According to GE, a 15-watt compact fluorescent bulb can replace a 60-watt
incandescent bulb. That's because more of the energy is converted into light
instead of heat. http://www.ge.com/athcf3.htm
Sage advice from Dr. Bill Wattenberg of KGO and UC Berkeley on this:
http://www.kgoam810.com/viewentry.asp?ID=93553&PT=personalities
Lighting in homes and businesses can represent 20% of energy usage. The
common incandescent light bulbs waste most of the energy they use as heat. A
typical 100-watt bulb converts less than 30% of the 100 watts used into
light. There are compact fluorescent bulbs (CFB) to replace most
incandescent bulbs. They cost more, but they last twenty times or more
longer. They are a very good investment, and you won't have to replace them
So often.
One absurdity of the present energy crisis in California is that the state
legislature that caused this problem has spent more of our tax money in the
last few months than it would have cost to buy new CFB bulbs for all homes
in California. The new bulbs could save as much as 15% of total energy used
in homes. This is enough saving to avoid the stage 3 alerts that has forced
us to buy expensive power from out of state. The billions of dollars paid
for excess power is a total waste. We will never get it back. The investment
in new light bulbs would have saved every homeowner hundreds of dollars a
year forever and stopped the continuous waste of billions of our tax dollars
for high-priced power for several more years. Is this smart?
Take a look at the compact fluorescent bulbs in your local hardware store or
shopping center before you buy more of the old types that you have been
buying every month. You will save a lot of money and time over just a year.
The CFB bulbs will last many years. Do the experiment. Replace one or two
light bulbs in your home that burn most of the time, such as outdoor lights.
You will be pleased.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Oct 12 2001 - 14:39:42 MDT