Going Green - My Energy Efficient Lighting Experience
We finally made the switch. Over the weekend, I bit the bullet and went to the local big box to purchase several different brands of energy efficient bulbs to replace our “dinosaur incandescents.” We installed the lights in several rooms with various results. As we work over the next few months to “go green” on lighting, we’ll be trying several different brands and styles of lights to see which ones best meet our needs in different rooms. As we do that, I will update this post with my findings, and I’ll periodically post updates in the current day’s post pointing back to this one. (This post is the aggregate).
I know many people across the blogosphere are switching to CFLs and other forms of efficient lights (I’ve chatted with a few of you via your blogs). I hope that you’ll add your experiences here, particularly if your experience differs from mine with one of these products. Feel free to link back, too. Without further ado, here’s my review(s):
1. Sylvania 23 Watt (100W Equiv.) Soft White Micro Mini “Instant-On” CFL.
My Rating: OK
Pros: Really, really bright white light. (Seriously, it nearly blinded me!) Lasts forever (12000 hrs). A little smaller than the other 100w equivalent bulbs.
Cons: Too harsh; Requires 1-2 minute warm-up time to reach full glow. Doesn’t really suffice as a traditional incandescent replacement.
My Experience: This CFL’s packaging claims that it is “Instant-On,” so I figured it might work great in our laundry room where we use the light for about 20 minutes each day in small spurts. The bulb definitely comes on immediately, but the light output is only about half the final output. It still takes about 1-2 minutes to warm up to full glow. This proved to be very annoying in a space where you turn the light on and start working immediately. At first, it’s too dim, then there’s an eerie feeling as the the light slowly increases while you’re working. On the plus side, at full brightness the bulb puts out A LOT of light. I decided to use 4 of them as temporary lighting in the basement during my refinishing project. I can afford the warm-up time there and the “harsh” light actually provides good visibility throughout the room.
2. Bright Effects 23 Watt (100w Equiv.) (Item# 153972)
Sorry, I couldn’t find a good picture of this one! I’ll need to upload a pic sometime in the future.
My Rating: Very Good
Pros: Casts a light that looks very similar to an incandescent. Lasts a long time (8000 hours).
Cons: Takes about 2-3 minutes to reach full brightness.
My Experience: We used these bulbs in 5 lamps in the living room and family room. There was certainly some immediate reward in realizing that when all 5 of these lamps are on, we’re using about the same amount of energy as we were on only 1 lamp last week. Better yet, these bulbs don’t make us feel like we’re sacrificing in the way of quality. Other manufacturers could take a lesson from Bright Effects. Of course, there is still the 2-3 minute warm-up time, which can be a bit annoying depending on the task you’re trying to perform, but in rooms where lights stay on for a good amount of time, these are a great substitute for Edison’s invention.
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What do you think? I know many folks out there are making the move to CFLs. What bulbs do you like the best? Which ones are the absolute worst?
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Thanks for visiting my blog!
The CFL’s we use are 14 watt (60 wt output) “Commercial Electric” brand spiral bulbs. They are advertised as having warm white light. I like them alot, and can’t tell much of a difference between them and incandescents, even in the bare bulb in the laundry room. In fact, I like these a little better because they seem brighter and cleaner.
They don’t seem to take much time to warm up… except the one on my front porch is a little dim at 0ยบ. Then again, so am I.
The package is rated for 10,000 hours and the output is 900 lumens. HOpe that helps someone out there!
January 24th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Jennifer, where do you buy “Commercial Electric” brand. I didn’t see them at Lowes or Walmart.
Again, Thanks for stopping by! I’ll be back to visit soon.
January 24th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I have a GE Energy Smart bulb here in the office. It’s a 14-watt spiral and it puts out a really warm yellow glow. I’ve been REALLY happy with it, honestly, to the point where I wonder about all the complaints about these CFLs that I read in spots. I haven’t had any misfortune with this particular bulb and will likely buy more when my other bulbs burn out.
January 24th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
I assume that the 14 watt is a 60 watt equivalent. I’ll have to see if I can find those at the store and give them a try. Anything is better than the harsh white light some of these things make.