For most people, the term "compact
fluorescent lighting" (CF lighting)
evokes images of those bulky, retrofit
screw-ins — the ones with the built-in
ballasts that always seemed out-ofplace
when screwed into a traditional
light fixture. A few years ago those
were the only CFs available, but
choices have expanded greatly since
then. There is now a whole world of
hard-wired fixtures specifically
designed for CF lamps (in the lighting
business, bulbs and tubes are called
"lamps") that consume only a fraction
of the energy used by comparable
incandescents.
Although a CF fixture costs $25 to
$50 more than a comparable incandescent
fixture, utility rebates may offset
the price difference. Some, in fact,
will pay the difference between the
cost of the