Compact (energy-saving) fluorescent lamps were known to be expensive, have a relatively short life, and take a long time to reach full power. However, technological developments have advanced this point considerably, and no such claim can be made about today\’s “compacts.”

Running at full power

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This is a rather controversial issue that has changed considerably over the past 20 years. Most light sources charge to 100% full power as soon as they are switched on. Not so with compact fluorescent lamps. The first products of this type still took only a few minutes to reach full power at the end of the 1990s, but today, according to EU guidelines, all products are fully operational within 60 seconds. There are also “compacts” that combine a light bulb and a fluorescent bulb and are designed to turn on instantly; the bulb turns on first, and when the fluorescent bulb is fully lit, the bulb turns off.

Switching Cycles.
In the past, the number of switching cycles was limited, typically 3-7,000. Today\’s products have many times that number of cycles, greatly extending their lifespan. At the same time, power consumption is very low

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Lifespan

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While the lifespan of the classic filament bulbs currently used by terrarium keepers primarily as heating fixtures is about one year (about 1000 hours) with daily lighting, the Energy Saver has a lifespan of about 10 – 15,000 hours. At the same time, the price of the product is decreasing, resulting in a shorter economic payback period; LED bulbs have an even longer lifespan, up to 100,000 hours of use.

Spectrum of Light [25].
Today, it is no longer a problem to equip even this type of lighting technology with full spectrum phosphors. These products are most beneficial to our health because they almost completely replace the light spectrum of sunlight. However, in addition to the full spectrum, it is also possible to choose warm or cold white light, suitable for improving alertness and work efficiency (cold light) as well as for relaxation (warm light with a yellowish tinge)
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