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--></style><title>Re: [RE-wrenches] CFL lighting and the mercury
hazard.</title></head><body>
<div><br></div>
<div>Hi Joel,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>(Michael, should this go to RE-Bitching or something?)</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I wonder if you are encouraging your clients to use
incandescents.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>CFLs are not perfect, but they are a big step forward.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>And there is certainly a wide variety of quality. Saying that
CFLs are poor quality is like saying "cars are poor quality"
-- ignoring the difference between a Hyundai and a Tesla (or
something).</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Also, light quality is very subjective. Some people like light on
the 2700 Kelvin end of the range ("warm" yellow) and others
on the 6000 Kelvin end ("cool" white).</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Personally, I think the fact that the brighten up slowly is a
wonderful feature. I'm glad the days of delay and blink are pretty
much gone though.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>If we are not promoting (good quality) CFLs (with wattage and
color temperature appropriate to the client's situation and taste), we
are promoting 3 to 4 times the energy use and PV system size.
Hmm.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Best,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Ian</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><tt><font size="-1">Some more added
thoughts. I am all for reducing lighting electrical consumption, but
only if the "improvement" is somehow better, faster,
cheaper.</font></tt></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><tt><font size="-1"> Almost all CFLs
have poor light quality and take time to brighten up to full
intensity. Also, if you don't like mercury, then thank the Bush
administration for changing the Clean Air Act mercury limit from 5
tons to 26 tons per year for power plants. Sleaze
like that travels all the way up and down the mercury supply
line.</font></tt><br>
<blockquote>----- Original Message -----</blockquote>
<blockquote><b>From:</b> <a
href="mailto:peter.parrish@calsolareng.com">Peter
Parrish</a></blockquote>
<blockquote><b>To:</b> <a
href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">'RE-wrenches'</a></blockquote
>
<blockquote><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, December 09, 2008 12:09
PM</blockquote>
<blockquote><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] CFL lighting and the
mercury hazzard.</blockquote>
<blockquote><br></blockquote>
<blockquote><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Carl is
correct. I would add two thoughts. We have been buying CFLs from Home
Depot, Ikea and we have been getting freebies from the Los Angels
Department of Water and Power. Both the Ikea and freebies fail in 1-2
years, so the story about 5-7 years life is a WAG. Second, let’s all
hold our collective breath: LEDs will rule the illumination market
fairly soon just as they have conquered the indication market for many
years now. It would be great if anyone has accumulated some lifetime
statistics on LED lighting.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">-
Peter</font></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt><font size="-1" color="#000080">Peter T. Parrish,
Ph.D., President<br>
California Solar Engineering, Inc.<br>
820 Cynthia Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90065<br>
Ph 323-258-8883, Mobile 323-839-6108, Fax 323-258-8885<br>
CA Lic. 854779, NABCEP Cert. 031806-26<br>
peter.parrish@calsolareng.com</font></tt></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<hr size="2"></blockquote>
<blockquote><font face="Tahoma" size="-1"><b>From:</b>
re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org]<b> On Behalf Of</b>
Carl Emerson<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, December 09, 2008 11:58 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> 'RE-wrenches'<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [RE-wrenches] CFL lighting and the mercury
hazzard.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt><font color="#0000FF">Hi
there,</font></tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt><font color="#0000FF">We have for years been
advocating the use of energy efficient Compact Fluorescent Lighting
(CFL) to reduce loads and reduce system cost.</font></tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt><font color="#0000FF">A recent study by DEP in Maine
has raised the alarm about mercury poisoning form these bulbs. If
there is a breakage the resulting levels of mercury on the floor of
the house are well above acceptable limits. Secondly there seems to be
little serious effort to safely recycle these bulbs in a manner that
keeps the mercury out of the eco system.</font></tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt><font color="#0000FF">I understand that LED lamps are
mercury free. This would seem to be a much safer
alternative.</font></tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt><font color="#0000FF">While many of us have mercury
amalgams in our mouth the mercury is supposedly in a form that is not
significantly ingested, whereas the mercury in a CFL is in vapour form
when hot and powder form when cold, and therefore can pose a hazard to
health.</font></tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt><font color="#0000FF">Can I suggest some discussion on
this and can we do our best to keep it scientific, I don’t mean to
spread emotional alarm without due cause.</font></tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt><font color="#0000FF">Thanks,</font></tt></blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><tt><font color="#0000FF">Carl
Emerson</font></tt></blockquote>
<blockquote><tt><font color="#0000FF">Free Power
Ltd.</font></tt></blockquote>
<blockquote><tt><font color="#0000FF">Auckland
N.Z.</font></tt></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<hr></blockquote>
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<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div>Ian Woofenden <ian.woofenden@homepower.com>, Senior Editor,
Home Power magazine<br>
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