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| Very interesting article about a new type of light bulb that Wal-Mart is going to be pushing in the coming year. Essentially it's a energy saving light bulb that promises to completely revolutionize the way that we light our homes.
Couple of excerpts:
Swirl bulbs don't just work, they pay for themselves. They use so little power compared with old reliable bulbs, a $3 swirl pays for itself in lower electric bills in about five months. Screw one in, turn it on, and it's not just lighting your living room, it's dropping quarters in your pocket. The advantages pile up in a way to almost make one giddy. Compact fluorescents, even in heavy use, last 5, 7, 10 years. Years. Install one on your 30th birthday; it may be around to help illuminate your 40th.
What that means is that if every one of 110 million American households bought just one ice-cream-cone bulb, took it home, and screwed it in the place of an ordinary 60-watt bulb, the energy saved would be enough to power a city of 1.5 million people. One bulb swapped out, enough electricity saved to power all the homes in Delaware and Rhode Island. In terms of oil not burned, or greenhouse gases not exhausted into the atmosphere, one bulb is equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the roads.
So far, the impact of compact fluorescents has been trivial, for a simple reason: We haven't bought them. In our outdated experience, they don't work well and they cost too much. Last year, U.S. consumers spent about $1 billion to buy about 2 billion lightbulbs--5.5 million every day. Just 5%, 100 million, were compact fluorescents. First introduced on March 28, 1980, swirls remain a niche product, more curiosity than revolution.
But that's about to change. It will change before our very eyes. A year from now, chances are that you yourself will have installed a swirl or two, and will likely be quite happy with them. In the name of conservation and good corporate citizenship, not to mention economics, one unlikely company is about haul us to the lightbulb aisle, reeducate us, and sell us a swirl: Wal-Mart.
http://www.fastcompany.com/subscr/108/open_lightbulbs.html |
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| ikea sells compact flourescents that have 'covers' to look like lightbulbs that soften the light. i've been using them for about 3-4 years. they cost less than 'regular' light bulbs.
only problem, no compacts for 'candle flame' looking bulbs which i need for two fixtures. |
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| i buy the compact fluorescents already.
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| zoebird - 2006-08-29 5:33 PM
ikea sells compact flourescents that have 'covers' to look like lightbulbs that soften the light. i've been using them for about 3-4 years. they cost less than 'regular' light bulbs.
No ikea around here, though they're supposed to put one in pretty soon. (We've got the 19th in the USA, go cincy!)
Sounds like you and Steve are in the 5% of the US that uses these things. I've got one, but I can't remember where or how I picked it up. I will definitely be replacing the rest as they burn out. Probably the next thing after CFs will be LEDs. I think they're like 90-95% efficient, which is why you see all the towns replacing their perfectly good traffic lights with LEDs ones. (At least I haven't seen a "normal" traffic light in a while) |
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| I have a few of them.. but I don't care for the light they put out. Regular flourescents bug me.. these do not flicker, but they still have that white light.. But, they are great for outside! I had one that lasted for over a year! |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Are any of the small flourescents safe to put in enclosed fixtures now? I would happily use them outside but the only ones I've seen won't go in the fixtures I have. |
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| Are they still good when the weather goes down to 20 below F.? That's what I think ruins our bulbs outdoors. We tried freezer type bulbs already. Apparently they're not up to it either. |
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| seriously, the ones at ikea are covered with a light-bulb shaped whatever with the flourescent inside, and they put off light that looks like regular bulbs because of this 'light filter' on the outside.
they're really nice. i mostly buy 15 watt bulbs. |
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| I went through my house and I only have regular bulbs where my hard headed wife won't let me change them because she says they don't look pretty enough.
She's such a princess 
yet, I'm so very Spartan. |
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| what were spartan princesses like? 
no, seriously, the ikea ones look like regular light bulbs. |
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| zoebird - 2006-08-31 9:29 AM
what were spartan princesses like?
no, seriously, the ikea ones look like regular light bulbs.
I 'da Know?
there's no Ikea near me, I get my bulbs from K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Lowe's, or Home Depot.
In my princess preparation rooms [bathrooms] the lighting is very important for the dominant princess [wife]. In those rooms I do believe she has no less than 600 to 800 watts of incandescent intensity [with spikes of intensity from the Holy Hair Dryer] for her daily preparation ceremonies that are nothing short of sacred religious rites of daily requirement.
These sacred rites may not be interrupted or impeded in any way, unless one wishes to have hell's fury unleashed at that very moment  . 
AHH yes, but as things are the intensity of sacred preparation at the altar of femininity in the house of THORNLEY will only increase until the three princesses in training have completed their apprenticeship under the watchful eye of their spiritual guru[Mom].
Today was the first day back to school for three of my four kids. Yeehaw!
Edited by SCThornley 2006-08-31 9:45 AM
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| Holy Cow, SCT... 4 ladies getting ready all at the same time?? Wait until high school!!  |
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| Congratulations on weathering another summer vacation. I can say it that way because ours is lasting until the 5th. After the first feelings of relief come rushing in I'm sure to be nostalgic, with thoughts of I can't believe it's over already.
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| you can usually order them through ikea online, but hey, no pressure. LOL
uhm, my husband laughs at me because i'm not a normal girl. maybe i'm a 'spartan princess?' my total bathroom ritual from start to finish is about 15-20 minutes. Elimination, 3-4 minute shower, dry, hang up towel, dress, brush teeth, wash bathroom, take laundry downstairs.
yeah, maybe 15 mintues total. He takes about 10 mintues more than me.
i plan on homeschooling--so, there will be no summer vacatins. or, all school year will be vacation like. i'm leaning toward the latter--radical 'unschooling' looks like fun. |
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Practice Ahimsa, & Save Money!
