Energy efficient light sources like this compact fluorescent bulb look set to replace the incandescent bulb Down Under, after the Australian Government announced today that the conventional bulbs will be phased out by 2010.
Credit: Wikipedia
SYDNEY: The venerable but rampantly inefficient conventional incandescent light bulb is set to be phased out in Australia by 2010.
The move is expected to reduce Australia's carbon emissions by roughly four million tonnes per year by 2015, when all incandescent bulbs will have been replaced with more energy-efficient options.
"The most effective and immediate way we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions is by using energy more efficiently," said Australian Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull, announcing the new policy earlier today. "Electric lighting is a vital part of our lives … but it is still very inefficient. We have been using incandescent light bulbs for 125 years and up to 90 per cent of the energy each light bulb uses is wasted, mainly as heat."
Emissions can be reduced, said Turnbull, by switching to alternatives like compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), which use about 80 per cent less energy than conventional incandescent bulbs.
According to the ministry, energy for lighting represents about 12 per cent of greenhouse emissions from households, and 25 per cent from the commercial sector.
Nationwide energy provider EnergyAustralia reports on their website that swapping one conventional bulb for a compact fluorescent can prune up to A$10 from your electricity bill every year.
Traditional incandescent bulbs generate light by forcing electric current along a very thin wire called a filament, usually made of tungsten. The flowing current heats the filament so much that it glows brightly - producing light as a by-product of heat.
In the far more efficient and long-lasting fluorescent bulbs, a small amount of mercury vapour is contained inside a glass tube. Electric discharges inside the tube cause the mercury to emit ultraviolet light, which is invisible to humans. A fluorescent coating on the inside of the tube (which gives fluorescent lights their familiar opaque white colour) absorbs the photons and re-emits them as visible light.
Charlie Stevens, a spokesperson for WWF Australia, notes that, while "energy-efficient bulbs are more expensive than the 60-cent bulbs from the supermarket," consumers will make their money back quickly in electricity bill savings.
WWF has congratulated the new policy, but cautioned that it is not a cure for global warming. "We think it's a great idea. This is a useful first step in transforming to an energy efficient world," said Stevens, "but it is a small first step … a lot of work still needs to be done."
In 2004, Australia emitted about 564 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. The reduction of four million tonnes expected from full replacement of incandescent bulbs with CFLs is equivalent to 1 per cent of the total. Stevens, suggesting that a suitable goal for tackling global warming would be a massive 60 per cent reduction in emissions from current levels by 2050, said that the new policy "was nowhere near enough."
The new move will not affect halogen bulbs like those found in automobile headlamps and track lighting in homes. While halogens work on a similar principle as incandescents, halogen bulbs last longer and are more efficient than their conventional cousins.
Australia is not the first government to propose switching off incandescents; last month, the U.S. state of California proposed a bill that would phase out incandescent light bulbs by 2012 in favour of CFLs.
CFL vs Power LEDS
Granted LED concept sounds promising,unfortunately the cost of converting a conventional home to this technology is currently cost prohibitive. The price of a 10 watt CFL globe is around $5.00 each compared to an LED equivalent at around $150.00 to $175.00 each, this will cost a minimum of around $2,500.00 just to replace bulbs, additional cost if transformers or DC power supplies are needed and if light fittings have to be changed.
As you can see, the average home owner is not going to throw this kind of money at LED lighting, another point to consider is that LED lamps do not give the same intensity or beam angles as standard MR16 globes, you may find the lighting effect from LED's very disappointing.
For my money, I think I'll wait until LED technology substantially improves and most certainly comes down in price...a long long way down or at least comparable to CFL.
Regards,
Rather Naive
If ever there was a policy, which sounds just great in theory, but is apt to do a lot of damage to a fair proportion of the citizenry in practice, it's this one. Just what does Turnbull plan to do with the huge range of folks, who because of anything from migraines, epilepsy or autism cannot cope with fluorescent lighting?
Compact fluoros with
Compact fluoros with electronic ballasts (which I believe is most of them) operate at a much higher frequency than the conventional long tube type fluorescents so you won't have the 50Hz flicker that causes the problems you have described.
What about those people who
What about those people who suffer from Irlen Syndrome??(lots of people have this and don't even realize )
You can read about it here, and even take a test to see if you might have it:
http://www.readingandwriting.ab.ca/judypool/irlen.htm
Fluoros in offices, schools, etc....even the monitors on computers affect people with irlen syndrome terribly :(
I only recently started learning about Irlen since my older sister (who is a Doctor), and my niece and nephew
all found out they suffer from it, and had to change all
of the fluoros in my sister's office. (the kids have to
sit next to natural light windows at school).
They had special prescription glasses made, and have filters for their computer screens, etc....
How about solar power?? Solar lightbulbs?? :)
Go right past that pesky fluoro stage and into the
greener, earth-friendly, healthier future :)
Take care,
Extremis :)
******
Some people are still sensative under new ballasts
I have read that the faster ballasts reduce symptoms in about 50% of those who have problems. I personaly still have seizure activity under any type of fluorescent, although it takes longer to start under the newer ones.
About using compact fluros in refridgearators
I tryed using compact fluro tubes in a side by side fridge and freaser with edison fitting in it and when i installed them at first they were bright but when they are cold they are very dimm and the ends go black they will have to make them fridge and freaser and microwave oven and a standed oven safe ones as well or go just leds versions for these applinces some range hoods above the stove are fine i installed one in a range hood and it was a lot better then a 40 w bulb i installed a 15 w compact fluro and it was heaps better to see whats cooking on the stove