Posted on 05/16/2011 5:49:24 PM PDT by verum ago
NEW YORK – Two leading makers of lighting products are showcasing LED bulbs that are bright enough to replace energy-guzzling 100-watt light bulbs set to disappear from stores in January.
Their demonstrations at the LightFair trade show in Philadelphia this week mean that brighter LED bulbs will likely go on sale next year, but after a government ban takes effect.
The new bulbs will also be expensive — about $50 each — so the development may not prevent consumers from hoarding traditional bulbs. The technology in traditional "incandescent" bulbs is more than a century old. Such bulbs waste most of the electricity that feeds them, turning it into heat. The 100-watt bulb, in particular, produces so much heat that it's used in Hasbro's Easy-Bake Oven.
To encourage energy efficiency, Congress passed a law in 2007 mandating that bulbs producing 100 watts worth of light meet certain efficiency goals, starting in 2012. Conventional light bulbs don't meet those goals, so the law will prohibit making or importing them. The same rule will start apply to remaining bulbs 40 watts and above in 2014. Since January, California has already banned stores from restocking 100-watt incandescent bulbs.
Creating good alternatives to the light bulb has been more difficult than expected, especially for the very bright 100-watt bulbs. Part of the problem is that these new bulbs have to fit into lamps and ceiling fixtures designed for older technology.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Thanks verum ago.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=99&t=3
[snip] EIA estimates that in 2009, about 511 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity were used for lighting by the residential and commercial sectors. This was equal to about 19% of the total electricity consumed by both of those sectors and 13.6% of total U.S. electricity consumption. [/snip]
http://www.eia.doe.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=98&t=3
[snip] EIA estimates that in 2008, about 518.5 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity were used for cooling and ventilation by the residential and commercial sectors. Of that, about 227 billion kWh was used for cooling by the residential sector, which was about 16% of the total residential electricity consumption. About 291 billion kWh was used by the commercial sector for cooling and ventilation, which was about 22% of total commercial sector electricity consumption. Combined, that was about 17.6% of total U.S. electricity consumption in 2008. [/snip]
“I am skeptical. I haven’t seen an LED that can come close to an incandescent bulb in intensity.”
I suppose it depends on how many of the little buggers you stuff into the fixture. Our new ambulance has LED lights and they are WAY brighter than the light bars on the old ambulance. I have a lot less problem getting traffic to move out of the way with the new lights.
So if I put one of these 50.00 lights outside and it
get’s stollen - is this covered under home owners insurance?
You currently run 30-100 watt bulbs in your house?
3 watts, $4.26, LED
You can thank the Bush administration for this stupid law.
They are much brighter and more efficient. The household ones I’ve tried have been duds — and the comparison shopping has been impossible in my experience, there’s no info on the LED packaging that relates to the incandescent specs nearby. Sometimes its possible to compare the compact fluorescents with the incandescents, and then the CF with the LEDs.
Yup. You have to cram a bunch of them into a small area. Apparently heating is a problem. There are other technical issues, too.
They’d be in business if they could create a single LED that produces the same intensity as a bulb. I wonder if that is possible and if an LED lamp that runs at 1VDC is as efficient as a bulb that runs at 120VAC.
Reliability is another issue. And how do the LED bulbs handle AC transients and spikes? Does that reduce their life.
“The technology in traditional “incandescent” bulbs is more than a century old. Such bulbs waste most of the electricity that feeds them, turning it into heat.”
And none of that energy is wasted during much of the year in colder climates. As that heat is just what the doctor prescribed. It heats your home.
As for LED lighting. It is harder on my eyes than the CFL’s. Very directional and shadow casting. And it alters the colors of things.
$50 times the 22 bulbs I have in my house, is pretty inexpensive. I mean, since they last 50 years, maybe I can add them to my mortgage.
No but if the 100 watt equivalent LEDs are $50 what do you think a 60 equivalent would cost? So I spend $1k or more. Shrug. They still are raving idiots.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. The heat is not wasted, in the summer, I seldom use the bulbs for more than a few minutes.
My WM has a good supply and the price hasn’t started to spike yet.
Yeah: and it might not too.
$50.00 Good googamooga.
We've live in a world, where morons who don't know the first thing about physics, have the power to determine what type of light bulb we use. Then they have the effrontery to lecture us — all the while wallowing in their fathomless ignorance.
Like I said — you put it succinctly. I would have gone on and on.
No need to get concerned about price. I only need 10 bulbs for the kitchen, and 14 for the den, to start with. That’s only $1200 in bulbs for the first 2 rooms. I can probably replace all of the bulbs in the house for no more than the cost of a new car. Unfortunately, the one I drive is over 15 years old and not even worth one room of bulbs.
For every legal action that "closes a gap" there are myriad also-legal actions proving that "the gap" was part of a VERY LARGE screen door.
Have you not noticed that your local light bulb manufacturer has already prepared for the disaster by launching production of the soon-to-be-venerated 97-watt bulb??
For every legal action that "closes a gap" there are myriad also-legal actions proving that "the gap" was part of a VERY LARGE screen door.
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