Light bulbs: Not such a bright idea (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

Light bulbs: Not such a bright idea

VIEWPOINT
Matt Prescott

Governments are wrestling with problems of rising energy demands, rising costs and the spectre of climate change. In this week's Green Room, Dr Matt Prescott argues there is an easy first step to dealing with all three issues - banning the traditional light bulb.
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Given the huge subsidies awarded to the nuclear industry and to coal production in western nations, it is clear that the funds necessary to provide a financial kick-start certainly exist.

In 2002, the UK government spent £410m on bailing out its near-bankrupt nuclear sector.

That would be more than enough to supply every household in Britain with three energy-saving light bulbs.
***
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4667354.stm

I have to editorialize here: I recently switched over to compact fluorescents (23W in most fixtures) but was disappointed to notice a small bead of mercury swirling around inside the glass. When these bulbs burn out, disposing of the mercury will almost certainly not be done properly. I was under the impression that modern fluorescents had done away with mercury. Perhaps we will have to wait for LEDs to take over; they already seem to be doing this for small lights (reading lamps) and some automotive lights.

[benburch]

1. Some off-brand CF lamps are not legally made

But with everything imported from elsewhere, it is impossible to enforce our manufacturing rules.

[MatrixEscape]

2. I have thought about that too ...

The energy savings from alternative lighting, applied on a large scale, could be phenomenal.

However, I feel that the answer, on the home front, lies in the new LED lightbulbs, hypothetically.

Of course, the traditional lightbulb lobby, (all these entrenched goods and service providers are the major stumbling blocks) would fight tooth and claw, we would benefit by taxing standard lightbulbs and subsidizing the manufacture and sales of LED bulbs.

Over a period of time, the use of those bulbs would become widespread and even if their cost is higher, (with subsidies) they have a longer life.

But again, nothing will happen until the lobbyists are restrained and we are not beholden to the power usurped by the corporations and utilities that have their own best interests in mind. In that case, any change will be slow and important technologies will not gain a foothold until they can be monopolized and inflated in price in order to compensate for transitional loses.

[TygrBright]

3. I'm not so sure...

...about this:

>>Of course, the traditional lightbulb lobby, (all these entrenched goods and service providers are the major stumbling blocks) would fight tooth and claw, we would benefit by taxing standard lightbulbs and subsidizing the manufacture and sales of LED bulbs.<<

Most bulb manufacturers are part of huge multi-combines now. They're probably salivating like hell at the thought of being able to make and sell enough light fixtures, lamps, etc., to replace every light source currently in use. HUGE new market, and the costs for retooling to make the new stuff are miniscule in light (you should excuse the pun) of the potential profits.

The ones who will suffer, as always, are the poor schmucks who won't be able to afford to replace all their lamps and fixtures, etc.

pessimistically,
Bright

[high density]

4. Maine is subsidizing compact fluorescent lamps a bit

Many stores have coupons for $2 off CFL bulbs which are conveniently available right beside the bulbs. http://www.efficiencymaine.com/retail_programs.htm

My only annoyance with CFLs is that they may last "10 times longer" but they do get dim after a couple of years. But they do last a long time! In my oven hood I have a CFL that must be about ten years old.

[LeftyMom]

9. Our electric utility subsidizes them here in Sacramento

we can get the basic 60 or 100 watt equivalent bulbs for $1 or so and specialized ones for floor lamps etc at a discount. They figure it saves them money in the long run to encourage conservation because they don't need to build a new power facility (and since we have municipal rather than private power here they can think long term without having to answer to short-term minded shareholders, which is nice.)

[unkachuck]

5. what's the problem?....

....what's holding up the development of LED house 'bulbs'? Is it getting the intensity up? Can't LEDs be made more directional?....can't they be clustered?....and won't a simple dropping resistor in series allow you to go right across a 120vac source making traditional screw in mounting possible?....

....I don't have figures but I bet using LEDs for lighting could be one the most energy saving things a nation could do considering incandesant bulbs give off mostly heat....

[Wilms]

6. Lots of municipalities are using LED fixtures in traffic lamps.

I think they're getting there for more widespread application, but I'm impatient about it.

[Occulus]

7. I like LED light

Bright, clear, easy to see (or see by).

I would have no issues with saying goodbye to the incandescent bulb.

[eppur_se_muova]

8. AFAIK, it's a question of power/brightness.

The new LED lamps can carry much more power than the ones made 10 years ago. Also, for a long time, there was no such thing as a "white" LED -- the first ones were all red, then later they introduced green. Blue was the biggest challenge -- there was a lot of solid state engineering involved, design and mfg. of new materials, and a lot of trial and error. To use a favorite word of mine, it was "nontrivial".

LED's were introduced when I was a kid. I still remember what a marvel they seemed. And 7-segment displays were once made with "grain-of-wheat" incandescent bulbs! Has anyone else here ever even SEEN a "nixie" tube? (muffled snickers)

We'll probably always use incandescents for the highest-wattage applications, up to searchlight intensity where arcs take over, just as we still use vacuum tubes for high-power amplification/modulation in broadcasting. (But if you should never say never, maybe you should never say always either.)