A Compact Fluorescent Lamp, or CFL Bulb for short, is designed to directly replace the traditional incandescent light bulb generating less heat while consuming less energy. Standard types fit into light fixtures formerly used for incandescent lamps. CFL Bulbs work in a similar way than a fluorescent strip lighting used for decades in industrial applications, except that new technology has created a compact electronic ballast and a tube that is bent or curved to fit into the same space of an incandescent bulb.

Compared to general-service incandescent lamps giving the same amount of visible light, CFLs use one-fifth to one-third the electric power, and last eight to fifteen times longer. A CFL has a higher purchase price than an incandescent lamp, but can save over five times its purchase price in electricity costs over the lamp's lifetime.