Comments on: Energy Efficient Lighting

By: 4KM

4KM — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:08:00 +0000

I have recently repaired our driveway floodlights and decided to go with dual 150 watt rated CFLs. They are just as big as their regular counterparts and use less than half the wattage as running true 150 watt bulbs. The warmup time certainly is a downside for CFLs used as exterior lighting. The warmup time is considerably longer in colder weather. However, once they are fully lit, the lights are very bright, illuminating the driveway well.

By: Fred

Fred — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:58:00 +0000

Bryan,

The raw numbers would suggest that even with a slightly longer warm-up time and buying a higher equivalent wattage, there is still tremendous savings from CFLs. For instance, a 150-watt equivalent bulb runs around 40-50 watts, and is *really* as bright as a 100-watt bulb, IMO.

There are some folks who have said that certain locations don't make sense for CFLs, particularly closets, because they take time to warm-up, and you only use them for a very short period of time. Plus, CFLs have shorter lives when they are turned off and on frequently.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:50:00 +0000

I agree with jayne. We also have a CFL in our living room that tends to take a couple minutes to warm-up. If the bulb needs higher equivalent wattage, AND requires annoying time prep for the needed light emissions, can it still really be energy efficient? I don’t really know the stats but just thought I’d chuck that out there.

By: Fred

Fred — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 04:30:00 +0000

Jayne,

My experience is that you have to buy a higher “equivalent” wattage to get the same amount of light — and I’m not really sure why, since the lumens measurements are supposed to be the same. The nice thing is that fixtures that are rated for 60 watt bulbs can handle a “150 watt equivalent” CFL.

Ethan,

Given the rate technology in the bulb department is moving, my guess is many of these problems will be solved. I think alot of people feel like they’re giving a lot up.

By: Fred

Fred — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 04:27:00 +0000

Jon,

I definitely agree that the circular tubes of compacts are not appealing. They have made some CFLs that are encased in a bulb, but those tend to be very, very dim (at least the last ones I saw were). Hopefully as the new law takes effect, we’ll see some new technologies. I’ll try to keep up on new developments and post updates here as they come along.

By: Ethan

Ethan — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:34:00 +0000

i’m all about being energy efficient but i still feel like i’m giving up way to much to accommodate these bulbs. i have several installed in my house but use incandescent when i really need the light. i hope most of our complaints will be address in the next few generations of CFLs.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:13:00 +0000

I have CFLs in my living room chandelier. I probably should’ve bought brighter bulbs; these don’t seem as bright as the incandescents they replaced. It’s a little annoying that the CFLs come on dim and get brighter as they “warm up”. In spite of that, I plan to replace my regular light bulbs with CFLs as they burn out or the fixtures are replaced.

By: Jon

Jon — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 05:18:00 +0000

The problem I have is that many of my bulbs are visible, such as in ceiling fans and on the vanity in my bathrooms. The new bulbs aren’t appealing if they’re in plain sight.

If I could overcome that, I’d convert.