The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has completed a research project regarding energy-efficient lighting technologies for use in poultry housing.
Research was conducted to determine the reliability, intensity and floor light patterns of new low wattage bulbs in poultry housing. Three alternate lighting sources were tested: CCFL-cold cathode fluorescent lamps, CFL-compact fluorescent lamps and LED- light emitting diodes.
Only one of the CCFL lamps failed during testing at 3,312 hours. While this represents double the life span of the incandescent bulbs, it was well less than the 8,000 hour manufacturer’s estimated lifespan for CCFL lamps. Three CFL lamps failed at 2,640 hours, well less than the 12,000 hours typical for CFL lamps. No LED lamps failed during testing, which was expected given the 30,000 hour lifespan typical for LED lamps.
CCFL and CFL lamps showed intensity reduction (approximately 20%-25%) during testing, while the LED lamps lost 60% of the initial intensity. All three lamps tested were more energy efficient (28%-33%) than incandescent bulbs. Based on durability, CFL lamps do not meet the expectations and should not be used, according to the research. CCFL lamps showed reasonable durability and are much less expensive than LED lamps.
