Posted on 05/05/2007 11:18:00 AM PDT by John Jorsett
We've been looking in to compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) to reduce energy consumption for lighting. Here's what we've learned so far.
Manufacturers say that a 13-18 watt CFL produces light equivalent to a 60w incandescent bulb, an 18-22w CFL is the equivalent of a 75w bulb, and a 23-28w CFL is the equivalent of a 100w bulb. This is based on the "lumens" rating on the side of the box.
In real life, CFL equivalent replacements do not seem quite as bright as incandescents, so you might end up replacing a 60w equivalent with a 75w equivalent and so forth. (The "swirled" designs seem to give off brighter light than the CFLs with a traditional "bulb" design.) But overall, CFLs reduce energy use for lighting by 60%-70%.
Color temperature makes a big difference. The lower the color temperature, the more the light resembles the "warmth" of incandescent bulbs we are all used to (that may sound backwards, but that's how it works). Not all CFLs list the color temperature. The GE "Soft White" has a pleasing, almost incandescent look, while the similarly named Sylvania "Soft White" has a cooler, harsher "fluorescent" look (although some might prefer it for truer color rendering or easier reading).
We found some Sylvania "Warm White" 13w (60w replacement) CFLs at Lowes that have very pleasing light, and their small size allows them to fit most fixtures. The color temperature is listed as 2700K (as compared to their "Daylight" CFL which is listed at 6500K and seems much "harsher".) The 13w "Warm White" CFLs came in a contractor's box of 12 for $27, which is a pretty good deal. They are rated at 800 lumens with a lifetime of 10,000 hours, as compared to a standard GE "Soft White" 60w incandescent, which is rated at 840 lumens with a life of 1000 hours.
Because of their long life and lower energy consumption, CFLs can result in significant savings over the lifetime of the bulb relative to its cost. Manufacturers are quick to point this out, with claims on the packaging of $36+ in energy savings over the life of a 14w (60w equivalent) up to $61 for a 23w (100w equivalent). Your mileage will probably vary.
Most CFLs do not work with dimmers. Manufacturers say it will shorten the bulb life and it voids the warranty. There are special bulbs that work with dimmers, but they are not widely available. If the package does not say the bulb is compatible with dimmers, it probably isn't. (Look at the fine print on the base of the bulb.) We are still looking for a local source for "dimmable" CFLs, as most of our fixtures have dimmers. CFLs are also not intended for use with most photocells and timers.
One thing that is not talked about much is that CFLs emit more ultraviolet (UV) light than an incandescent bulb, which produces virtually none. Light in a CFL starts out as UV from excited gases, and is made visible by phosphors coating the inside of the tube/bulb. Incandescent light is mostly infrared emitted by heating the filament to super high temperatures (leading some to call them "heat bulbs" instead of "light bulbs"). Most of the UV from a CFL is filtered out in the conversion, but there is still some.
Manufacturers say, however, that there is no health risk and that eight hours of exposure to CFL UV is about the same as one minute in full sunlight. But, photographs, artwork, some fabrics, and some photoreactive chemicals used in furniture finishes are susceptible to degradation from any increased levels of UV over time. So this is something to consider.
The Mercury Problem
Finally, CFL critics are quick to point out that CFL bulbs contain mercury, a highly toxic pollutant. This is true. The typical CFL bulb contains approx. 5mg of mercury. (Manufacturers are working to reduce this. Phillips is said to have developed a bulb that only has 1.5mg of mercury.) If the bulb is broken, special care must be taken to properly clean up and dispose of the remnants to prevent health risks. Further, CFLs must be recycled or properly disposed of to prevent the mercury from entering the environment. Here are the federal government guidelines for CFL disposal and cleanup.
What the critics forget to mention, however, is that coal-fired power plants are a major source of mercury pollution. Further, most of this mercury is emitted into the air, and is thus not contained or containable. Mercury in a CFL is already contained unless it is broken, and if properly recycled is fully containable.
We did some rough calculations to determine the mercury pollution impact of CFL v. incandescent bulbs. We used TVA's Kingston plant as an example. It generated 10,161,530 gross megawatts in 2005, and released 643 pounds of mercury into the environment. If our math is correct, this works out to about 0.000028702 milligrams of mercury pollution per watt of electricity generated.
Based on this, a 100w incandescent bulb operated for 8 hours per day 365 days per year causes 8.4mg of mercury pollution. An equivalent 23w CFL bulb will cause 1.9mg of mercury pollution. Assuming a five year life of the bulb, and assuming the bulb is crushed and dumped in a landfill releasing its 5mg of mercury into the environment, the CFL will cause 14mg of mercury pollution over its lifetime as compared to 42mg of mercury pollution for an equivalent number of incandescent bulbs, a reduction of 28mg or 66%.
