Opinion of CFL's

[wptski]

What about CFLs poor power factor? If everybody changed over at the same time, would the nations grid survive?

As far as passing laws about going to CFLs. What about DTV? Digital is so good their making it a law! If you don't get a good OTA analog signal now, you'll have no digital at all!

 

[cadpoint]

I wired the first of several self storage units recently. .... I had to tell him that the motion detectors have built in photo eyes.

A new chain of self storage is now avaiable locally that would really make you wonder why. Well lighted halls, motion sensors, and all indoors, and tempeture controlled. Smoke, intercoms, camera's. SOP

 

[Minuteman]

A new chain of self storage is now avaiable locally that would really make you wonder why. Well lighted halls, motion sensors, and all indoors, and tempeture controlled. Smoke, intercoms, camera's. SOP

Yep, that's the way the next building is. Just as you described plus high tech security: If a roll up door is opened to a stall where the proper code has not been input at the front gate, a DEAFANING ALARM will sound. (Trust me, I know this to be true)

 

[brantmacga]

What about DTV? Digital is so good their making it a law! If you don't get a good OTA analog signal now, you'll have no digital at all!

The purpose of the digital transition is to free up those frequencies for emergency services radio signals.

Edit: - I should also mention the gov't is auctioning off a lot of the bandwidth they don't anticipate on using. Kinda like they did when XM & Sirius radio got started. I read too that they're anticipating a lot of wirelss broadband networks to take advantage of the newly available frequencies.

 

[e57]

LED's are not too far away from getting the color right (though I guess those too would face dimming issues).

Yes my friend they do have issues. Last one I did I went through several drivers, and finally a doorbell transformer is the only thing that dimmed it in acceptable manner. RPITA!

LEDs will rock shortly. A LED can easily be dimmed from zero to way too bright using just a little bit of electronic circuitry. Look at all those movable letter signs that have popped up around the world.

The trouble with 'em so far is the light output, and to a minor degree, the color. Those shortcomings will be overcome soon.

An un-addressed problem with those CFLs is RoHS, which the 'greenies', so far, have swept away.

I beg to differ on the dimmablity of them, but if you know something I don't please let us all know....

I would also the the biggest problem is the COLOR or lack of dynamic rich color - currently even the "white" ones are simply a slight use of primary color blends and filter coatings. What you're left with is a blueish white, ot greenish or yellowish "white"

I really dont think the REAL greenies even know about it - as most modern forms of communication are beyond their scope. Print it on unbleach hemp paper in natural indigo and drop it near their tent... The so-called greenies know about it, and once it becomes fashionable to address the issue you can be sure they will be on it like flies in the summer on a steamy one.

What about CFLs poor power factor? If everybody changed over at the same time, would the nations grid survive?

I too have wondered the same???? But dont think anyone would bring it up - just pass the buck on to us....

 

[electricmanscott]

Having stayed at a few hotel lately that have nothing but compact fluorescent lamps lately I have but one word...YUCK.

 

[electricmanscott]

As far as the mercury thing goes, they are not using nearly as much mercury in the new designs as they did a few years back, we are talking very small amounts here & I see no harm as long as people properly dispose of them.

Oh really....


http://www.maine.gov/dep/rwm/homeowner/cflbreakcleanup.htm

 

[wptski]

The purpose of the digital transition is to free up those frequencies for emergency services radio signals.

Edit: - I should also mention the gov't is auctioning off a lot of the bandwidth they don't anticipate on using. Kinda like they did when XM & Sirius radio got started. I read too that they're anticipating a lot of wirelss broadband networks to take advantage of the newly available frequencies.

I'm refering to a law that's going to end up costing people more money. The cable and satellite companies are going to love this because when people find out that they can't hold a digital signal when it's windy, raining, snowing or high humidity. All affects a digital signal which also has less range than analog too. The hidden truth just like CFLs.

 

[winnie]

e57, You listed several good suggestions, to which most of us would agree. Would be great if the general public would be as well informed.

I think that if people were well informed enough to use e57's suggestions, they would also be well informed enough to use CFLs where they make sense.

I like and use CFLs for lights that stay on for long duration. Used appropriately, CFLs save money and _reduce_ net mercury release to the environment.

I absolutely despise attempts to mandate CFLs. They are not appropriate for all lighting, and oversold they end up being used where they are quite poor.

I am even ambivalent about laws that mandate improved energy efficiency in lamps, because while I believe that improved efficiency is a good thing, such laws generally don't take into account issues with starting and total life cycle costs. These laws don't consider the difference between lamps that are frequently switched and those left on for long periods.

I have suggested that rather than prohibiting or taxing low efficiency lamps, that people be required to _prepurchase_ some large fraction of the expected energy consumption of the lamp. This would level the playing field between different lamp types, and encourage people to make a better lifecycle cost choice on their lighting.

-Jon

 

[winnie]

Oh, on the mercury issue:

This is real, but is being overblown. The rants about mercury in CFLs seem to be about as sane as the rants claiming that CFLs will fix everything.

The mix of power generation in the US includes quite bit of coal fired KW. For each coal kWh of energy consumed, a small amount of mercury ends up released into the environment, along with a bunch of other stuff. So reduced energy consumption means reduced mercury release.

A CFL used where appropriate (see my last post) will prevent more mercury pollution that the lamp itself contains. This means that even if the lamp is not recycled, you have a net win.

Additionally, the mercury in the CFL is somewhat entrapped by the CFL itself, even in a landfill, and if the CFL happens to get recycled, then the win is even bigger.

However the mercury is getting handled, and it becomes a localized source; I wouldn't want to work in a Chineese plant making CFLs, and I take extra care not to break them at home.

-Jon

 

[ELA]

I think that rather than working on new technologies to provide a cheaper light source that we should work on technology to give us all cat like eyesight

 

[wptski]

I'm not sure about the EPA guidelines that were described in the video! Where I live, you can't dispose a burned out fluorescent lamp in normal trash pickup. You have to take them to a recycle center a certain day/time where your given new ones.

 

[hockeyoligist2]

However the mercury is getting handled, and it becomes a localized source; I wouldn't want to work in a Chineese plant making CFLs, and I take extra care not to break them at home.

-Jon

You don't care about the Chinese? Another thing to think about....... we are importing mercury from China..........

 

[Mr.Sparkle]

Don't worry soon enough we will be importing Chinese money too. Buy your How to speak Chinese book now so you are ahead of the game in 15 years.

 

[mivey]

Don't worry soon enough we will be importing Chinese money too. Buy your How to speak Chinese book now so you are ahead of the game in 15 years.

Wǒ b? shuō Zhōngw?n

 

[MagnoliaElec]

Dang Chineese. I heard that their imported mercury is full of lead and other toxic stuff.

 

[e57]

Don't worry soon enough we will be importing Chinese money too. Buy your How to speak Chinese book now so you are ahead of the game in 15 years.

Crossing the line of the political to state facts - we already do - paint it green and call it our own.... They own an enourmous amount of US treasury bonds, and buy more on our command.

 

[mivey]

Crossing the line of the political to state facts - we already do - paint it green and call it our own.... They own an enourmous amount of US treasury bonds, and buy more on our command.

Look at this:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/01/eveningnews/main3987972.shtml

 

[DanZ]

You have to take them to a recycle center a certain day/time where your given new ones.

Given new ones? As in, you show up with your old burned out one, and they hand you a free new working one?