Why you think CFLs suck (and how to change that)

[duncan drennan]

I've just got to say it: After reading the blog, I just had to Digg it.

A really good one Duncan.

Thanks Dave, appreciate that. (for some reason I didn't see your digg though Thanks )

[Dave A]

Dang. Well I just fixed that. I kept having auto-logout issues this morning but I thought my Digg had made it.

[duncan drennan]

I'm pretty chuffed - I got a mention on Dan Lockton's blog, along with some further thoughts on the whole lighting and energy efficient issue.

[Dave A]

Impressive. Nice come-back on the PF issue raised too.

[Dave A]

Incandescant light bulbs out by 2010? It looks like you're onto something here, Duncan.

The Central Energy Fund (CEF) and UK multinational Philips are in talks to make energy saving light bulbs in southern Africa, which would dovetail with the government's plans to ban power-guzzling incandescent bulbs from 2010.
full story from Business Report here

[oridacfl]

Re: CFL

I think LED maybe a good choice.
However, its price is much higher than CFL.
And it do not have high power items.

In our country, the goverment support CFL industry because it's
a good way to replace HPS lights and incandescent lamp.
Many workers rely on this industry to feed their family.

Here's a website, they manufacture CFL and LED bulb.

http://www.cfl-bulbs.net

[Inprogress]

Few problems I have with CFL's, although I use them cause the one thing they do is save me money at the moment.

With the Incadescent light bulb, you have metal, glass, and some or other putty that hardens to stick the glass to the metal bit. With CFL's, you have plastic, glass, and mercury. I seem to recall a time when mercury batteries was banned...

Why do we need CFL's? Is electricity running out? I can't quite see it from a pollution point of view either cause I am sure it takes more energy and polluting processes to create a CFL than an incadescent. Plus, CFL's will pollute in the long run cause its not biodegradable. Yeah sure, we should recycle, but in reality, 95% of the world doesn't, me included...to be honest. And to say it causes less pollution cause we need fewer coal plants...bah humbug! We have increased our electricity needs a 100 fold with the likes of technologies like the one I am typing this post from. Build a PBMNR plant and problems solved...sure PB reactors isn't the ideal solution, but we have ridden on the easy train of fossil fuels and now we need to change, and until we find the ideal solution, PB reactors is our best, least pollution bet.

Solar is a waste cause the input costs (material, cost, pollution) far outweighs the output gains.

There is research being done to increase the efficiency of Incandescents since no inprovement has really gone into the technologo in quite some time. Last I heard someone was working on a Incadescent that is 3 times more efficient that the current CFL's, plus last twice as long as the CFL's.

To me, CFL's is merely good business. Its very much like the Digital SLR's. SLR technology started to stagnate at around 1992. Then came DSLR's, which again, apart from increasing the light sensor chip, its pretty much still a SLR camera. So what do the companies do? They create a DSLR camera which is really difficult to use. A million buttons, 2 million menu options..for what? All you need in a proper camera is Aperture control, shutter speed control, and film(censor) sensitivity. Yet look at DLSR's, this feature and that feature and left and right. Its all marketing..same with CFL's.

I see CFL's and the "Green" movement is the new business arena...you can almost sell anything under the "green" label, people wont ask questions about the cost in pollution during manufacturing. Don't get me started on the ruse of new cars...the European Emmision Standards is the best thing to happen to the auto industry in decades...the best in terms of business. I made a conservative calculation comparing auto production figures, pollution generated during production, pollution from the use of the car; using a 1995 VW car and comparing it to a 2010 model. The crude figures are astounding...and not in the favour of "green".

Enough rambling. Chow!