66% sounds like a lot. But according to DOE estimates, residential power usage is about 35% of the total, and lighting in the average home accounts for about 9.4% of the energy used. Considering that about 64% of TVA power is generated from coal v. hydro and nuclear, the net reduction of mercury emissions if every TVA customer switched to CFL bulbs would only be 4.6 pounds at the Kingston plant, a 0.7% reduction. System-wide, this would be a reduction of nearly 39 pounds annually.
39 pounds doesn't sound like much mercury (even though it's thousands of lethal doses) but it's something. And multiply that for every power system in the U.S. and it adds up.
Plus, we should take pollution controls wherever we can get them. If you figure a 0.7% reduction in coal-fired household energy use and related emissions across the board, system-wide TVA emissions of NOx (nitrogen oxides that cause ozone and smog) could be reduced by 1337 tons, SO2 (sulfur dioxide that causes acid rain and harms plants and stream ecology) by 3220 tons, and CO2 (a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming) by 735,000 tons (2005 figures). Increased commercial usage of CFL would result in even more reductions.
So CFLs won't save the planet, but they might put off its demise for a month or two.
Back to the CFL mercury problem, a couple of things need to happen right away:
• Consumers need to be educated on proper disposal and cleanup. The packages we purchased do not mention this prominently or at all. One directs you to a website. There should be prominent warnings about health risks and instructions for proper disposal and cleanup on all CFL packaging.
• Local public works officials need to incorporate CFL collection, recycling and/or disposal into their waste management programs.
• Big-box retailers who sell more than 100 CFLs per year (or some other arbitrary figure) should be required to provide on-site recycling centers.
They don’t last longer. I bought a CFL floodlight last fall, 8000 hours it says on the package but it stopped working within the last two weeks.
I bought a set of 3 ca while back and one of them was broken in the package. I wonder if I should sue somebody.
Hire that guy who sued his laundry for $65 million for losing his pants.
Well, sometimes it happens with incandescents too. Sudden power fluctuation into the lamp seems to ruin it.
I do know, Google results not withstanding, that in the late 90's and early aughts, companies spent beaucoup bucks to put in those grid panels in their overhead fluorescent fixtures, especially in areas where computer monitors were being used. Will the next step be for us to all wrap our light fixtures in plastic grids? There is probably chapter and verse on that in OSHA regs but my desire to know is not enough to start on that safari!
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Perhaps we should have tried higher wattage bulbs or a different brand.
Ive got a couple in my living room that have been there for nearly two years.
Their lumen rating is highly optimistic, they don’t last as long as claimed, and the color it emits gives a morgue atmosphere. I kept trying the bulbs and went back to the old fashioned ones.
That's all I need to know about CFBs.
So, now the conservative thing is to trash low-energy lights?
(leave the Mecury bulbs on the shelf)
(the inefficient incandescent light bulb HOAX)
Not one of these "energy saving" Mercury bulbs is made in America....they are all made in China.....Trade takes the blame....fear is the game.
Just think what our land fils and home trash compactors will be adding to the environment.
That's just the Dhimms trying to legislate themselves some friends.
No, but it is always conservative to employ critical thinking esp. when being sold a bill of goods.
When all of a sudden liberals want to take choice away, that’s a concern.
Breaking a bulb seems like a nightmare.
Leda remarked that the one in our house, in the downstairs hall, had not been replaced since we bought the house five years ago (six years, now).
Since then, we have been replacing only with CF’s when a light bulb goes out.
Haven’t replaced a CF yet.
I just plain like them. As long as they aren’t emitting lethal doses of mercury into my living room and they work, we’re good here.
They seem to last very long at my house. We only use them for those places where you hate replacing the bulb, like high up outdoor lighting, or places where you like to leave a light running all night for safety.
I am concerned about the disposal. Last year when the law changed to make it illegal to toss batteries in the trash, we started saving a bucket of used batteries. I kept trying to return them to stores like Radio Shack or other battery sellers. No dice. In Europe you can return this kind of hazardous waste to the retailer you bought it from, and they have appropriate containers in their stores. So I called my city to find out just where I was to bring my batteries. The ONE hazardous waste center is a good 45 minutes’ drive from my home and there is none in my entire large city. I dumped all my batteries into my trash.
I am sure there is no one who is bringing each used battery to the proper disposal site. I am sure NO ONE will bring these mercury-filled lightbulbs there either. If you don’t make it somewhat convenient to dispose things safely, it is just not going to happen.
I’m squirrling away a nice supply of regurlar light bulbs—against the day when they will be taken off the market.
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