Notice a Difference and Make a Difference
67If you would like to really make a difference in your utility bill while helping to save the environment at the same time—it can be as easy as flicking a switch.
If every single American switched an incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb, it would slash our nation's utility bill by more than $600 million. According the the EPA's Energy Star® program, that single act would also reduce greenhouse gases equivalent to removing over 800,000 vehicles off our roadway or enough energy to supply 3,000,000 homes for an entire year.
In 2007, Congress enacted The Energy Independence and Security Act (the “Energy Bill”), that will phase out the antiquated incandescent bulb, beginning with 100-watt bulbs by 2012 and ending with 50-watt bulbs in 2014.
We are all very familiar with the incandescent bulb technology that was invented in the early ninetieth century made famous by Thomas Edison, although not invented by him. However, there are some things that you need to know to take advantage of the changeover to energy saving, environmentally-friendly compact fluorescent lights.
|
Sylvania 29490 23-Watt CFL Mini Twist, Soft White, 6-Pack
Price: $15.99
List Price: $24.99 |
|
Feit Electric ESL40TN/D 42-Watt Compact Fluorescent High-Wattage Bulb, Daylight
Price: $8.99
|
|
GE 13-Watt Energy SmartTM - 8 Pack - 60 watt ouput
Price: $8.49
|
|
Full Spectrum Light Bulb - ALZO 45 watt Photo CFL 5500K - Case of 4 - Daylight balanced 5500K - pure white light
Price: $39.00
|
Although CFL bulbs cost approximately five times more than a conventional bulb, it will cost about $9 to operate over its 8,000-hour projected life. Whereas the incandescent bulb would cost approximately $36 dollars over the same time-frame in electricity alone—not counting the replacement for four to eight bulbs because of the shorter lifespan.
Conventional bulbs cost more to operate because the filament within the bulb gets heated by the electric charge; therefore, producing heat for the light effect. CFLs have two parts: a ballast in the base containing electronics and a gas-filled tube. Phosphors on the inside of the bulb glow from the electricity charging the ballast.
CFLs come in various tones to suit individual tastes and tasks: cool (whiter and bluish hues) and warm (yellowish) mimicking a conventional bulb's light.
Lighting color is measured on the Kelvin (K) scale: for a warm color check the packaging for 2700 to 3000K. For a while light check for 3500 to 4100K. For the brightest light possible, look for CFLs measuring 5000 to 6500K.
CFLs contain approximately four milligrams of mercury which is the about the same size as the tip of a ball point pin and is safely held within the components of the bulb. Issues of concern only occur when the bulb is broken, or discarded in with regular trash. When the bulb no longer works, the recommended solution is to recycle them.
In June of 2008, Home Depot®, expanded its long-term commitment to the environment and sustainability by launching a national in-store, consumer compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb recycling program at all 1,973 The Home Depot locations.
This free service is the first such offering made so widely available by a retailer in the United States and offers customers additional options for making environmentally conscious decisions from purchase to disposal. The Home Depot Canada launched a CFL recycling program in November, 2007.
Since compact fluorescent light bulbs are less taxing on the environment and use less of the Earth's resources, they are the wave of our immediate future. Don't wait for the phase out—begin switching out your old bulbs with CFLs and start saving money today.
The Benefits of Compact Fluorescent Lights in the News
- Planet ArkPlanet Ark3 days ago
LOS ANGELES - Demand for super-efficient LED lighting and other energy-saving lights will grow next year as both consumer awareness and the U.S. stimulus package spark sales, the head of Siemens AG-owned Osram Sylvania said on Wednesday.
- Intersession good time to conserve energyUB Reporter2 days ago
With most students headed off campus after final exams, the intersession between the fall and spring semesters provides the perfect opportunity to significantly reduce energy consumption, according to faculty and staff charged with creating and implementing UB’s sustainability policies.
- See Your Future Bright by Using Compact Fluorescent ...
According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA), the overall energy consumption in the U.S. is 17,891 trillion British Thermal Units (Btu) more than the past years. This... - Fluorescent Light Bulbs
There are many different types of light bulbs out there for people to buy, mainly the most popular type of light bulbs is the incandescents. Incandescent light bulbs are just the regular type of light bulbs... - Know How and Where to Recycle Fluorescent Bulbs Loca...
As many of you my know, fluorescent lights are energy-efficient and help reduce the effects of global warming. However, what many of you my not know is that these lights carry a small amount of mercury of the... - First step: CFL Light Bulbs
July 6, 2008 One of the first things we can do to reduce our own personal effect on climate change is to change the incandescent light bulbs in our homes to CFLs (or compact fluorescent lights.) CFLs use 75%...
Join the growing community of HubPages and share your knowledge. Publish easily, get traffic while making money by creating ongoing royalty opportunities. Click Here to JOIN NOW!
PrintShare it! — Rate it: up down flag this hub
Comments
I have a problem with the comment, "Issues of concern only occur when the bulb is broken, or discarded in with regular trash".
Those two conditions will happen millions of times when they stop selling incandescent light bulbs. Do you want your toddler, child or pet in the room when the CFL breaks. I don't think so.
