I'm curious. "Low energy" bulbs are very much in the news - but how much extra energy is expended in their manufacture compared to a standard incandescent? I assume it's more - so is there a real net /overall/ saving over the bulb life? If so, how much?
Sounds as though you're snatching at a straw as a reason for not using them ...
Mary
Not in the least - I've started replacing them as they go, including the
6x60W R60 spots in the kitchen: the 15W non-spot replacements seem to light the place just as well. Shame about the dimmers in other rooms though: are there dimmable low-power lights around?I really did want to know about the energy economics, as these are being pushed as "CO2-friendly". It's obviously not a direct relation to running power. Someone, somewhere, surely has done the sums. Or not??
Even if he is, it's a very valid question - and one that seems to be ignored by the government when thrusting these token green measures on us. Just as your average suburban domestic windmill will take more energy to manufacture it than it will ever generate in its lifetime.
I've not yet found a low energy light bulb which comes anywhere near the claimed tungsten equivalent for light output.
Ditto. I've been disappointed with low energy bulbs. They don't seem to last any longer than ordinary filament bulbs and the equivalent light output claimed is just plain wrong. So where a good light level is wanted such as the main living room and bathroom I've switched back to ordinary bulbs. It's nice to be able to see again!!! Perhaps its time to start stocking up on 100 watt filament bulbs.
You could always recognise the fact that the equivalent light outputs are always an overestimate, and choose a more sensible replacement based on that - eg 27W rather than 22W.
cheers, clive
I'll keep an eye open for higher wattage ones then. I don't think I've ever seen ones higher than 20 / 22 watt.
Are the 27 watt ones the same size or larger?
...
Evidence?
Do you just have one tungsten bulb per room?
Mary
It's your bill
Mary
I've found these 60watt, equivant to 300 watt tungsten.
How much? king hell!
mark
oops! Forgot the link. Here it is:-
Blimey, if it's not a "New Ice Age" it's "Global Warming" we've got used to that, but we never expected "The Dark Ages" to come back.
I cannot believe you are criticising him for simply asking for help in obtaining the knowledge he needs to make an informed choice.
If you do not have this information that's OK. No need to be defensive.
Presumably you made your choice on a different basis. One that did not require you to be be in possession of the facts. That's also OK.
Others prefer to make decisions from a position of being better informed. This is OK as well.
If this position is anathema to you I suggest you do not read or respond to their postings.
DG
Shame about the dimmers in other rooms
Yes.
I'd be miffed if one of those blew after a few months.
We often have to put the electric heater on here in addition to the wood burning stove. So the extra heat output of a 100 watt bulb is sometimes welcome! :-)
It's hard to say because their introduction has been heavily politicised, and personally I suspect corruption at high level in the EU and for all i know the UK.
CFL's from China have been subject to an import levy for some years, whilst GE has been subsidising their sale.
Philips who's "GloeilampenFabrieken" were losing money shut their GLS factory down and have been lobbying the EU with some success to get GLS lamps banned in the EU so that all their competitors will also have to shut and they will be able to sell Chinese CFL's without competition from any GLS lamps.
So much for free trade USW, USW, USW ...
As for how much energy goes into making a Chinese CFL. It's probably easiest to say it's hasn't been published.
Energy in China produced from burning soft brown coal in power stations built and staffed by people on slave labour pay will always be much cheaper than ours, so price is not any indication either.
What one can say is that without doubt soft brown coal is one of *the worst* fuels to burn from the point of view of the environmnent.
DG
I bought a few similar ones ones for research purposes, to see if they were suitable for viewing mammography films. They weren't.
The one's I got were "daylight" and probably made for "Growing vegetation in an environment sealed from daylight" IYSWIM.
They probably did give the light output promised (when new at least) but the size/shape/geometry was unworkable for a domestic application.
Still maybe they are getting there.
When they can actually do it, *then* they should talk about it. :-)
(Quote from my Belgian boss).
DG
Well you could try asking someone who's got one. The trouble is there is nowhere near enough wind in most urban/suburban settings. It's a bit old hat - even the most credulous innumerate greenies now accept they don't work where there are trees and buildings.
In message , Clive George wrote
Consider also bulbs with a different temperature colour the 'dull' low energy bulbs are all around 2700K colour temperature. I've fitted some
6500K bulbs - the light is much whiter.
The Green lobby don't really want people to have the knowledge to make an informed choice - it would show that most of their claims don't stand up.
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