furkensturker

I have replaced all the 12 volt/55watt halogen downlights with 240 volt CFLs. The light is a whiter softer light. Having said that, why do the manufacturers produce more "warm white" than "Natural white" CFLs.

Warm white are dull and depressing where natural white are bright and uplifting.

I replaced two 500watt halogen floodlights with two 45 watt floods (equivalent to 250 watts). The light is whiter than the Halogen and even though it's rated at half the wattage it shows a better area. Here's a bigger version of the ones I put up.

CFL Flood Light Fixture - Lighting Fixtures & Light Bulbs

48 watt as opposed to 500 watt, it's a no brainer, even Tankie could work out that you're saving power and money.

I have the feeling that the days of the incandescent bulb are numbered. And if you don't like CFLs, well, bad luck's got ya. You're going to have to get used to it, the old days of using electricity willy-nilly are GORN.

These days, the electric company is not owned locally, it might have been at some stage, but as utilities go, they were sold off, and now it's owned by some faceless multinational company, most likely a division of "the Shanghai sureslick group of companies" with an office in Walla Walla Washington, who couldn't give a rats rectum about you, me and everyone else in the world just as long as we, you and I keep using power.

I say stuff em, use as little power as possible, just so they don't get your last few dollars.

And by the way, does anyone know where we are with solar technology? Solar was going to be the be all and end all of energy for the future.

Wind was also going to be the saviour of the world, but everyone said, "not in my backyard you don't".

Wave power was also a starter, well, sort of. We have tides that rise and fall 3 meters each direction on the north west coast of Oz, it races in across the mud flats for miles faster than a person can run , just imagine a wave generator there?

But it all becomes too hard, so many hidden agendas who don't want cleaner, greener power because it'll effect their bottom line and the shareholders wont be happy.

We have a situation here with the TOYOTA PRIUS, you know the HYBRID car that was going to start a revolution? Well, it was hamstrung by the oil companies here, the oil companies have to give the Government the OK for a vehicle to be allowed to use fuel in Australia. So, everywhere else in the world, when you buy a PRIUS, you get a DONGLE, that's a lead that plugs into your house power so as to re-charge your batteries, but not here, no sir re bob, you have to recharge the batteries via, that's right, the PETROL motor.

That's what's called being clean and green...... sort of.

Well um, that was my view on CLFs

Freddie

__________________
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So Smile dammit. This sh1t's expensive.
Bulla Fiax concouria quantium vis

glyn

__________________
Semper in excretum. Solum profunda variat.

highsea

I've been using CFL's for a couple years now and love them. I have yet to burn one out.

My local Albertson's has them on sale periodically for 10 for $10. The first ones I bought were from Home Depot at ~$7.00 ea.

__________________
My baby called me up. She said- Why don't you ever take me out? Pick me up in your brand new car....You shake the short change from the old fruit jar...

ArmchairGeneral

Toyota only this year built a plug-in capable Prius, and that is not a production model. While people have certainly modified Priuses to make them plug-ins, that is not a standard feature.
Toyota Unveils Plug-in Prius (TreeHugger)

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Southie

We have the regular fluorescent bulbs in my office and every once in a while I get eye migraines. They don't hurt, but the constant flickering in my eyes makes it extremely difficult to do my job on the computer. It's kind of like looking through a prism.

But I found this article on AOL this morning and was wondering if anyone that does use the CFL bulbs has experienced migraines?

Green Tech
Energy-Saving Bulbs Causing Migraine Headaches
Posted Jan 2nd 2008 10:08AM by Tim Stevens
Filed under: Green Tech

Compact fluorescent bulbs, the twisted looking replacement lights that use as little as one fourth the power of their common incandescent counterparts (and last much longer), are being adopted worldwide in an effort to reduce energy consumption. They are even becoming mandatory in some countries -- a little troubling according to the Daily Mail, which reports that health experts in the U.K. say the green bulbs can cause migraine headaches or other disconcerting symptoms in many people.

The bulbs work in the same way as the long, traditional fluorescent tube lights seen in many commercial establishments. This means that they can produce light that subtly flickers, unnoticeable by many, but a big problem for others, especially epileptics, who can suffer from seizures under fluorescent bulbs. According the U.K.'s Migraine Action Association and other health organizations, the lights also cause headaches, as well as nausea, dizziness, and even physical pain for those suffering with lupus, according to the study.

In both the United States and the United Kingdom, traditional incandescent bulbs are set to be completely phased out by 2012. Surely those with medical conditions can be given exemptions easily enough, but if they can't simply walk into a store and buy a traditional bulb, just how many companies will continue manufacturing them and how much will they cost? Will traditional bulb clubs be the marijuana-buying clubs of the 21st century?

Such recent health concerns around energy-saving fluorescent bulbs might be another reason to push research into production of LED-based lighting options, which are even more efficient than CFL lighting, and even more durable, with a single bulb potentially never burning out. Such LED-based bulbs are available now, but at per-bulb costs that dwarf those of the relatively expensive CFL bulbs.

__________________
“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” - Jimi Hendrix

furkensturker

We have a Government watchdog that supposedly stops price fixing and people/companies from stopping fair trade.

Every Wednesday afternoon, the price of petrol goes up by up to 10 cents a litre and is high for the weekend. The watchdog has checked out the oil companies and can't find any evidence of price fixing.

You don't need to be a rocket scientist to work out that at some stage, the oil companies have got together and worked out a scheme for, dare I say it, price fixing.

