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Hi HP
I think that the problem that you see are two:
ONE it,s about the "color light", there are cool and warm white, the warmwe are similar to incandescent bulbs.
,,,,Is the color temperatures (measured in degrees Kelvin); in 2700, 3500, and 5500 degree Kelvin. 5500 is very blue and the 2700 is closest to an incandescent bulb.,,,,,(As Jonsan said, link)
TWO, about the shape: (yes the most common are ugly) but are some ,,,globe,,, shaped.
Now you left me thinking about that. I think it,s a cultural thing (I talked about that once, see link).
I design/produce/sell some lightfixtures, so I have to recommend a specific bulb for each one, and I would say that, CFL, many times are OK, others don,t work at all, and other are the best option available. It depends on the fixture.
There,s been some threats about that. We have some experts here, Olive and Gerrit between them Those threats explain almost everything.
Here are the links, from the last to the first:
Light Bulb
http://www.designaddict.com/design_addict/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/th...
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compact flourescent light bulb recommendations
http://www.designaddict.com/design_addict/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/th...
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A borderline question...
http://www.designaddict.com/design_addict/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/th...
Thanks Gustavo, I was away fr...
Thanks Gustavo, I was away from the internet for a year and missed that thread I think, some very good info there, much appreciatted.
I am going to stick with my very frugal use of incandescents and wait and see what LEDs can do. I get very irritable in a badly lit or noisy ebvironment
I wish Olive had the time to contribute more.
My two cents worth...
Since changing careers to the renewable energy field I have been spending more time learning about this very subject. Being a fanatic on color, I hate the bleached out harsh light that the standard tube fluorescent light gives; and I too feel nervous in an environment lit that way. So here are my learnings on my efforst to balance envoromentalism and design addictiionina sane and functional way.
First some facts:
Yes, compact fluorescents (CFL's) contain a small amount of mercury in the vapor. However, during the lifeline of it's use, the amount of mercury released into the environment by a power generating plant for the energy needed by the equivant incandescent bulb is far greater. Read more about that here:
http://www.worldwise.com/recfluorlig.html
Also, any location in the US that sells CFL's must by law take them in for recycling, even if they are a brand the store doesn't sell. The same is true with batteries. My only caution there is to be certain that the location you getthem from is reputable and will actually recycle them versus toss them in the trash as soon as you've left. I go with Target, IKEA and HomeDepot as these companies have shown a willingness to offer 'green products' and behave in an environmentally sensible manner.
Now for bulb types:
Gone are the days when your only options were to buy those swirly, harsh, slow to warm up CFL's. ther eare LOTS of options now. Ther are dimmable versions, instaneous warm up version and ones that have the familiar bulb shape with the swirl-y tub inside it.
IKEA offers a really really nice version made by OSRAM that has soft silicone type coating on the bulb shaped sleeve withthe swirl inside that. I defy anyone here to tell me that the lgiht from these is not as pleasing as an incandescent. They are really great bulbs and very reasonably priced. They offer and standard size one and a candelabra siez one. I have them all over my house, mostly as task or decorative level lighting. However they do take a moment to hit full intensity. Here's the ones:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10060606
The dimmable versions I have I use in the main living area of my house for gneral level lighting; ceiling fixtures and the like. The dimmables are a bit priceier. Here's some examples to look at:
http://www.buylighting.com/Dimmable-Compact-Fluorescent-s/113.htm
As for the instant-on catagory, I've not found a good option yet. My solution has been to use incandescents in locations where I need to have the light come right on but I won't be leaving it on for long, like my laundry room and the downstairs w/c that has no window. Here's some info about that:
http://www.dabblings.net/gpage4.html
My two cents worth part 2
Now for some thoughts on the quality of light:
A naked CFL is not pleasing but it is cheap, so I use these then they won't be seen. I have a partial wall that reaches up 7ft in a 16ft space to enclose the ktichen. The top of it is inset with light fixtures that use the ceap swirly CFl's in. I didn't need a dimmer there and I can't see them and they add a nice touch of bright white light to the space.
I use the IKEA CFL's in accent lamps and as reading lamps in a anglepoise lamp that is similar to a Tolomeo. Works just nifty. There is the delay to full intensity but for the most part these lamps are on for long periods when they are on so that's really a non-issue. Andthe light wquality on these is really plesant.
