Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Reader Comments

at 8/15/2007 1:54:09 PM, T said:
These bulb are great except for the fact that they cannot be used in circuits with dimmers

at 8/15/2007 2:23:08 PM, R Porter said:
Fluourescent technologies have come a long way in recent years. Incorporating self-ballasted lights within the lighting scheme of a home will have a marginal (almost unoticeable) impact on the direct energy usage of a homes lighting system. Savings to the homeowner are made-up in the longevity of the light bulb itself - but month to month you would not notice the change. Their cost remains an issue for wholesale adoption in most homes. Because the t-stat controls how often the HVAC cycles to cool (and/or dehumidify), homeowners are not going the change its setting (whether they have variable speed units or older model AHUs). Its sets the comfort level target, not the rate of energy used. The biggest impacts to energy use by the HVAC system come from other elements of home's construction: the insulation properties of its envelope, solar values of windows, orientation, and latitude. The biggest impact - energywise - comes from the adoption of self-ballasted fluourescents in commercial and public buildings. The mandated lighting loads in retail stores, offices and schools is massive. Increasingly efficient tube fluourescents reduce direct energy costs, and reduce the heat load their ballasts contribute to a structure. Spot and personal lighting fixtures in these buildings run for hours every day, and the adoption of fluourescents - in place of incandescents - here will have a noticeable impact on the energy bills of commercial buildings; and the aggregate energy demand of the sector as a whole. Just my thoughts ... hope they spark more discussion

at 8/20/2007 1:33:56 PM, Jeff Emmerson said:
R Porter is correct. Obviously the larger the scale of the conversion, the greater impact it will have on the ambient temperature of the space. Office, retail and other commercial spaces will see the largest energy cost savings from the lamps and on cooling costs. I still contend however, that one would be able to adjust the setting on a thermostat if a house full of 75watt PAR30 recessed lamps was changed to 18 watt compact fluorescent lamps. The savings would be noticeable from the combined energy savings of the lamps themselves along with reduced replacement costs and energy saved from lowered cooling requirements. It may not be as dramatic a savings as the large scale commercial projects, but every little helps.

at 9/13/2007 4:56:37 AM, J said:
have a commercial project - building engineer has spec'd 1800 lumen dimmable compact fluorescents - Price is INSANE they think long term energy use makes them worthwhilr and "green" - have suggested LED lights - standard base bulbs standard canlight fixture - about $7500 less BUT not enough lumens ! any help ? jbhomeplan@yahoo.com

at 9/29/2007 5:54:57 AM, www.ceiling-fan-wizard.com said:
Take a look at my new website www.ceiling-fan-wizard.com

at 10/16/2007 1:17:50 PM, Lisa Hegel said:
What about halogen bulbs? I've read they're also energy efficient, though expensive initially, and they can be used with dimmer switches. Any insights on these?

at 10/30/2007 2:13:33 PM, Jeff Emmerson said:
Halogen bulbs do have a higher efficacy (lumens per watt) than standard incandescent light bulbs and do typically last longer, but they are not thought of as energy efficient. Halogen bulbs can be used in some situation where energy efficient products are required to be used but only if they are controlled by a dimmer or photosensitive control. The light quality of halogen lamps is better than regular household lamps, especially the low voltage versions of the lamp which produce a brighter whiter light. They are typically used in applications where more focused task or accent lighting is needed, such as for lighting a kitchen counter top or a piece of artwork.

at 11/2/2007 9:41:33 AM, Lisa Hegel said:
Thanks for your answer, Jeff. You helped confirm I did the right thing, after all. I do prefer the quality of halogen light (over CFLs), and chose the fixture and bulbs for lighting my kitchen. It really improved the room.

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