http://www.care2.com/greenliving/compact-fluorescent-lighting.html
Compact Fluorescent Lighting
A Green Seal Choose Green Report, by Green Seal
The current trend of global warming is mostly attributed to emissions of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal. To generate one Kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy, approximately 2.5 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) are emitted. One kWh is enough energy to run one 100 watt bulb for 10 hours. Consider that the average home has approximately 34 sockets. If each socket is filled with a 100 watt bulb and is powered for 5 hours each day, 294 pounds of CO 2 are emitted into the atmosphere in one week!
- The EPA estimates that nearly 25 percent of the energy needs in the United States are dedicated to lighting. Compact fluorescent bulbs are about 3 to 4 times
more efficient than incandescent bulbs. Therefore if all 34 bulbs in our example were replaced with 30 watt compact fluorescent bulbs, only 95 pounds of CO 2 would be emitted into the atmosphere. - By switching from incandescent lighting to compact fluorescent lighting the average consumer can save 50 to 80 in energy costs without any loss in lighting quality. The average compact fluorescent bulb lasts 8 to 10 times longer than any incandescent bulb. Depending on the initial cost of the bulb, the Federal Trade Commission estimates that it costs $2.60 less per year to power a compact fluorescent bulb than an incandescent bulb.
- The full purchase price of the bulb will be paid back well within the 10-year life expectancy.
CFLs of years past earned a bad name with inadequate technology. For this reason many people think of unnaturally bright lights and loud humming noises
when they think of CFL lamps. Fortunately, CFL technology has greatly improved since those days.
To read Green Seal’s environmental rating of 32 recommended compact fluorescent lighting products, download their Choose Green Report!
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42 comments
add your comment »Home Depot advertises they will take used CFL bulbs for proper disposal- don't put them in the trash!
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thankyou...
Kabin
Konteyner
mega kabin
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Thanks, Joy. Full spectrum sounds good to me, especially in the winter and on foggy days (I need those rays!), and LEDs are coming.
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I pray that everyone read the comment of DancingDove Sings, and knows about the danger of the CFL bulbs which "contain 5% mercury and there is not plan for proper disposal. You may save a few bucks in the short run but in the long run someone in the future will pay... I recommend full spectrum lighting, nonpetroleum candles, conservation, and a new energy policy..."
Mercury is the most toxic metal existing and the thus the vapor from broken CFL's as toxic. I won't buy any more and am waiting for efficient LED's.
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We have replaced many bulbs with CFLs, and some of them make a really irritating buzzing sound when they are on. Any ideas about this? Is it the particular brands? The fixtures? Kind of a disincentive, unfortunately. I hate white noise.
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These bulbs contain 5% mercury and there is not plan for proper disposal. You may save a few bucks in the short run but in the long run someone in the future will pay... I recommend full spectrum lighting, nonpetroleum candles, conservation, and a new energy policy...
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Question: Anyone knows of a socket converter for floodlights? The CFL floodlight bulb does not fit in the halogen floodlight socket.
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We changed all our bulbs to CFLs in Washington DC on or about 1992. The power company had a HUGE coupon event where not only all the bulbs - which at the time came with converters - ended up being free (you had to go buy them and send the receipt in for a refund) but then you got a lot of credit on your electric bill on top of that. In any case, the expense at the time was not too shabby, maybe just short of $1K - each bulb was between $40 and $100 - and I was freaking out forking that kind of money for bulbs. But I did it, because having been brought up in Europe, I was much more aware than my neighbors about all these environmental issues and had the inherent euro-fear of spending too much on electricity. Plus I had been using the Phillips CLFs in Europe since the late 1970's. I guess you can call me early adopter. Anyway, I have not changed bulbs in my house since 1992 - its March of 2008 now. Two years ago I bought a Full Spectrum floor lamp to use as an extra when reading and love it. The full spectrum bulb died very soon, in less than a year. I found replacement bulbs - directly from HK - and bought 3 to stock up. But that was the first bulb I had to replace in 15 years. And it was not a CFL I replaced my incandescent with.
Buy them. Use them. They are very good and not expensive.
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Lorraine, check with your local lamp shop. I had 2 beautiful but dangerous old floor lamps completely rewired and repaired without a single change visible when the lamp was placed. The trick may be finding "top" (larger) bulbs. I haven't so far.
Mary F.
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Help, Is there a kit to switch a torchiere halogen lamp
into a fluorescent type. Mine are handsome golden ones,
but I am ashamed to use so much electricity!
If no kit exists, I encourage someone to invent a
converter kit! Who makes 'em? Where can we buy
such a kit?
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