while the very bright incandescent bulbs rank between 50 to 90 on the same scale.
- Although incandescent bulbs are cheaper to purchase initially, they often times cost homeowners more to maintain. Since incandescent bulbs are less efficient, they utilize more electricity, making them more expensive to operate than alternative options. They also require consistent replacement more often, which means that although they are cheaper to purchase, the constant replacement costs will eventually add up to a higher price.