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Calif. Discovers Fluorescent Lightbulbs Burning Out Faster Than Predicted
dailytech.com ^

Posted on 01/25/2011 1:42:00 PM PST by Sub-Driver

Calif. Discovers Fluorescent Lightbulbs Burning Out Faster Than Predicted

State government concludes that it will not realize the savings it expected

It was all flowers and roses when the state of California launched its $548M USD program to help promote consumer use of compact fluorescent lamps. Manufacturers and utilities were onboard because they received bonus pay to enact rebate programs. Citizens were happy as they received cheap CFL bulbs, which promised to save them money on power expenses. And the politicians were happy, as they looked sufficiently "green" to satisfy the eco-minded voters.

Now that utopian vision of futuristic lighting has dissolved into rancor and disappointment. A multi-million dollar program by the state designed to evaluate the actual results has concluded that energy savings were not as good as expected and that utilities were being over-rewarded for their performance.

At the heart of the problems is the fact that utility provider Pacific Gas & Electricity Corp (PG&E) has forced to cut estimates of CFL life average lifetimes from 9.3 years in 2006 to 6.3 years. The shorter-than-expected lifetime was due largely to people turning CFL lights on and off, and the fact that CFL bulbs were often put in disadvantageous locations like bathrooms or recessed lighting.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailytech.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: california; cfl; compactfatal; curlyfry; energy; envirofascism; epa; frontpage; globalwarming; globalwarminghoax; greenenergy; lightbulbs
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To: Sub-Driver

Let me preface the following with the qualification that I don’t like federal mandates for these things. However, I adopted these things (CFL’s) back when they were $5 a pop, without the subsidy. The reason? The payback threshold for these bulbs is pretty low. A 100W traditional bulb-equivalent CFL uses 26W of energy. That’s 74W of savings. If they last 1 year, a mere 2 hours a day of usage results in the full recovery of the bulb’s cost, assuming power costs $0.10 per kWH (74 x 2 x 365 / 1000W x .10) = $5.475.


41 posted on 01/25/2011 2:03:51 PM PST by Zhang Fei (Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always)
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To: Right Wing Assault
Six YEARS still isn’t bad compared to the 4 months or so I get from incandescents.

They don't last anything close to 6 years. When they first came on the market several years ago I bought into the hype and installed them in my house. They're garbage. They start dimming within a few months and after a year or so (if they last that long) give off about half the sickly yellow light they did when new. They fail within 2 years on average if you can stand them that long. I replaced them all with regular incandescent bulbs as fast as I could.

42 posted on 01/25/2011 2:03:53 PM PST by Bernard Marx
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To: Sub-Driver
all the expensive bulbs I have tried actually burned out faster than the old Edison ones.

I went back to Edison bulbs and saved the money.

43 posted on 01/25/2011 2:05:02 PM PST by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama = Epic Fail)
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To: NEMDF

Mine stash is in my will.


44 posted on 01/25/2011 2:05:22 PM PST by rawhide
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To: Sub-Driver

They seem to either burn out in a few months or last several years. I’ve had one burning 24/7/365 for 6 years in my dark basement.

I do have a nice hoard of incandescents though.


45 posted on 01/25/2011 2:06:18 PM PST by Seruzawa (If you agree with the French raise your hand - If you are French raise both hands.)
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To: GraceG
Re: LEDs

In places that get snow and freezing rain (probably freezing water
from burst water mains, too), the LED traffic lights don't put out
enough heat to keep themselves clear. I think they had to add
some sort of heater.

46 posted on 01/25/2011 2:07:07 PM PST by Calvin Locke
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To: Zhang Fei
assuming power costs $0.10 per kWH

If you were in California, the higher tier rates for most are more than $0.30 per kwhhr.

47 posted on 01/25/2011 2:07:11 PM PST by SeeSac
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To: Sub-Driver

Oh. my.


48 posted on 01/25/2011 2:07:43 PM PST by Bitsy
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To: Sub-Driver

What a joke. I could have told them that. Do not ever purchase a CFL spotlight. All it is, is a regular CFL bulb placed inside of a spotlight envelope. So, heat builds up inside the envelope, and the CFL bulb burns out prematurely. I had this experience with CFL spotlights purchased at Costco in a three-pack. Purchased two of them before I figured out what was going on.

