In article , m Ransley wrote:

Tube flourescents go from apx 60-110 Lpw, T8 and electronic ballast
would be the best. CFLs are less efficient overall.

I agree for ones 3 feet or longer and ones with electronic ballasts
(which includes most 17 watt T8 (1 inch diameter) 2-footers - although 110
sounds awfully high to me, I would say don't count on more than 100.

Lower wattage linear fluorescents (less than 15 watts) tend to
underperform compact fluorescents in my experience. It gets to be a close
call for 15 and 20 watt linear fluorescents, but my experience tends to
slightly favor compacts. 15 watt linear ones achieve 60 lumens per watt
when all is well, except the wattage figure does not count ballast losses
of typically 3 watts. Ballast losses are included in the power
consumption for compact fluorescents with integral ballasts, as in the
screw-in types.

Many compacts now achieve 60 lumens/watt, and I have seen 70.

- Don Klipstein )