I use incandescent GE-Reveal (the blue coated ones) in my dressing area. The trade off for higher energy use for a short time is a lovely soft natural looking light that is good for putting cosmetics on with.
I don't believe that you can't get the look you want with what's available today for CFL's. They are SO much more energy efficient that you really should all consider using them. Just make you best choice for the what you need/want in a space and pick the right choice for you. Even just a few CFL's in your home will make a difference in your energy consumption.
Some other thoughts:
LED's: My company has started experimenting with these to see if we want o start carrying more of them. We have afew but none of us are satisfied with them. They are quite expensive and most of them a too dim to be truly enjoyable/useful. So I'd caution folks to wait a couple of years while the technology improves. I just ordered some tiny single LED 'night light' bulbs that I will be trying out, I'll let you all know if those are any good. I wanted an energy efficient way to light up the w/c at night so we'd not trip over a cat or something in the dark.
Timers: I must honestly say that I am appalled that folks still leave lights on 24/7 in a space they are not currently inhabiting. It's unnecessary and truly wasteful. A very simple solution is to use a timer. Light is on when you're around and off when you are not. The timers use very very little power so they don't compound the usage level at all. I have timers on two main location, in my master bedroom and the big living space. They come on and go off according to the living pattern of my home. I just have to adjust them seasonally.
My two cents worth part 3
OK it's more like my two buck's worth now!
Ghost Loads: Be aware that many modernist lamps have transformers. So do phone chargers and iPOD chargers. These things suck power when plugged in even when the product isn't in use. Touch them, if they feel warm they are wasting power. A small amount, t'is true, but it all adds up. I have put switches between the wall and the load in as many of these cases as I possibly can. I've used foot switch extension cords, which are really convenient, switched power strips and these little switch boxes that just go between the transformer and the wall.
Financial Savings: If you are not a person who is terribly motivated by environmental consciousness...how about cold hard cash? I spent about $75USD in my project to add CFL's, timers and switched power cords. The first month after I completed my project I saved $50USD on my electric bill. $50 x12 = $600 NOT too shabby.
So there you go...let me know if you want to know anything more.
Please take a look on my company's website for more leearning about energy efficiency and product we offer. I'm happy to explain anthing about them if you are interested. If not, that's fine but you'll likely learn a few thngs when you visit!
http://www.altenenergystore.com
Thanks Olive, that is some re...
Thanks Olive, that is some really great info.
I think we'll all have to go a bit further in the future and instead of just replacing what we've got now with better technology is to replace but still reduce our usage even further. I havn't found it difficult to do and as I said before a relatively simple life (I'm not wearing a loin cloth quite yet) is a better life.
I rather agree with you about cars too.
Love 'em where we have them
Thanks for the link to the dimmable CFLs Olive. We have been putting CFLs in all of our vintage modern lamps. They really look great in our old Nelson "Lantern" lamps with the plastic shades. Those have yellowed with age and when lit by the daylight CFLs, both the lamps and the bulbs look their best. We have quite a bit of built-in lighting in our 1964 modern home with rheostats to dim the lights. I didn't know you could get dimmable CFLs so we just left the incandescents in there and rarely, if ever, use them. We've grown to really resent those energy-sucking incandescents.
Glad to be of help folks!
Please fee free to ask me to find you information on anything RE related. Between my own quest and what I've learned in my new career, I've amassed a lot of info about all kinds of stuff.
HP, you have asked the 10 million dollar question. And I think the answer is 'we don't know yet' at least I sure don't. We are fast approaching a crisis in supply and demand that is largely outside ofthe debate about climate change and humanity's role in it.
Google "Peak Oil" and begin reding...it'll really give you some food for thought!
Personally, I want to move to where the sun is rich for harvesting and figure out how to reduce my footprint down as small as possible. I am not willing to live like a monk, but I am willing to take the time to learn what is feasible and spend a premium to implement the things that make sense for my life. Living 'off-grid' is not for the faint of heart. It's a big commitment and one I know I'd not be happy attempting. But I can sip lightly from the well of energy and live much lighter on the land that I do now. And STILL live happy with my modernist life.
Patrick and Alix have asked me to blog on the site about all this and I'm really game to do it. I just truly haven't had time. I promise to get to it soon...I have one more big project to get up and running here at work and once that's done I can take a breather over the holiday season and get some stuff written
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