Another fraud is the LEDs used to replace the bulbs used in traffic signals. They cost many times more but here in CA, LEDs are being used because they supposedly last far longer. Well, now that they have gotten widespread usage and been in for a while, one frequently sees a traffic signal with several burnt out LEDs. What a joke.

Better go out and purchase lots of incandescent 3 way bulbs as they will be off the market by next year.


49 posted on 01/25/2011 2:07:58 PM PST by CdMGuy
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To: Calvin Locke

Incandescent bulb: 100 W - no ice

LED Bulb 10 Watts - ice buildup.
Solution - add 100 Watt heaters.


50 posted on 01/25/2011 2:09:26 PM PST by MrB (The difference between a (de)humanist and a Satanist is that the latter knows who he's working for.)
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To: SeeSac; CaptainAmiigaf

>> >> Cutting expected life prediction by 1/3 raises the cost by 1/3.

>> That means that...

The cost increase is 50%, not 33%. Factor in inflation, and the cost further increases.

You need 1.5 6-year bulbs to last 9 years.


51 posted on 01/25/2011 2:09:30 PM PST by Gene Eric (Your Hope has been redistributed. Here's your Change.)
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To: Sub-Driver

[The shorter-than-expected lifetime was due largely to people turning CFL lights on and off]

Damn those inconsiderate people, damn them for upsetting the Green applecart by turning lights on and off!


52 posted on 01/25/2011 2:09:30 PM PST by DaxtonBrown (HARRY: Money Mob & Influence (See my Expose on Reid on amazon.com written by me!))
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To: Sub-Driver

I could have told them.


53 posted on 01/25/2011 2:09:30 PM PST by TankerKC (Part of the Soros funded Blog Police.)
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To: Above My Pay Grade

Quote of the day.


54 posted on 01/25/2011 2:09:44 PM PST by BenKenobi
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To: Sub-Driver

The black market will compensate.. I reckun by now some folks have closet and basements full of old fashioned incandescent bulbs .. I’m not up to a cabinetful .. yet.. I hear the 100 watters are the first destined to hit the OFF switch here in Caliphonia


55 posted on 01/25/2011 2:10:30 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard .. Obama: Epic Fail or Bust!!!)
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To: TMD
100W blubs are ILLEGAL to purchase or sell in California as of Jan 1st.

Not quite true though that was the impression given by the media. Merchants can still legally sell all they have warehoused but can't reorder them. Soon we'll be smuggling 100W bulbs from neighboring states or Mexico. I'm sure a thriving Black Market will quickly emerge.

56 posted on 01/25/2011 2:10:40 PM PST by Bernard Marx
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To: Gene Eric

That was the other guys numbers. I didn’t double-check him.


57 posted on 01/25/2011 2:11:16 PM PST by SeeSac
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To: Sub-Driver
due largely to people turning CFL lights on and off,

So, exactly how else would you use a light bulb?

and the fact that CFL bulbs were often put in disadvantageous locations like bathrooms or recessed lighting

And what are you supposed to do in Bathrooms, or with recessed lighting that's already a part of the house?

Not the Bureaucrat's problem, apparently. Pols are idiots.

58 posted on 01/25/2011 2:11:53 PM PST by wbill
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To: Sub-Driver

They could have saved a lot of time and money if they had read my posting here a few years ago. I and several others said that the danmed bulbs burn out fast, with a pop and a spark, and can start a fire. They don’t fit in all fixtures. They are no good outside where they are subject to extremes of cold.
Besides, the light is cold and harsh. Like the nanny state.


59 posted on 01/25/2011 2:12:23 PM PST by Leftism is Mentally Deranged (Liberalism is against human nature. Practicing liberalism is detrimental to your mental stability.)
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To: Gene Eric
Factor in inflation, and the cost further increases.

OK. With all your corrections, the cost goes up to say $5.

Factor in inflation of electricity prices and your savings goes to over $300!!!!!!!!! Still a deal!

60 posted on 01/25/2011 2:13:12 PM PST by SeeSac
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