Too Much Light - Low Watt Incandescent vs Fluorescent vs No Bulb?

I have several ceiling fan fixtures with multiple light sockets and they produce much more light than I need when all the sockets have a bulb. So far my solution has been not to put a bulb in every socket. Does a Fluorescent bulb put out as much light as it's incandescent counterpart or would a switch be worth considering to decrease the total light output? Another option I've considered is very low watt bulbs. I could put a 15 watt bulb in every socket and the same total watts as 1 60-watt bulb. Would that equal the same light output? I want to be as energy and earth conscious as possible. Also, I rent so adding dimmer switches or replacing ceiling fan/light fixtures is not an option.

Answer:
The wattage is just how much power the bulb itself is going to draw.

You are going to want to look for a light bulb that give you a lower luminescence or candle power. A fluorescent bulb just uses less power to create more light so going with a lower wattage may not solve your problem, however going with a low watt, low luminescent bulb will.
Fluorescent bulbs put out better light than incandescents and use much less energy. They cannot be dimmed. Since you don't want to use a dimmer, I would suggest that you use the 15 watt as you described. The four 15 watt would equal the one 60 watt as you described. You will probably have to use incandescent for this application. If you use four 15 watt fluorescent, it will be more than sixty watts of light. One 15 watt fluorescent can produce as much light as a 60 watt incandescent depending on the style bulb you buy.
Ok - first, if you use fluorescents, you can't use dimmer switches on the fixture. Fluorescents work differently than incandescents as far as the "ignition," so a dimmer switch is out anyway. I suggest putting in few lights, and making them fluorescents. I use fluorescents thoughout my home, and they put out just as much light (if not more) than their incandescent counterparts.
Go with a lower watt fluorescent. You are correct that the light output of the three lamps is the same as one lamp of the higher wattage. If you have to much light, go with 3 fluorescent lamps of a lower wattage than your incandescent lamps. I use those all over the house.
It sounds like you know how to be energy conscious, fewer watt usage. But to combine that w/ earth conscious, you need to use few lightbulbs, w/ just the right lumins (measure of light given off) for the space. I suggest using one florescent light bulb (earth friendly) w/ the best lighting for your room. Also, most florescent bulbs last a great deal longer than their old fashioned counterparts which saves much waste. This will leave empty sockets in your fixtures but when you think about preserving energy, small asthetics like this dont matter.

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