The New Light Bulbs Lose a Little Shine (The "Greens" and Libs destroying America)

wall street journal ^ | 1/19/2011 | By REBECCA SMITH

[tobyhill]

California's utilities are spending $548 million over seven years to subsidize consumer purchases of compact fluorescent lamps. But the benefits are turning out to be less than expected.

One reason is that bulbs have gotten so cheap that Californians buy more than they need and sock them away for future use. Another reason is that the bulbs are burning out faster than expected.

California's experience is notable because energy experts have placed high hopes on compact fluorescent lamps. Often spiral-shaped, they screw into existing light sockets and offer energy savings of about 75% over traditional incandescent light bulbs.

Many nations are relying on them to help cut emissions from power plants and stretch electricity supplies further. The United Nations says 8% of global greenhouse-gas emissions are linked to lighting, and that adoption of compact fluorescent lights could cut pollution.

[thethirddegree]

Is anyone but me stockpiling regular light bulbs?

I bought another $100 worth last week at Lowe's.

[tobyhill]

I don't care if CFLs are sold and I really don't care how much Mercury are in either one of them, my problem is the Government forcing us on what to buy.

[markoman]

Besides putting out light, incandescents also put out heat,
which can make a bit of a difference when you live in the northeast during the winter months.
LED’s are a great light source and don’t have the potential safety problems associated with CFL’s.The only drawback to LED’s is that like CFL’s, they don’t produce much heat,which has caused some problems with outdoor applications such as traffic signals fitted with LED’s.
Snow and ice won’t melt like they do with incand. so the signal lights have to be re-fitted with heating elements to keep them from freezing.

[Sacajaweau]

I’m stockpiling, too....M O N E Y

[cynwoody]

Can anyone ell me if CFLs are available that emit natural spectrum, light?

CFLs are available with different color temperatures, e.g., daylight vs tungsten. Tungsten (2800° K) is intended to match traditional incandescent lighting, whereas daylight (5000° K) is closer to natural light or regular fluorescent lighting.

But there is another problem with CFLs: Unlike the smooth approximate black-body spectrum of an incandescent lamp, their spectrum is peaky. Here's a chart from the Wikipedia comparing the spectra of examples of the two types of lighting:

That's why, even a CFL of the proper nominal color temperature cannot properly replace an incandescent.

[Pontiac]

You can buy CFL’s that more closely mimic sun light but they are more expensive just like incandescent lights that mimic the solar spectrum.

If there is a health risk to CFL’s I would put it on the flicker that can give people headaches or even epileptic events.

CFL’s do not flicker as much as they used to but it is still happens.

[surrey]

Same here at Home Depot.
What happens in the event of a major disaster,earthquake etc, when these bulbs are in shards all over the place?

[thethirddegree]

I just throw them in the trash

Why not just return them to your Congressman's office? They are the idiots that created the problem--let them dispose of it.

[hoosierham]

CFL have served me well ONLY if left on continuously.

In normal "turn out the light when you leave the room" service they are expensive and short-lived.And most create a buzz in the radios nearby.

On-off cycles are very hard on all types of lighting even LED.I've had several LED lights fail after only a year or two.The intial current surge when turned on is what usually kills electrical/electronic items.

It makes good economic sense to use lights only where and when needed,that the lighting fixtures direct the light where it does the most good.

Do we really need millions of high wattage lamps beaming light into the sky and drivers eyes ?,or would some bettter design save electric ?

And for the home and many other uses the old cheap incandescent is easily replaced and proven design.

[oh8eleven]

When PG&E began its 2006-2008 program, it figured the useful life of each bulb would be 9.4 years. Now, with experience, it has cut the estimate to 6.3 years, which limits the energy savings. Turning them on and off a lot also appears to impair longevity.
Electronic parts essentially have a failure rate that is astronomical.
It's that pesky "turning them on and off" that wrecks havoc with the reliability.

[TheRevolution1776]

I have been

[blackie]

Which do you think they’ll come for first: my evil incandescents, my gold, silver, guns and ammo??

[Pontiac]

I heard yesterday that the EPA is going to replace E10 Ethanol with E15.

Did the article say why.

I suspect that is the economic down turn coupled with the increase in gasoline prices has caused people to drive less.

People driving less means less gasoline purchased and therefore less ethanol purchased.

So if ADM and the other pimps of corn ethanol are to make profits on their costly distilling plant the EPA must force more ethanol in to fewer gallons.

[Moonman62]

I don't hate CFLs. What I hate is government mandates to use them. But I buy them when I find them (subsidized) for about $1 each. I'm also getting one “free” every time I buy a $5.99 Domino's pizza. The way I see it I am paying for them through my taxes and electric bill so I may as well.

True enough. The utility isn't subsidizing anything. It is merely the middleman.

It is true in my experience, they don't last the 5-7 years advertised.

I keep a CFL turned on in my kitchen all the time and it does last 5-7 years. As with incandescents, it's the on-off cycles that kill them.

[Qbert]

“Another reason is that the bulbs are burning out faster than expected.”

Less than three months ago, I replaced a burned out incandescent bulb with my first new “curly” GE bulb (not that I wanted to, but hey) in a lamp that I use only when needed, and not excessively by any means. The box says, “1 CFL lasts as long as 8 incandescent bulbs”.

The CFL bulb burned out two days ago.

[Clinging Bitterly]

The charged gas in fluorescent lamps emits light in the UV spectrum. That light irradiates the phosphor coating inside the envelope which emits the “white” light (the same is true of white LEDs).

Different combinations of gas, coating, and voltage produce different color temperatures of visible light output. The cheapest lamps are made of the cheapest stuff. With them, some people sense the brightness but somehow can't see anything, and it is because of the quality of the light.

You have to spend more to get the more pleasing and useful light.

Another thing - don't put fluorescent light sources where you can see them directly while working, etc. The direct UV radiation will affect your vision and it might be harmful in the long term.

[Clinging Bitterly]

Why not just return them to your Congressman's office?

Not worth the effort.

Besides - I don't want to be accused of being "uncivil".

[Jack Hydrazine]

That’s a tough one to choose.

[q_an_a]

CFL, Alar, fat in food, saccrine, autism + vaccines,green jobs these all examples of stupid left studies that got it wrong and have RUINED peoples lives... Too bad a few Republicans in congress don’t turn the light of these false programs on the DemocRATS and make them pay for false testimony.

[US_MilitaryRules]

No more 100 watt bulbs!!! LOL That’s OK, you can get the 95 watt bulbs!! Stupid government and smart business people.