There are different kinds of lights, the simplest and oldest being the tungsten filament bulb. There are also newer technologies in lights like the halogen lamp, the sodium vapor lamp and the mercury vapor lamp. The mercury vapor lamp is commonly called a florescent lamp and comes in two types; the compact form that can be use like bulbs and the bigger tubes that are used for brighter lights.
Fluorescent lamps are preferred over other forms of lighting especially for larger commercial establishments because they provide white light, instead of the yellow light of the incandescent bulb. They are also highly efficient being up to 80% more efficient than normal bulbs. This results in a huge power savings which is good for everyone including the environment. They also provide light in a wider band of the visible spectrum being the closest that you can get to natural light. This means that there is less strain on the eyes, especially when you have to sit long hours indoors in an office job.
Because of all these advantages florescent lamps have been used widely for decades in commercial settings, although there was some resistance in putting these lamps in the home because they could not give you the soft light that incandescent bulbs could. This has however changed after the introduction of the florescent light covers. These light covers are a little more than normal shades for lamps because the fluorescent lights burn very intensely and the normal shades would not be sufficient for them. This is especially true of the high discharge variety, which are brilliantly white, so much so that it is recommended that you do not look directly at the light as that could cause pain of damage to them.
The light shades do two things, one of course is to diffuse the light from the lamp so that the room is still well lit without the light source being too bright. The other thing is that these light covers come in different colors so that if you want a different colored light you could opt to go with a different colored cover. This means that if you want dull orange light in your home because you do not want to be reminded of your work place, you could still use the fluorescent lamps and put in an amber shade to get what you want. If you want to dim down the light you have the option of either using a lower wattage light, or installing a dimmer switch which will allow you to either have bright light or soft light depending on your mood. This, however, requires a ballast that works with dimmers.
There are also differently designed fluorescent light covers for those who want to add a dash of design in their houses. For example there are covers that have ornamental ironwork designs or others that look like a skylight. There are even some that mimic the patterns of a stained glass window to give you a really impressive looking piece of ceiling. You can also get these covers in various sizes so that you can choose the size that best fits your home.
When it comes to cost these lights are available starting from $50 a panel to more than $2000. This is because of the big difference in the designs as well as the patterns that are available. The simple white ones are the cheapest as are the ones that have the cloud patterns; the more elaborate in design you go from here, the more expensive they will get. Searching online is a very good idea because that is where you will be able to compare prices of as many different products as you want from the comfort of your home. It is also the place where you will get the best deals if you are interested in purchasing online.