Eco-lightbulbs

[Mike]

The BBC have an interesting article about the Eco-lightbulb push. The interesting facts I pulled from the artcle are:

1) The equivalent statements on the packaging are relating to the comparision with a soft white normal bulb. ie an 11W bulb is the comparison to a 60W soft white, however, it would need to be 15-20W to be a direct comparison in brightness to a traditional clear bulb. To get an equivalent brightness to a clear bulb you need to divide you usual wattage by 4.

2) The maximum brightness of the unit is achieved at 25 degrees C. Therefore, in winter (when you need the most light), it is likely to be 10-20% duller than in Summer.

3) The eco-light bulbs life span can be halved if turned on and off frequently. The recommendation is to keep them on for as much as possible!

[johnriley1uk]

Basically, it's a rubbish deal.

[Mike]

Not entirely. They do consume 4 times less energy than standard bulbs. . .

[johnriley1uk]

They also cause headaches, eye-strain, cost too much, flicker so they may have implications for epilepsy sufferers. And the light is less pleasing to the eye.

Changing our light bulbs will not save the planet. I wonder who we're saving it for whilst we make our lives miserable?

I do agree though that the priciple of using less energy and saving waste is a good one. There's plenty of energy out there for us to harness though and perhaps we should concentrate on developing it. Nuclear power stations are probably the greenest option, apart from the waste material, but perhaps we can learn how to dispose of that better.

[Mike]

They also cause headaches, eye-strain, cost too much, flicker so they may have implications for epilepsy sufferers. And the light is less pleasing to the eye.

Flicker? Interesting, I don't think any of my bulbs do that.

I think that was the point of the article, to educate people on how to choose the bulbs. There is no point getting a 7w bulb if you are going to use it for task lighting. You are more likely to need a 15-20w bulb (despite what it says on the tin). The cost is rapidly reducing, thanks in part to the EU regulation that prevents the sale of standard bulbs (ie mass production and economy of scale).

[johnriley1uk]

The flicker won't be seen by everyone - I think the rate is 100Hz - but those susceptible will know it's there apparently.

[mr_e]

If someone's noticing flicker at rates as high as 100Hz, they're pretty much screwed as far as TVs and computers go as well.

I know what people mean about the light, it's not as warm. Personally, I prefer eco-style, especially for work/art-related lighting. People can always buy coloured lamp-shades to try to sort this if they feel the need (I know, not ideal).

John, I think part of the question we should be asking is why changing light-bulbs and consuming a little less should make people miserable?

Another tip I saw years ago was not to switch either type of lights off if you'll be away from the room for less than 10-15 minutes. Makes sense according to the article.

[johnriley1uk]

John, I think part of the question we should be asking is why changing light-bulbs and consuming a little less should make people miserable?

I think the answer to this is psychological. We are quite sensitive to colour, so if, for example, you show someone two photographic portraits, one with warm colour and the other with colder colour, the warm one will be preferred by most people. Tungsten (incansescent) bulbs are warm, having a colour remperature less than 2800K, and we feel a response to that. Fluorescent light is greener (relates to unpleasantness) and a partial spectrum that has huge chunks of frequencies mssing altogether. It is a cold, unattractive light and we respond accordingly. Our mood will change.

In addition, there's human nature, which is always ignored by people who like making rules. Many rules go against human nature, so have to be enforced, so create unlawful activity. The only reason people will travel at 20mph in a car is if it is enforced, as no-one in their right mind would routinely travel so slowly.

If there was a choice, very few people would buy unpleasant, expensive and dull bulbs, so the eco variety would fail in the market place until they were made better. We are forced to buy them, so we don't like it. If it was logical to buy them there would be no need to ban the original variety.