Q: I've been hearing a lot about replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFLs, to save energy. I want to do it, but it feels wasteful to get rid of perfectly good light bulbs. I think that you should advice people to put in CFLs only after incandescents wear out. If I'm wrong about that, please explain why.
A: I know what you mean; it goes against a Vermonter's grain to toss something that's useful. But as far as I'm concerned, compared to CFLs, incandescents aren't actually useful. Incandescent bulbs demand as much as 75% more energy and burn out as much as 10-times faster than CFLs. So the wasteful option, it turns out, is to keep the functioning incandescents.
I look at it this way: I paid about 60 cents for the 60-watt incandescent I used to have in the lamp beside my favorite armchair. Less than two months after replacing it with a CFL, I earned those 60 cents back in energy savings. If you multiply that savings by every light socket in the house, for all the years that CFLs last, the savings are significant. So, throwing out a functioning incandescent actually saves me money.
If you're concerned about the environmental impact of adding more trash to the landfill, keep in mind that incandescents damage Vermont's environment as long as they're lit. That's because they demand more electricity from power plants that, in turn, pollute the air. Bottom line: Hanging onto old incandescents costs you, and the environment, day after day. Thanks for the great question!
Q: My dad noticed that I switched over a bunch of lamps in my house to CFLs. He said it was a bad idea because trash haulers and dumps won't take them. Is it true that there's nowhere to dispose of CFLs?
A: No. While your dad is right that you can't toss compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in the household trash or household recycling, there are plenty of places in Vermont where you can dispose of CFLs. You can bring unbroken bulbs to many hardware stores for free recycling. You also can take broken and unbroken CFLs to many waste-disposal facilities. To find a participating location near you, visit www.newbulbintown.com
Q: My husband and I are geeks about energy use. We've been having a debate about a couple of things related to compact fluorescent light bulbs. First, if we put a CFL in a fixture that places the bulb in an upside-down position, will the bulb last as long as one that's upright? Second, if a CFL is in a ceiling dome light with little airflow, will the longevity of the bulb or quality of light be less?
A: From one energy geek to another: In both cases, light quality will be unaffected but longevity may indeed be somewhat shortened. While it's tough to know exactly how much shorter the life of an upside down or enclosed CFL is, I can tell you that a CFL will last longer than an incandescent in any fixture. CFLs in ideal conditions last up to 10 times longer than incandescents. So, no matter where you and your husband place them, you won't be reducing their life to the level of an incandescent.
A: I'm glad to help. You can start by directing your students' attention to the familiar overhead tubes that most likely light your classroom. I?m sure they'll be able to identify these as fluorescent lights. You can explain that the more light we want from a fluorescent light, the greater a tube's surface area needs to be. If your class then takes a look at a compact fluorescent light (CFL), they'll see that this, too, is a tube. CFLs have simply been shaped into a spiral so that they?ll take up the same amount of space as a traditional Edison bulb without losing the surface area needed to produce good quality, bright light. Thus the term 'compact fluorescent'.
As for the base of the CFL, it's called a ballast. This is an electronic device that provides the voltage necessary to turn on the light and then regulates the voltage to allow the CFL to operate with the highest efficiency. Ballasts serve the same purpose in those overhead fluorescent lights in your classroom, but they're part of the fixture, not of the tube. If your students are interested in learning more about energy efficiency, you can arrange for a speaker from Vermont Energy Education Program to conduct a hands-on workshop in your classroom. Visit www.veep.org
A: You will get the same energy-saving benefit from compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) no matter where you use them. For readers who don't know, I'll mention that the benefit is as much as a 75% reduction in energy use, plus non-energy benefits like high-quality light and as much as 10 times longer bulb life than incandescents.
The advantage of an energy-efficient fixture is that you're guaranteed to use less energy because it's designed specifically for CFLs. So, you'll never be tempted to put a high-energy light bulb in it.
The best times to consider getting energy-efficient fixtures is when you're renovating, decorating, replacing non-functional fixtures, or fitting-up a newly constructed space. So, it sounds like your son is a good candidate for energy-efficient fixtures. You and your son can find Vermont stores that carry energy-efficient lighting by visiting the residential marketplace section. I hope your son enjoys making his new place a home.
A: Yes, many energy-efficient flood lights are designed for use outdoors year-round, even in the coldest locations. Numerous lighting store and hardware store owners in Vermont are knowledgeable about all this, so take advantage of their help. To find a store selling energy-efficient lights near you, visit the residential marketplace section of www.efficiencyvermont.com.
