Are halogen lamps considered energy efficient,( "green")?

Question

I'm referring to green as in, a green energy efficient house, car, lighting, solar power, etc.

Answer 1

Absolutely not. They use a lot of energy for the amount of light they produce (3 times as much as a compact fluorescent), they don't have a long life (only a few months versus several years for fluorescent) so the bulbs end up as trash AND they produce a lot of heat which add to air conditioning loads. The only reasonable use of halogen quartz is in areas (like theaters) where high light levels need to be dimmed down and for purposes like art and merchandise displays where a pure white light is preferred.

Currently, fluorescent and HID lighting (like high-pressure sodium and metal halide) are the best we have for low energy use, long life and low residual heat but they are still not ideal because of the chemicals (including trace mercury) and the disposable power ballasts that they contribute to the waste stream. It is hoped that technology will give us increasingly better options in the future.

Answer 2

No.

I've 3 in the bathroom, - the size of 1/2 a pencil, and each use 100 watts.

That's 300 watts total. I'm trying to swap them out to a lower wattage.

I think halogen is only good for small spaces and big illumination.

Answer 3

NO! I also have the three thin ones in my bathroom, 100 watts each. I have track lighting in my kitchen with the little mini flood lights, 50 watts each! My giant dimable flood light energy efficient bulb is only 13 watts...

Might not be AS bad as most incandescent light bulbs, but the improvement is marginal.

Answer 4

Halogen is slightly more efficient then incandescent, but not as efficient as compact fluorescent light bulbs or LED lighting. If offered a choice I'd pick compact fluorescent or LED.