August 30, 2006
Compact Fluorescent Lights are a bright (and cheap) idea
Authored by Dan Moren at 3:58 PM
Category | Home & Household
Digg it | del.icio.us
Money may make the world go round, but electricity makes it fun. Without electricity, it's safe to say, I would not be writing this right now. Instead, I'd be perched on a soap box in the middle of some crowded town square, shouting things at you with a megaphone constructed of rolled paper. Not as much fun by half.
Still, moderation in all things is best, and that's true even with electricity. Energy consumption rates are only going up, so every consumer has a responsibility to conserve as much as possible. Take the Compact Fluorescent Light, for example. Not only is it super bright, and cheap at just $3, but it uses 75%-80% less electricity than your average incandescent and can last for up to 10 years. If everyone in the US replaced just one incandescent 60W bulb with a CFL, the resulting energy saved would be enough to power the combined households of Delaware and Rhode Island.
My apartment has one of these in the back hallway, but now I'm thinking we should get some more. The more we save, the more I can use for my gadgets, right?
[via Gizmowatch]
IDG NETWORK:
Comments
The only thing that irritates me about compact fluorescents is the delay between flicking the switch and the bulb actually lighting up. It can take several seconds sometimes.
Unless they've made improvements since I tried using CFL's, of course...
Posted by: rueyeet | August 31, 2006 9:44 AM
There's not one of them that actually lasts. I'm going for the second time in 6 months to Costco to return a pack of "10 year" bulbs that didn't last 6 months.
Posted by: N.R. Bovee | August 31, 2006 11:03 AM
I disagree that they don't last. I'm sure there are some duds, just as there are with regular bulbs, but I made the switch quite a while back and have only had a problem with one bulb so far (knocks on wood). The flickering has also been addressed and some bulbs are "instant on" if you mind the second delay or so. The hardest thing for me was getting use to the more sterile color of the light, but once you get past that, they are a great environmentally-friendly way to light your house while also saving on your electric bills. Remember, not only do they consume less watts, they produce a heck of a lot less heat, which helps with your a/c costs.
Posted by: Daniel | September 1, 2006 7:11 AM
The above comments are true, and in addition there's the quaity of the light. The subjective feeling of a "hundred-watt-equivalent" bulb is more 60-75 watt, and the light gets increasingly yellow and dim as the bulb ages, until you're almost relieved when it prematurely dies.
We need incandescent replacements, but the final answer may be LEDs or more exotic technologies.
Posted by: Ian Breheny | September 1, 2006 9:29 AM