Posted on 01/02/2007 8:57:15 AM PST by mathprof
As a way to cut energy use, it could not be simpler. Unscrew a light bulb that uses a lot of electricity and replace it with one that uses much less.
While it sounds like a promising idea, it turns out that the long-lasting, swirl-shaped light bulbs known as compact fluorescent lamps are to the nation’s energy problem what vegetables are to its obesity epidemic: a near perfect answer, if only Americans could be persuaded to swallow them.
But now Wal-Mart Stores, the giant discount retailer, is determined to push them into at least 100 million homes. And its ambitions extend even further, spurred by a sweeping commitment from its chief executive, H. Lee Scott Jr., to reduce energy use across the country, a move that could also improve Wal-Mart’s appeal to the more affluent consumers the chain must win over to keep growing in the United States.
“The environment,” Mr. Scott said, “is begging for the Wal-Mart business model.”
It is the environmental movement’s dream: America’s biggest company, legendary for its salesmanship and influence with suppliers, encouraging 200 million shoppers to save energy.
For all its power in retailing, though, Wal-Mart is meeting plenty of resistance — from light-bulb makers, competitors and consumers....
A compact fluorescent has clear advantages over the widely used incandescent light — it uses 75 percent less electricity, lasts 10 times longer, produces 450 pounds fewer greenhouse gases from power plants and saves consumers $30 over the life of each bulb. But it is eight times as expensive as a traditional bulb, gives off a harsher light and has a peculiar appearance.
As a result, the bulbs have languished on store shelves for a quarter century; only 6 percent of households use the bulbs today.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Blowing rain here now. Across the valley it looks like snow...
There is dimmable one they cost more a good place to look is 1000bulbs.com. Link.
http://www.1000bulbs.com/category.php?category=14
There is two types of CLF lamps all the larger ones are fluorescent but some of the lamps less than 6 watts or so are cold cathode tubes which will last 25,000 hour I just bought a few of the 5 watt ones and the light is OK.
I have a side by side setup with a 42 watt CFL and a 150 watt "reader" lamp and the 42 watt is not as bright as the reader maybe = to a 110 watt.
There is a term called CRI which is the color rendering index. This is basically how much color shift you will get with a light system. A halogen lamp is 100 CRI and the highest screw type is around 82 CRI so there will be some color shift.
The lamps also have a color temp. For consumers they use the terms warm white or full spectrum or day light. This generalization is not varying useful. The better lamps will tell you the real color temperature in deg Kelvin. This number will be in a range from 2700K to 6500K.
A MR16 reflector halogen is around 3000K and a standard China floor lamp with a halogen lamp is a little more yellow at 2800K, an incandescent is around 2600K. The 5000K lamp will be light blue in color and the 6500K is vary blue in color.
Many of the CFL are sold as “Daylight" lamps and will have around a 5500K color temp. This is way too blue for most people unless you want to mix the light with outside light.
It is hard to beat the light quality of a halogen lamp. I have lot of CFL lighting but it has been a struggle to get the light right.
First a 13 watt is not = to a 60 watt maybe a 40 watt. They make a 16 watt that is closer to a 60 watt.
All the CFL lamps will require a diffuser or frosted lamp shade to make better light. This will cost some light.
In the bathroom I have a three lamp fixture with two 16 watt 2700k lamps and one 3500K lamp in the middle. This is the only setup I have found to give acceptable light.
In other rooms I mix the light with one halogen and one CFL in the two light fixtures.
There is a 3100k lamp I still need to try. Right now all of the "warm white" or 2700K lamps are too yellow but the 3500K are too blue unless mixed with the halogen lights.
"Hear Hear!!!
At least have LED (instant on) street lights that would only come on after 10pm if infrared sensor is triggered. Another horrible waste is lighting empty parking lots of malls and stores.
(not an envirowhacko, but I want to see the middle east drown in oil)"
Finally, a voice of reason in a sea of darkness. There is simply no need to light the country up at night like a frickin Christmas tree. It is a huge waste for minimal benefit.