I was away over the Christmas-New year break, and yes the weather was great, hot everyday, swimming at the beach, fishing, improving the tan, was it nice in Pomyland? anyway, the price of unleaded was $1.55 per litre, Diesel was $1.60 a litre and LPG cargas was $.85 a litre all told a rise of on average, 20 cents a litre, and the Americans think their hard done by. (I'm sure some of them will be working out the conversion from gallon to litre, just keep in mind that we work in imperial gallons, not US gallons. A US gallon is 3.8 litres, an imperial gallon is 4.5 litres.)

The big issue is finding proof of price fixing. We all know that if it looks like a dog turd, smells like a dog turd, it's a dog turd, BUT to get proof, you have to see the dog lay the barkers egg.

We all know it's happening but are yet to see the stray dog sniffing around the petrol pump.

There's also the issue of paying "opec prices" for oil that is pumped locally.
We produce about 90% of our own oil, but the Government says we have to pay "world parity" for our oil. Now, can you guess where the extra money that is paid at the pump for world parity goes to? That's right, the Government.

You point, and I'll whistle. When it comes to oil companies and Governments, there is no more dangerous place to be than between them. I would rather take my chances with a hungry lion.

Freddie

glyn

[quote=furkensturker;443739]You point, and I'll whistle. When it comes to oil companies and Governments, there is no more dangerous place to be than between them. I would rather take my chances with a hungry lion.

Anarchy is looking more and more inviting!

RustyBattleship

I just found this on my server's news page. Interesting.


Energy-Saving Bulbs Causing Migraine Headaches
Posted Jan 2nd 2008 10:08AM by Tim Stevens
Filed under: Green Tech

Compact fluorescent bulbs, the twisted looking replacement lights that use as little as one fourth the power of their common incandescent counterparts (and last much longer), are being adopted worldwide in an effort to reduce energy consumption. They are even becoming mandatory in some countries -- a little troubling according to the Daily Mail, which reports that health experts in the U.K. say the green bulbs can cause migraine headaches or other disconcerting symptoms in many people.

The bulbs work in the same way as the long, traditional fluorescent tube lights seen in many commercial establishments. This means that they can produce light that subtly flickers, unnoticeable by many, but a big problem for others, especially epileptics, who can suffer from seizures under fluorescent bulbs. According the U.K.'s Migraine Action Association and other health organizations, the lights also cause headaches, as well as nausea, dizziness, and even physical pain for those suffering with lupus, according to the study.

In both the United States and the United Kingdom, traditional incandescent bulbs are set to be completely phased out by 2012. Surely those with medical conditions can be given exemptions easily enough, but if they can't simply walk into a store and buy a traditional bulb, just how many companies will continue manufacturing them and how much will they cost? Will traditional bulb clubs be the marijuana-buying clubs of the 21st century?

Such recent health concerns around energy-saving fluorescent bulbs might be another reason to push research into production of LED-based lighting options, which are even more efficient than CFL lighting, and even more durable, with a single bulb potentially never burning out. Such LED-based bulbs are available now, but at per-bulb costs that dwarf those of the relatively expensive CFL bulbs.

__________________
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gunnut

I hate the greenie socialists who like to pass laws to tell us how to live and how to "save" the planet. They believe the environment comes before people. They also believe animal welfare is more important than people's welfare.

I did not know incandescent bulbs will be phased out by 2012. If it's by law, then I'm gonna stock up on some bulbs just so I can have a symbolic protest. In fact, I'm gonna switch all the CFLs I have now back to incandescent bulbs to get my money's worth.

I started using CFLs because it was a good idea. No one forced me to. If the government wants to force me to use CFLs then I will defy the environmental hacks for as long as I can. F*cking bastards!

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gunnut

I hate white light. I can't stand white light. I much prefer yellow light, you know, the type of light generated by the sun. The CFLs I have are all soft white because it's closer to yellow light than traditional florescent light. White light is cold. Yellow light is warm.

Ironduke

Incandescents aren't being banned by any legislation, there was a bill passed and signed into law that required increases in energy efficiency for automobiles and light bulbs, not sure but I think other things as well.

All that is required for light bulbs is that they use 25 to 30% less electricity than current light bulbs from 2012 to 2014. By contrast, a CFL uses 60 to 75% less electricity. If manufacturers can improve the incandescent from 5% efficiency to 7 or 8% it would still be allowed on the market.

Here's are an article about HEIs (high efficiency incandescents):
General Electric: Corporate News on the Net brought to you by Business Wire

If GE can bring the efficiency of the incandescent to the same level as the fluorescent as they say they will (I have some confidence in that), I'll gladly switch back to incandescents (or more accurately, HEIs). If that turns out to be the case, I still think CFLs are a great stop-gap technology between current incandescents and the HEI and LED technologies.

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Southie

Hey I read about that too! Post #65.

RustyBattleship

Whoops. Didn't back check far enough. Same page too. Shame on me.

But I still think it's a scam by bulb manufacturers to come up with something new, more expensive - MUCH more expensive because in many cases you have to buy special switches as well.

Ironduke

Overall sales volume goes down with CFLs, more expensive light bulbs are sold but far fewer are.

60W equivalents can be had for $1.65/bulb, a 100W for $2.52.

$.40 to $.75 for an incandescent, and 8 of them are used over the life of a CFL. Whoever is using incandescents is spending more money on bulbs.

Southie

Hey that's kind of like me answering a history quiz question that was eliminated because the 12 hours were up!