As for using energy-efficient bulbs in motion detectors, sure, you could do that. The only downside is this: A motion detector is designed to shut off between three and ten minutes after each time it comes on. If your kids are standing still at that moment, the lights will go off until someone moves. Another option is to install a timer, to automatically turn off the lights after a specific time, such as an hour. The disadvantage of a timer is that, if it turns off the lights while the kids are still on the rink, they'd need to skate in the dark, to go to the timer and reset it, instead of simply waving an arm to engage a motion detector. It's your call as to whether or not a short shut-off time or the need for timer-resetting would pose a safety problem or if it would bother the skaters.
Great question. The amount of electricity used by an empty light socket is so miniscule that it won't show up in your electric bill. The real issue here -- other than Vegas aesthetics -- is safety. An empty bulb socket is live when the switch is turned on. That makes it a shock hazard if something comes into contact with the conductors inside the socket. While the likelihood of that happening with a wall or ceiling fixture is low, why take the chance?
I suggest that you put a burned-out incandescent bulb into the unneeded sockets. If you don't have a burned-out bulb, put in a new one, turn on the switch and then, before the bulb has a chance to heat up, gently twist the bulb counterclockwise, just enough until it goes out and not so far that it's at risk of falling out. You can leave it like that until you replace the fixture. It's no more funny-looking than an empty socket, and you'll protect everybody in the house from the shock hazard without using extra electricity.
Q. Does it take more energy to turn my TV and lights on and off than it does to leave them running?
A. No, that's an old myth that causes a lot of people to waste a lot of energy. Leaving lights, TVs, computers and other appliances running - even when they're not being used - doesn't save energy. I like to use the 5-minute rule: If you know you're not going to return to a room for at least 5 minutes, shut off all the appliances in that room, including the lights. For fluorescent lights, use the 15-minute rule.
Q. How much energy do Christmas lights use?
A. That depends on the kind you use. Standard mini-bulbs use about 25 watts per 50-bulb strand. If you leave four strands on all night long for a month, the electricity will cost you approximately $5. The larger old-style lights can use as much as 250 watts per 50 bulb strand so will cost 10 times as much as mini-bulbs. If you're looking to reduce costs associated with holiday lighting, your best option is the LED variety. LEDs, or Light Emitting Diodes, use as little as 2 to 4 watts per strand and can last for 20 years. They don't use a heated filament to produce light, so they also run cooler, reducing fire risk.
Q. Could you tell me about the electricity usage and the safety of halogen torchieres?
A. Although many people love their look, halogen torchieres are the perfect example of a low-priced - and potentially dangerous - technology that proves to be costly over the long term. A 300-watt halogen torchiere used four hours a day will consume 438 kWh per year (about as much as an ENERGY STAR refrigerator!) and will cost about $55 per year to operate - easily more than the lamp cost in the first place.
As for the safety issue, a torchiere with a high-wattage (200-500 watts) bulb creates temperatures of 970 to 1200 - enough heat to fry an egg! The Consumer Product Safety Commission says that there have been at least 189 fires and 11 fire-related deaths directly attributed to halogen torchieres and have instituted a voluntary recall of some 40 million halogen torchiere lamps.
If you like the look of a torchiere, think about replacing your halogen model with one of the new energy-efficient torchieres now available. Several companies make energy-efficient torchieres with compact fluorescent bulbs that are much cooler to the touch. Many of these new attractive models feature full dimming capability, are much safer, use a fraction of the energy - and offer instant, in-store ENERGY STAR rebates.
Q. How can I get a "daylight" look in my office space with CFLs?
A. I'm guessing you're in a space that doesn't get much natural daylight. If you're just looking to brighten things up, check out what's in your overhead lighting fixtures. Replacing older fluorescent bulbs with ENERGY STAR®-rated bulbs that have a higher "color temperature" - the color produced by any light is called its color temperature, measured in degrees Kelvin (k) - can give you a very bright, daylight look. Look for ENERGY STAR-rated CFLs within the 4,000K to 5,000K range, but watch out - you might just need your shades!
Q. Where can I find compact fluorescent pointy bulbs with a candelabra base for my chandelier?
A. My first suggestion would be that you check with one of the larger lighting supply stores in your area. The store may be more familiar with the type of bulb you need. Since these lamps are available in a variety of sizes, employees may be able to recommend a good alternative choice or to special-order the bulb you need. If you can't find what you need, contact us and our customer service department will help you track the bulbs down.
Q. Don't CFL bulbs have the distracting habit of humming and flickering?
A. You will be happy to learn that most new fluorescent bulbs give you steady, hum-free light. The new electronic ballasts are not only more efficient, but also quiet and quick to start. Look for a quality product with the ENERGY STAR® label and be sure to ask for a demonstration at your lighting or hardware store.
