I’ve equipped the plant I work at with a number of CFL’s in out of the way areas, where the lights need to be left on continuously, and guess what?
...the damn things burn out after 6-8 mos. of continuous use; just like their cheap, 4 foot long cousins do out in the shop lights...
...someone SERIOUSLY has to prove the “lifetime” of these things to justify their cost....
Phillips guarantees 5 years under normal use (3/4 hours per day 7 days week). Most normal bulbs in the retail place I work for last 4 months, so 8 months would be an improvement.
I might add the bulbs our retail stores use frequently burn out in less than a month. The average is 3-4 though. Regular lights are designed to last around a year under normal use (3-4 hours a day, same as CFLs)