Why incandescent bulbs consume more power?

Ever noticed that some light bulbs seem to guzzle up more electricity than others? Well, those are the old-school incandescent bulbs, and there’s a reason behind their power-hungry nature. Unlike newer types of bulbs, like LEDs and CFLs, incandescent bulbs are not great at turning electricity into light. Let’s find why these bulbs consume more power compared to their energy-efficient counterparts.

Incandescent bulbs have a unique way of producing light, but it comes with a bit of a heat problem. Incandescent bulbs produce light through a process called incandescence; Incandescence is the emission of electromagnetic radiation from a hot body as a result of its high temperature. Inside the bulb, there is a filament typically made of tungsten, a metal with a high melting point. When an electric current passes through the filament, it encounters resistance, generating heat. The high temperature causes the tungsten filament to become white-hot, emitting visible light as a byproduct of its intense heat. Because of this, a significant portion of the energy is converted into heat rather than visible light, converting only about 10% of the energy they use into light, while the rest turns into that warmth you feel when you’re near them.

Since incandescent bulbs waste so much energy on heat, they end up requiring more electricity to produce the same amount of light as more efficient bulbs.

To add to the power consumption issue, incandescent bulbs don’t last as long as their energy-efficient counterparts. They burn out relatively quickly, meaning you have to replace them more often, which can also contribute to more energy consumption over time.

Energy-Efficient Alternatives: In the quest for energy efficiency, newer bulb technologies like LEDs and CFLs have stepped up to the plate. These bulbs use far less energy to produce the same amount of light, and they last much longer. While incandescent bulbs may have been the go-to choice in the past, the future of lighting is leaning towards greener and more energy-efficient options.