I'm interested in energy efficiency, which is why I have been gradually replacing the incandescent light bulbs in our house with compact fluorescents, or CF's. We had already been using fluorescents where possible, usually tubes or circular shapes, but now that CF's have gone mainstream, almost any incandescent bulb is a candidate for replacement. The difference in energy usage is phenomenal. I have been replacing 40W bulbs with 9W ones; 60W with 13W and 100W with 23W. I'm amazed that the light output of the new bulbs is just as good as the old ones. It really shows how much energy is wastefully and undesirably used to make heat in an incandescent bulb.

Of course compact fluorescents aren't all that new, but I think it has been only in the last few years that they have matured to where they can best incandescent bulbs in every category except initial price. In the past their large size meant they wouldn't fit in some fixtures, and the light output selection was very limited. Today they are smaller overall and come in many different wattages, as well as color options. Most of the bulbs I buy now are rated for a specific color temperature , in Kelvins. I prefer light in the 3000 K to 5000 K range, which means I usually "bright white" CF bulbs (as opposed to soft white or day light).

Despite their higher initial cost, compact fluorescents really pay off over time. Since they use dramatically less energy than incandescent bulbs, it doesn't take long to make up the difference in purchase price. When you consider the fact that they also last longer than incandescent bulbs, and you might wonder why people are still using incandescents at all. However, one good thing about incandescent bulbs is that they are simple and reliable. A CF is a more complex device and perhaps more prone to defects or failure. I have had a few CF's that failed the first time they were turned on, or shortly thereafter; although, in all those cases I was able to return the failed bulb or exchange it for a new one. The fact is, of the bulbs I've been using for several years, I've only yet had one that reached the end of its life and failed, and I've been using some CF's for five years or more. Between the energy savings, the money savings and decreased frequency of changing bulbs, I have to say that compact fluorescents are really, really great.

This entry was posted by ra on Tuesday, 13 February 2007 at 23:18. and is filed under other geeky stuff. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own blog.