A. Absolutely. Compact fluorescent lamps come in hundreds of shapes and sizes, including spot lights. You should be able to find them where ENERGY STAR® lighting is sold. Visit the Marketplace to find a retailer. These lamps can screw right into your existing cans or track fixtures, and provide just as much light at a fraction of the energy. As with other compact fluorescent lamps, look for the ENERGY STAR logo to ensure you get a good product.
Q. Is there a white compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) that has warmer type light?
A. Sure there is! The color produced by any light is called its "color temperature," measured in degrees Kelvin (k). With CFLs, the range of color temperatures varies from a warm, reddish-yellow 2,700K to a cooler, bluer 6,500K. It sounds like you're looking for a color of light similar to what you'd get from a conventional incandescent light bulb, so you'd want to stick to the bottom of the scale. Look for CFLs with a color temperature between 2,700 and 3,000K.
Q. Where can I find a non-screw-in bulb for my ENERGY STAR® lamp?
A. Bring the old bulb to your local hardware or lighting store. Even if they don't have one in stock, they should be able to identify the model and order it for you. If you need a list of lighting retailers in your area, contact us or visit the Marketplace or check the manufacturer's web site.
Q. How much energy do energy-efficient light bulbs save?
A. Energy-efficient light bulbs-also known as compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs-use one-third the energy and provide the same amount of light as incandescent bulbs. CFLs can last seven to 10 times longer than traditional bulbs. Ask your storekeeper for a rebate form, and you'll get money back from Efficiency Vermont for up to six CFLs.
Q. Does using fluorescent bulbs offer any other benefits?
A. Good question. Because they use less energy, fluorescent bulbs actually help reduce the amount of pollution caused by energy production - including the emission of mercury (from coal combustion) into the environment. When you use compact fluorescent lights, you reduce mercury pollution by lowering the demand for electricity from power plants that emit mercury. A power plant will emit 10 mg of mercury to produce the electricity to run one incandescent bulb compared to only 2.4 mg to run a compact fluorescent light for the same time.
Switching to fluorescents may also help reduce global warming, which experts attribute mainly to the emission of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels. To generate one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy in New England - about what it takes to run one 100-watt bulb for 10 hours - approximately 1.18 pounds of carbon dioxide are emitted. Replacing just three incandescent light bulbs with fluorescents can eliminate 214 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year, or more than 1000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over the lifetime of those bulbs.
Q. Can energy-efficient light bulbs be used outdoors?
A. They sure can. Just look on the box for the bulb's starting temperature, to be sure that it matches the temperature range where you'll use the bulb. Be aware that the colder it gets outside, the longer it will take for these bulbs to come to full brightness. So locate them accordingly.
Q. When will manufacturers offer a compact fluorescent light in the bulb shape I'm used to?
A. They already do! If you really prefer the look of a traditional bulb, look for an encapsulated fluorescent bulb. They are available with either round or half-hourglass shape frosted glass globes. If you're having trouble locating them, visit the Marketplace for a list of local suppliers.
But, you know, the spiral bulbs you're referring to really give off great light, and the shape isn't noticeable when you hide them behind shades or in glass globes.
Q. I can't find a spiral bulb that will fit my lamps. What can I do?
A. Not being able to find a compact fluorescent bulb to fit your lamps was a pretty common problem with older bulbs. However, today there is a wide assortment of shapes available. Finding one that fits usually isn't a problem. But if you're just not having any luck, there are a couple of things you can do.
Try getting a taller or a wider lamp "harp" (the piece that clips into the lamp and that you screw the shade onto) or attaching a harp adapter to the base of the harp to make it wider. You should be able to find both harp and harp adapters at lighting stores as well as many craft and hardware stores.
Q. Why can't I just put my "dead" fluorescent bulbs in the trash?
A: Compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs contain small traces of mercury (only 4mg * - less than the amount in a watch battery). Using CFLs actually reduces mercury pollution by helping to lower the amount of energy we use. Decreasing energy use reduces the amount of mercury released by power plants into our environment.
When products containing mercury are placed in the trash, the mercury doesn't disappear. Instead, it finds its way into the environment. That's why any mercury-containing bulb, regardless of the amount of mercury, should never be discarded in the trash, but handled as hazardous waste and stored carefully to avoid breakage. Visit the Vermont Mercury Education & Reduction Campaign (MERC) web site for handling, storage and recycling information, and to find a recycling site near you. Also, True Value stores in Vermont offer free fluorescent bulb recycling.
Q. Last year I bought LED Christmas lights, which I love. Are there other LED options for my home?
A. Yes, LED (light-emitting diode) products are being made for a range of residential and commercial uses. Be aware that, while LEDs use very little energy, their light output and light quality are generally low compared to compact fluorescent bulbs. So, good current uses are limited to such items as the holiday lights you like, night lights, exit signs, commercial signs and traffic lights. But watch this emerging technology; LED quality and pricing are both improving.
