Compact Fluorescent Lamps [RE-wrenches]

[Rob Harlan]

It sounds like some standards need to be put into place real soon.

I have had good luck with a high quality (and expensive) Panasonic model
EFA13E28. 84 CRI, 61.5 lumens per watt, 10,000 hour rated service life,
enclosed fixture approved,-30C to +90C temperature range (very good),
excellent lumen maintenance (cheap cfs often do not maintain lumen levels
over time), ³instant-on² (80% after 3 seconds, which is better than most),
Energy Star etc. approx $8US and made in Indonesia.  The higher price
changes the payback on paper but it is probably closer to real.
http://www.panasonic.ca/english/appliance/lighting/efa_specs.asp

Rob Harlan
Executive Director
Solar Energy Society of Canada
Northern Alberta Chapter
(780) 439-5608




On 7/19/07 9:42 AM, "Jeff Yago" <jryago at netscape.com> wrote:

> 
> Boy is this timely. I just submitted an article last month that will be on the
> new-stands in September in BackWoodsHome magazine on the very poor performance
> of the newer CFL being made in China.
> 
> I tested over 12 different name brands (Phillips, Sylvania, Westinghouse, GE)
> and found that ALL were now made in China, and these were not lasting anywhere
> long enough to justify their higher cost over a standard light bulb. Yes, I
> know wrenches only care about the lower watts which allows a down-size of
> inverter loads and battery size and I agree in off grid application that is
> needed regardless of cost or lamp life.   But these are being pushed by state
> governments and the industry as having a $30 to $40 energy savings if
> replacing an incandescent bulb of higher wattage.
> 
> When we built our solar home in 1994, Almost all were CFL made by Oshram from
> Italy and Germany except for a few 40 watt halogen PAR 30 recessed lights. All
> lights were installed at the same time and all new in November 1994 when we
> moved in, and we had almost no lamp failures until last year (12 years of
> operation!) for a typical residential hours of operation. But many of the
> failed CFL's we replaced last year have already failed. As research for this
> article, I contacted owners of grid-tie systems we have installed in the past
> 2 years where we also installed CFL's instead of incandescent bulbs and most
> indicated a 50% failure rate of the CFL's in less than one year of use, also
> having documented install dates.
> 
> Also according to my research, "Lights of America" is now the only
> manufacturer still operating in the US that is making CFL's and they are an
> independent (small) - so you have to really search to find their "made in USA"
> CFL's in the stores.
> 
> Why this is a big deal, California is about to outlaw most incandescent bulbs
> and require CFL's in all new construction, three other states are considering
> this legislation, and incandescent bulbs have already been banned in Canada
> and Australia. You say, so what if they only last 6 months instead of 10 years
> as advertised?  These things contain mercury and are about to fill up our land
> fills. Wal-Mart has already announced in a public news release this spring
> that they have purchased from China and plan to sell 100 million CFL's by
> 2008, thats 100,000,000 mercury containing bulbs that have a failure rate
> almost 10 times their advertised life. With their volume buying power, and no
> doubt a large discounted price, I think we can assume these will not be the
> Oshram brand that lasted 12 years for me!
> 
> Finally, I realize China does make some really good products, but I believe
> the US distributors are trying to get the price of CFL's much lower to make it
> easier for joe 6-pack to switch from a 50 cent light bulb to what has been a
> $5.00 CFL, and this pressure on drastically lowering manufacturing costs no
> doubt is affecting quality and burn time.
> 
> In closing, I hope none of you live near a landfill and if you do, don't drink
> well water!
> 
> Jeff Yago
> 
> 
> 
> _____________________________________________________________
> Netscape.  Just the Net You Need.
> 
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