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 ...
Lights don't have to be on all the time. Around my neighborhood there are few street lights, many are in people's yards. They are sodium lights that come on at dusk. I have the one in my back yard off because my neighbor has one on the street side. Power company charges about $6 per month for the light. I wouldn't want to live in my neighborhood if there weren't any lights at night.
Is it flat and round or swirled like the typical energy efficient bulbs? The swirled ones I believe are the ones that are being talked about, but they look awful.
Some of these 120 volt LED christmas lights are going on and off 30 times per second. Much like a computer monitor that is set at a poor refresh rate of 60hz, it does drive your eyes crazy.
What if the outdoor lights only came on when something moved outside?
"Lights don't have to be on all the time. Around my neighborhood there are few street lights, many are in people's yards. They are sodium lights that come on at dusk. I have the one in my back yard off because my neighbor has one on the street side. Power company charges about $6 per month for the light. I wouldn't want to live in my neighborhood if there weren't any lights at night."
I don't know how humans got along for thousands of years without street lights. Avoid the country, you might be in the dark except for moonlight and the stars.
If it ever breaks, I recommend cleaning the fridge and tossing the food. They do have mercury.
They carried swords.
To each, his own, I guess :^)
No, they now have decorative styles. The curlicue bulb is inside a regular spotlight shape. You can't tell any difference, although it does take a bit to warm up.
We use them, too.
I agree LEDs are the answer in three ways 1. they put off more lumens per watt 2. they put out almost no heat, which reduces HVAC loads 3. they last ten years.
I, too have been using them in glass globe fixtures - one is a schoolhouse shade on the kitchen ceiling fan and another on one of those old-fashioned jelly-jar sconces. There's openings at the top for air to move in and out. The bulbs last at least a year in these fixtures.
Thank you both for the excellent information. Never know what I'm going to learn on FR.
Ping to # 18. Are you two related? Reads like something you would post. Hahahaha
Way too clean for me to have posted it.
Amen to that. I use them in most of the lights in my house, and they last on average about three times as long, not the ten times claimed. Further they slowly lose brightness over time. I have a four bulb kitchen fixture, and you can tell the recent replacements from the older bulbs by the fact that the recent ones are noticably brighter. OTO, if you buy them at costco, they are only about three times as expensive as regular bulbs
......You can get them in 12V........
hmmmm interesting. I'll check it out.
"They carried swords."
I find a .45 superior.
I finally started replacing WORKING bulbs, because I saved so much money it was worth it to throw out good bulbs.
Although I didn't throw them out, I kept them for the few places I still wanted to use incandescents, like for some of the lights in the bathroom.
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