Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL's)
New in the marketplace and soon-to-be-mandated, are compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) here to brighten our lives?
I like incandescent bulbs. I haven't cared, mostly, that they're incredibly inefficient devices that make a lot more heat than they do light. The CFL bulb is likely a prudent addition to the average American home and business when used in moderation. Take a few minutes to learn about the new product before you dismiss it as junk, then identify locations where it's sensible to use them, try a few, monitor their performance, and be mindful of how you dispose them.
Each CFL contains mercury (Hg). Quicksilver as I almost forgot. Bear in mind, though, that a typical CFL bulb has 2-5 milligrams of Hg per bulb. This is about 100 times less than the amount of Hg in a typical bulb-type medical thermometer, and perhaps as much as 1000 times less than what's in the glass vial inside an old bi-metal thermostat switch. Today, though, most of us use digital versions of those devices and, if not, we change those devices very infrequently, if ever. Bulbs, we know, are different; and mercury contamination can be disastrous.
Airborne mercury usually poses a low risk to humans, except in higher concentrations or when it makes it's way into the water supply through rivers, lakes, and oceans. In the water, Hg will transform into methyl mercury and build up to toxic levels in fish. Consumption of contaminated fish is the most common path for Hg exposure in humans. Pregnant women and young children are most vulnerable to the nasty effects of Hg exposure. If we all have CFL's in our homes, and many of us simply toss them in the trash (which will undoubtedly be the case), we will be making quite a mess.
Congress might not be thinking about that.
What leaders may be considering, though, is the opportunity that CFLs present before us today to safely, substantively, and simultaneously reduce our electric consumption, carbon footprints, and even the amount of mercury we each put into the environment.
CFLs can seriously reduce mercury emissions in our environment by reducing mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. A coal-fired power plant will emit 13.6 milligrams of Hg to produce the electricity required for an incandescent light bulb, compared to the 2-5 milligrams of Hg contained inside a CFL.
Some facts* to consider:
- Coal-generated electricity per KwH places 4 times as much mercury directly into our air than that which is contained inside a typical CFL bulb. A typical CFL bulb uses uses one fourth the energy of a common incandescent bulb to produce the same amount of light. Therefore, one has to conclude that the CFL, when disposed of properly, is a good thing.
- Incandescent bulbs get hot to the touch because they're much more efficient at producing heat than light; 90% of the energy used in an incandescent bulb is for heat generation and only 10% goes to produce the light we're seeking.
- In rare circumstances, infrared light produced from a CFL can cause interference with electronic devices that utilize infrared remote controllers. This can happen because the CFL needs to make ultraviolet light in order to get the phosphor to glow inside the bulb.
- The CFL bulb takes a while to warm up, too. Most of us won't notice the less-than-one-second start-up period, but it takes up to 3 minutes for a CFL bulb to get warmed up to the point of becoming electrically efficient.
- CFLs use 2/3 less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.
- Switching one 60 watt lamp in your home to a CFL could save you $30 over the life of the bulb. Switching more bulbs will save you more $$$.
- CFLs emit 70% less heat which then doesn't have to be removed by an air conditioner. This is especially significant in areas where cooling loads are great such as most office buildings and almost everywhere in the southern climes.
Collectively, it adds up and makes a lot of sense.
Use CFLs in areas where they're not going to get bumped. Don't put them in exposed, single light bulb bases found in many closets. Use them in places where they'll be turned on for long periods of time like outdoor lights or indoor fixtures that are often turned on for more than 15 minutes at a time. Use them where you don't want want the excess heat generation of an incandescent bulb. Don't use them at your desk if you don't like them. Dispose of them properly. Do these things, and you'll be on your way to maximizing the benefits and reaping significant energy savings.
But, use them somewhere. It will save you money.
And DO write to your representatives and tell them to stick to politics, not light bulbs. We're all bright enough to figure this out on our own.
--------------
* source: GE
