Lumens are a universal measurement of light output. Per watt, fluorescent light bulbs produce more lumens than incandescent light bulbs. A 22-watt fluorescent bulb puts out the same amount of light as a 100-watt incandescent bulb.
Fluorescent lighting has been labeled as “energy-efficient lighting.” This means that fluorescent lights require comparatively little power to produce generous amounts of light. Incandescent lighting, on the other hand, is notorious for requiring great amounts of power for its light output. A lot of the energy taken in by an incandescent light bulb escapes as heat.
In general, fluorescent light bulbs last much longer than incandescent light bulbs. According to EarthEasy.com, fluorescent light bulbs can last up to 10 times as long as incandescent light bulbs.
Although fluorescent light bulbs have a higher initial cost than incandescent light bulbs, the initial cost is offset by the amount of energy saved by the consumer in the long run. According to EarthEasy.com, an 18-watt fluorescent bulb can save around 570 kWh in its lifetime compared with a 75-watt incandescent bulb.
One of the only downfalls with fluorescent lights is that that they contain traces of the toxic element mercury. On average, a fluorescent light bulb contains around 5mg of mercury.