Lights out for the incandescent bulb?
You’ve got to hand it to California legislators — they know how to raise the bar on energy efficiency and conservation. One particular lawmaker has introduced the “How Many Legislators Does It Take To Change A Light Bulb Act,” which aims to ban the sale of good ol’ fashion incandescent bulbs by 2012. Beyond the fact that I like this guy’s sense of humour, just introducing this bill sparks much wider discussion of a very important question: Why not ban the old bulb?
Fact is, this is how we accomplish widespread and necessary shifts in society — whether it’s through stricter building codes or outright limitations on the use of certain products deemed toxic or wasteful. A simple elimination of the incandescent bulb would cut California’s energy consumption by more than 10 per cent, according to Red Herring. But as the online magazine also points out, the industry isn’t ready. Put another way, compact fluorescent and LED lighting technologies aren’t ready as a replacement yet for the 60-watt tungsten filament bulb. At least in terms of quality. That said, a lot can happen in four years and perhaps such a law is exactly what’s needed to force innovation, quality improvements and price reductions in alternative lighting. This could, as one example, be just the motivation a company like Group IV Semiconductor needs.
This particular bill likely won’t pass, but it certainly sends a signal to the lighting industry: brighten up with new technologies or it’s lights out.
Tyler Hamilton is editor-in-chief of Corporate Knights magazine and a business columnist for the Toronto Star, Canada's largest daily newspaper. In addition to this Clean Break blog, Tyler writes a weekly column of the same name that discusses trends, happenings and innovators in the clean technology and green energy market. This blog is a personal project started in April 2005. It is not an official blog of the newspaper.
February 2nd, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Tyler,
I’m not sure what you mean that compact fluorescents aren’t ready for replacing tungsten filament bulbs at least in terms of quality. I’ve been using CFLs for over 12 years or so. In that time they have developed so that the color temperature is almost indistinguishable from tungsten filament bulbs and they last much longer. I have an approximately 11 year old CFL and it’s still going strong. I use it in my living room.
I just recently replaced all of the flood lights in my kitchen. Altogether they consumed 600 watts. The new CFL versions are the same size and shape as the old incandescent ones. Now if I turn on my entire kitchen CFL floods I use only 90 watts. The difference in color temperature is not noticeable if there is any measurable difference at all.
With the exception of my table lamp which uses an LED light bulb the rest of my home’s night table lamps use CFLs.
The only drawback is that they take a couple of minutes to reach their full light potential. When they do they are indistinguishable from incandescent bulbs.
I’m also looking into LED bulbs from the LED Light Company on the web. The SS Globe 50 DW model is all LED’s and puts out about 140 lumens which is respectable and roughly equal to a 50 watt light bulb. This is plenty for a night table lamp. Its color temperature runs at about 5
February 2nd, 2007 at 3:26 pm
I agree, certain bulbs for certain applications have great quality, but you still can’t do a bulb-by-bulb replacement in all scenarios and expect the same quality. Also, the dimming issue still poses a big problem, and, of course, there’s price — though personally I don’t see price as a drawback given the lifespan of the product and energy savings. But sadly most people do see this as a barrier.
In my home I’ve attempted to use CFLs as much as possible, but at least 1/3 of the lights in my home are still incandescent because of the nature of the fixture or the dimming issue. Now, I suppose I could take out the dimmers and change the fixtures — and that may be in the cards — but my point is there’s still a certain degree of inflexibility with CFLs.
February 2nd, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Here in Houston Texas the big Lowe’s hardware chain carries CFLs for chandeliers and those large round bulbs for vanity mirrors. I can also get my hands on CFL 3 Way bulbs and I intend to tonight to replace the 2 3 Way lamps incandescent bulbs with them.
There are also smaller floods for ceiling fans, larger outdoor spotlights and porch lights. Both my porch lights are changed out. It took a while to make my wife a believer in CFLs but she’s on board with them now.
I also think there are PWM dimmers that are compatible with CFLs now. I haven’t paid to close attention to these though.
One thing I do think should be addressed is the constant switching on and off of CFLs will likely drain more power than if they are just left on for a while and then turned off when they are no longer needed at night. For that reason I can hardly wait for LED light bulbs coated with luminescent Quantum Dots to get a more acceptable color temperature the way that CFLs do with the white phosphorous coating. The LED light bulbs using standard Edison fixtures pull about 2 to 3 watts.
These power savings would certainly make photovoltaic generated electricity at point of use much more feasible.
Oh one more thing. Houston is a deregulated energy market. The idea was that competition would drive energy prices lower. Actually it hasn’t. We’re paying almost 14¢ to 16¢ a kilowatt hour for our electricity when San Antonio and Austin are paying 8¢ to 9¢ a kilowatt hour. The difference? Their utilities are municipally owned. Ours are privately owned. I guess this will help spur the market for CFLs and LED bulbs.
February 5th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
As mentioned, there are a LOT more fluorescent bulb choices out there now. I have chandelier base bulbs in my bathroom that are CFL (you can get them at Ikea!) and I use LED bulbs in my track lighting (i have modified it for 12v / low amp). It’s amazing.. but my kitchen runs off 5 watts of power now.
I dont see a total ban on filament bulbs coming any time soon. But it would be nice to see certain bulbs go. There is no reason why we need to be using 60watt – 120 watt Edison based bulbs anymore. CFL’s are here in tri light and dimmable.
February 21st, 2007 at 6:35 pm
It is important to know that Compact Florescent Lightbulbs contain mercury and should be disposed of properly. Here is a link to more information: http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf
February 25th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
It is a common misconception that you can’t get dimmable CFLs. Philips has been making CFLs as drop in, any orientation, dimmable, replacements for incandescents since at least 1999 (that being when I bought my first one – at Home Depot no less). That said, the dimming versions aren’t always stocked (as in, there was a period of around three years when I didn’t see them on the shelf) so sometimes you have to educate a lighting associate on the existence of the product and then get them to order it. Recently the only dimmables in the Toronto Home Depots that I’ve been able to find are the flood light versions which, in my house, are only useful in about a third of the recessed can pot lights, the other two thirds requiring a light with a longer neck, and of course useless for dimming chandeliers. Some specialty lighting stores do sell dimmers that are compatible with a wider range of CFLs (e.g.: Sescolite.com) (as mentioned by other posters), but replacing dimmers may be more trouble than most people want, especially if they are anticipating future technologies like LEDs, which might or might not be compatible with the new dimmers.
September 29th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Agree 110%, compact fluorescents are definitely the way to go for all of your hardwired lighting.