How much heat (or infrared radiation) is emitted by regular, halogen, and compact fluorescent lamps?
Because incandescent and halogen bulbs create light through heat, about 90% of the energy they emit is in the form of heat (also called infrared radiation). To reduce the heat emitted by regular incandescent and halogen light bulbs, use a lower watt bulb (like 60 watts instead of 100). Fluorescent lamps use an entirely different method to create light. Both compact fluorescent lamps and fluorescent tubes contain a gas that, when excited by electricity, hits a coating inside the fluorescent lamp and emits light. (This makes them far more energy-efficient than regular incandescent lamps.) The fluorescent lamps used in your home emit only around 30% of their energy in heat, making them far cooler.
