Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Light Bulb Ban Signals Dynamic Changes in Electric Lighting

It's change that's coming literally at the speed of light. In fact, there will be more change in the world of electric lighting in the next few years than there was in the past 100. Halogens. CFLs. LEDs. This change has spawned public uncertainty and it affects everyone. Though Congress recently de-funded the January 1st ban on the 100-watt incandescent bulb, the federal law is still on the books. Retailers who sell the bulb will technically be violating the law. As the remaining incandescent bulbs are phased out in the very near future, some people are already hoarding them. "Lighting technology is changing dramatically and it's much more than just grabbing a light bulb from the hardware store shelf," said Rodney Heller, Lead Lighting Designer at Energy Performance Lighting (EPL). Heller is a nationally recognized leader in the field of energy-efficient lighting and is based in the Madison area.
Electric Light - Dawn of a New Era from Boettcher Media Group on Vimeo.  
  Heller recommends four steps that will help businesses and consumers adjust to the future of electric lighting:
  1. Don't be afraid of change
  2. Realize that there are many more choices than just the compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb. For example, halogen bulbs provide instant brightness and last 6 times longer than incandescents.
  3. Select cool/blue colors for alertness and warm/yellow colors to relax
  4. Don't fret the higher cost of LEDs. The energy savings will quickly offset that cost and the price of LEDs will drop by the end of 2012.
"We've got many different bulb choices for selecting energy efficiency, wattage and light color," said Heller. "We are only now beginning to understand how the color of light affects us physically and psychologically. Not only will you be able to save up to 75 percent on your lighting bill, you'll be able to install lights and never have to replace them in your lifetime!"

Melvin Wylie
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at 1/25/2012 02:51:00 PM

1 comment:

  1. LighthouseJanuary 25, 2012 at 5:40 PM

    Energy saving is not the ONLY reason for choosing a light bulb to use.
    Besides, overall US energy savings from a switchover are a fraction of 1%, from US Dept of Energy stats and surveys, referenced
    http://ceolas.net/#li171x
    also describing more relevant electricity generation, grid and
    consumption savings.

    That includes home usage.
    There are many reasons why consumers may not save much in switching.

    Just 4 of the factors

    1 Replacement savings might be great for the main lights
    But US households have 45 lighting points on average
    No "big savings" with upfront expensive lights in rarely used lamps.
    Add in, any broken or lost or "dud" bulbs...

    2. The incandescent heat is proven to save room heating costs
    http://ceolas.net/#li6x
    when it's dark its often cold, and use with air conditioning cooling
    is of course optional

    3. The so-called "power factor" (not the same as power
    rating) of ordinary "energy saving" fluorescent bulbs means that they
    use twice the energy at the power plant than do ordinary incandescent
    bulbs, compared to what your meter says.
    http://ceolas.net/#li15eux, with references, including Osram/Sylvania
    factsheet admission

    Many LEDs, for domestic users, also have power factor issues.
    Electricity consumers of course eventually have to pay for this
    "hidden cost" in higher bills.


    4. Conversely:
    With any electricity saving the electricity companies make less money,
    and they simply raise the electricity bills, or receive tax payer
    subsidies (out of citizens pockets) to compensate
    Already happening in California, Ohio and other US states, the UK etc,
    as described and referenced http://ceolas.net/#californiacfl

    Heads they win...tails we lose

    ReplyDelete

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