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Are Lightbulbs Being Phased Out?
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Are Lightbulbs Being Phased Out?
As seen in the widely-circulated report in Spring of 2007, rumors about the US governmental phase-out of traditional incandescent light bulbs are becoming a reality. Don't panic - it might just be for the best! Their replacement? A new and eco-friendly compact fluorescent bulb, in all its spiral-shaped glory. Here, we'll review some facts about this brand new bulb, which will undoubtedly populate your home in the very near future!
The Premise
How did this all come about?
In an effort to reduce energy usage and increase efficiency for the purpose of helping the environment, various governments (not limited to that of the USA) are pushing for the adoption of new "compact fluorescent bulbs" as a suitable replacement for their standard incandescent types. The US Government sponsored program, named "Take the Pledge," aims to increase awareness of the bulbs and encourage replacement. They maintain a number of registered participants, with the estimated number of pounds of CO2 that they've helped to prevent. Other governments, including that of Australia, Canada and the UK, are planning to completely replace the bulbs shortly after the year 2010. What's a Compact Flourescent Bulb?
Take a closer look...but don't stare.
CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps, or bulbs), also known and advertised as "energy saving bulbs," are bulbs that are designed to fit in standard bulb sockets. They have a much longer life span than that of incandescent bulbs (6,000-15,000 hours, as opposed to incandescent bulbs' 750-1000 hours). Although they cost slightly more than incandescent bulbs (costing up to 4x that of a regular package of incandescents), they do save more than the old bulbs...not only because you'll be replacing them much less often, but because they are designed for greater energy efficiency.According to EnergyStar, compact fluorescent bulbs consume 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs, and they last about 10x longer (reference).
There are different sizes and shapes of these bulbs for various lighting situations. You're not stuck with the spiral shape, if you don't fancy it...so, pick up a traditional incandescent shaped, globe shaped, or flat-head shaped bulb.
Compact Fluorescent Bulbs In Action
See the difference for yourself!
Incandescent Vs. Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Frank DiMassa always says "you can't change people, but you CAN change their light bulbs!" In this little video clip T.H. Culhane describes the differences between Incandescent and CFL bulbs.
Other Important Facts
Notable tidbits of knowledge:
Recycling:Compact fluorescent bulbs will require special recycling attention, as they cannot be simply thrown away in the trash. A small amount of mercury is contained within the bulb, that can contaminate the area around it when broken. This mercury amount is undergoing plans for regulation.
Location-based usage:
Special versions of the bulb are available for outdoor usage, able to withstand weather and temperature changes (whereas the standard indoor types cannot). For dimmer switches and 3-ways, yet another bulb is available for these specific purposes.
Power:
The same basic rules apply when choosing wattage: 40-watt bulbs use less energy and aren't as bright as 100-watt bulbs. However, note that compact fluorescent bulbs have different wattage/voltage ratings than what you're used to. For instance, a 27-Watt compact fluorescent bulb is equivalent to that of the old 100-Watt incandescent bulbs you're used to using. To eliminate confusion, all bulbs will tell you this "conversion factor."
Bases - Candelabra vs. Medium:
Note that these bulbs are also sold by base (the screw part) sizes. The candelabra bases are thinner than the medium bases. Medium base bulbs fit in your standard light fixture socket.
Heat Generation:
Researchers have deducted that about 90% of the energy powering these light bulbs is converted into heat - not light.
You haven't seen the last of me:
Companies such as General Electric have stated that they are re-vamping the old incandescent lights to compete with these new compact fluorescent lights; in so much that they will rival the energy saving benefits of its fluorescent competitor!
Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
Ready to purchase some spiral Compact Fluorescent bulbs? The spiral bulbs were the very first design of the CFL. As time progressed, alternate designs became available - as a corkscrew shaped bulb didn't appease everybody:
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3-way Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
These 3-way bulbs were made to replace your 3-setting incandescent bulbs. It has 3 power settings that can be cycled through when you manually turn the switch on a lamp that is using it.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byDimmable Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
These lights are created specifically for rooms that utilize a dimmer switch:
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byFlood Lights: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
These are Compact Fluorescent Bulbs that replace your standard outdoor Flood Lights:
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byIncandescent to Fluorescent Converters
External Links to More Information
- CNET's original article on the bulb movement
- "The U.S. Senate is examining ideas for phasing out incandescent lightbulbs in favor of more energy-efficient types of lighting, a move that could help curb greenhouse gas emissions and electrical consumption."
- "Make The Switch" campaign site
- "Fight Global Warming With Your Personal Action Pledge"
- Energy Star's bulb FAQs
- "If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars."
Reader Feedback
All this sounds good...until you think of people who
have Lupus and can't be exposed to uv or uva radiation. UV rays can put us in the hospital.
We need research into lighting that won't cause more harm and will still be enviromentally safe and cost effective. More research is needed now!
Posted September 17, 2007
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ank
Hi Pixelrage, great lens . I have also created my lens . This will give insight on How Eurostar booking can help the environment and also save you time with their high speed train services. To get more info Posted July 18, 2007 |
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klapskie
great lens, thanks for promoting this kind of idea, one way of helping the environment. 5 stars for you again Mark. :) btw, thanks for stopping by at my high performance cars lens. Posted July 16, 2007 |
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tutor1235
Thanks for the info, but I have a huge concern...in our area there IS no place to recycle these bulbs. We don't have recycling anywhere near here for anything (and none through our trash company). We're not all that rural here, so I suspect this to be a problem in many areas around the country. Posted July 11, 2007 |
Look who made this lens!
Pixelrage
Stop worring about those short-lived bulbs of yesteryear. Upgrade your home's lighting with these new bulbs...shine brighter, and save money & energy, too!
What's here
- The Premise
- What's a Compact Flourescent Bulb?
- Compact Fluorescent Bulbs In Action
- Other Important Facts
- More...
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