LEDs will do the trick, hopefully soon...
I have used dozens in such an application, and I have never had one of them go out over 3 years now.
FYI, I saw one the other day at Lowes or Home Depot. Expensive though. I think it cost about $15.
I later told my eye doctor about it and he reported that the blue spectrum that the eye registers is effected by these lights and not everyone can handle it. It takes alot of getting used to. Grocery stores are using them alot now, too, making some of the vegetables look weird.
As I age, I'm finding that I need brighter, not bluer, lighting. I don't use anything under a 75-watt and can hardly function in most hotel rooms. I have thought about taking my 100-watt bulbs with me, but some hotel lamps use pop-in versus screw-in bulbs.
Seen the LED rope lighting? House I moved into recently has some for outdoor and indoor lighting hooked up to motion sensors. Replaces night lights, stair lighting.
I have more on order.
48', 120V, 0.72A
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Earth-Lighting-G9548CLR-I-Clear/dp/B000BO57BC/ref=pd_sbs_hi_1/104-5649420-4669502
You are correct. Older photcells were actually wires in the lighting circuit somehow, so the light bulb would recieve a different voltage depending on the lighting. Most of the newer ones use the photocell as a censor, which then switches a relay or something (you can hear a click). That kind shouldn't pose a problem.
I wonder how the environmentalists feel about the drop of mercury that is required inside of each CF bulb. This will eventually end up in a landfill or the ocean.
Oh my gosh, I cannot believe how DUmb some of my fellow freepers are being. These bulbs save ridiculous amounts of energy, don't cost 8 dollars each, typically only take a few seconds (at most!) to light up if you get a semi-decent brand, help us become less dependent on the terrorist financiers who are trying to kill us, clean up the air by emitting less pollution and, the dumbest complaint of all: THEY PRODUCE THE SAME AMOUNT OF LIGHT THAT A NORMAL INCANDESCENT BULB PRODUCES.
Yes, it's not as "warm" but there are options you can get. I have two "red" and one "blue" CF light in my living room and a friend of mine who is a lighting designer told me that he was impressed I did that because it's closer to natural light.
Seriously, people, when did we start acting as dumb as the DUmmies? We've got a technological marvel in our hands and we're fighting about things using prices from 20 years ago!
If they burnt out after a day, you probably got a crappy bulb from a crappy brand. Get some GE's...they work wonders.
I will now await people calling me a DUmmy troll by looking at the invite my family received to Bush 41's inauguration...
That's where I first bought mine and they were $12. Not bad at all. I've gotten some in Walmart recently and they are cheap too. I have yellow ones outside, blue white ones in the living room and the peachy yellow ones in the rest of the house. I plan to put them in my bathroom just as soon as those terrible big round hot ones burn out. I actually like the fact that they come on slowly, it's a plus in the middle of the night. Have only had to replace one and that was in the garage. Even disabled my dining room dimmer switch so I could put them in there.
Same with me. I just can't pass up the $3.00 per bulb price (sometimes less).
"Seen the LED rope lighting? House I moved into recently has some for outdoor and indoor lighting hooked up to motion sensors. Replaces night lights, stair lighting.
I have more on order.
48', 120V, 0.72A
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Earth-Lighting-G9548CLR-I-Clear/dp/B000BO57BC/ref=pd_sbs_hi_1/104-5649420-4669502"
Thank you very much for the suggestion. I remain ready for the big outting -- haha. I keep a .45 and a 12 gauge on hand should motion be sensed outside where none should be.
This simply is incorrect, none of the CF bulbs require more than 1/2 second to warm up, and most of them now are instant on. Lets get the facts straight, then let people decide.
Very informative. Thanks for the post!
I have compact fluorescents wherever they will fit...or not look tacky. If they made them like those tapered, fancy bulbs that go in dining room and kitchen light fixtures I'd have them all over.
They don't flicker because they derive their power from a DC electronic circuit than creates it's own A/C that is in the base of the bulb fixture.
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