Yes these lights are lower energy drains than incandescent lights but there is a cost at the backend for toxic cleanup. I guess it is OK seeing that we get candy and toys with lead in them, so why not a mercury chaser.
When a CFL breaks, it is not the easy cleanup and it creates a hazard, unlike the incandescent light. The CFL laomps are ugly, weird shaped and fragile.
In California they put a carcinogen into the gasoline to reduce air pollution. This carcinogen would eat through fuel hosing creating gasoline leaks. These leaks put the carcinogen into the water runoff.
The theme is save now and pay later. What's one more hazardous chemical in our lives.
Oparu – Thanks so much for your comments!
issues veritas - I can tell you are very passionate in your stances. I believe that most of us would like to live in a completely safe environment. However, I am the messenger of the technology, not the creator.
We know that mercury is hazardous to humans, animals and wildlife - even the very small amount contained within CFLs. EPA estimates the U.S. is responsible for the release of 104 metric tons of mercury emissions each year. Most of these emissions come from coal-fired electrical power. Mercury released into the air is the main way that mercury gets into water and bio-accumulates in fish.
CFLs contain an average of 5 milligrams (roughly equivalent to the tip of a ball-point pen). By comparison, older home (fever) thermometers contain 500 milligrams of mercury and many manual thermostats contain up to 3000 milligrams.
For more information on how to dispose of broken or non-working products and equipment containing mercury, visit: http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/c
I used to work for a business that went ahead and converted their entire 4 story building to CFLs. The light is a little different, not quite as warm, but I believe reduced energy consumption and longer life make up for this.
I did not know that Home Depot had a CFL recycling progam. That is very cool thing for them to do.
Thanks for your comments 49er. Yes, I think it is a cool thing for them to do too! IKEA also takes them for recylcing.
What precautions should I take when using CFLs?
I have copied the cleanup procedure from the energy star site.
Does this sound like cleanup or hazmat?
CFLs are made of glass and can break if dropped or roughly handled. Be careful when removing the bulb from its packaging, installing it, or replacing it. Always screw and unscrew the light bulb by its base (not the glass), and never forcefully twist the CFL into a light socket.
If a CFL breaks in your home, follow the clean-up recommendations below. Used CFLs should be disposed of properly (see below).
What should I do with a CFL when it burns out? EPA recommends that consumers take advantage of available local recycling options for compact fluorescent light bulbs. EPA is working with CFL manufacturers and major U.S. retailers to expand recycling and disposal options. Consumers can contact their local municipal solid waste agency directly, or go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling or www.earth911.org to identify local recycling options. If your state or local environmental regulatory agency permits you to put used or broken CFLs in the garbage, seal the bulb in two plastic bags and put it into the outside trash, or other protected outside location, for the next normal trash collection. Never send a fluorescent light bulb or any other mercury-containing product to an incinerator.
If your ENERGY STAR qualified CFL product burns out before it should, look at the CFL base to find the manufacturer’s name. Visit the manufacturer’s web site to find the customer service contact information to inquire about a refund or replacement. Manufacturers producing ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs are required to offer at least a two-year limited warranty (covering manufacturer defects) for CFLs used at home. In the future, save your receipts to document the date of purchase.
How should I clean up a broken fluorescent bulb? Because CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal guidelines:
1. Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room • Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out. • Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more. • Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.
2. Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces • Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag. • Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass pieces and powder. • Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag. • Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
3. Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug: • Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag. • Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. • If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken. • Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding, etc.: • If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage. • You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb. • If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.
5. Disposal of Clean-up Materials • Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup. • Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials. • Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.
6. Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming • The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming. • Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.
You have to admit this is not a simple cleanup and many people are not going to go through this process of cleanup. There are no warning stickers like on a pack of cigarettes. Using coal fired power plants to compare mercury sources is not fair, because we need to get cleaner power plants. Wind, solar and dams are clean power sources. Others clean power sources can be developed or even invented if there are incentives to do so. It tool Thomas A. Edison several hundred attempts in finding how to reliably make the incandescent light bulb and that was almost a hundred years ago. Surely, with our advanced technology we can do at least as well as Edison.
issues veritas - I agree that we do need and are capable of developing and implementing better technology from the source down to the light bulb.
I stated facts from the Environmental Protection Agency with regard to mercury emissions, which is relevant information.
There are many coal-fired power plants in operation in the US and still many under development and proposed new coal-fired power plants according the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).
Tracking New Coal-Fired Power Plants Report - http://www.netl.doe.gov/coal/refshelf/ncp.pdf - June 30, 2008.
nice hub.and i have used such kind of bulbs they are really nice.and cost effective as well.the light comes out of the bulb is bright.main thing is it is environment friendly.
Thanks for stopping by britneydavidson, your comments are greatly appreciated!
after i started using them i noticed a big change in my home energy bill, but then the toxic bit scares me
Thank for giving detail benefits in using CFL lamps.
Dolores - they can be recycled, which is a good thing! And we will not have a choice in a few years of which bulbs we can use.
ramkumar45 - thanks for stopping by and glad you liked it!
Your comments are greatly appreciated!
oparu says:
10 months ago
Nice hub. I would also consider the fact that since the bulbs emit less heat, the room might feel a little colder in the winter.