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CLEVELAND, OH — More Americans are buying energy efficient lighting and are aware of the energy-saving benefits -- but most are clueless about the phaseout of incandescent bulbs that starts in two years.
Those are the main findings of a study by GE Lighting, whose research results are similar to those of a study conducted by Osram Sylvania.
GE's research showed that 82 percent of 1,519 homeowners surveyed online said they currently use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) at home -- though apparently not exclusively because 80 percent said they also use incandescent bulbs.
Fifty-two percent said they plan to buy more CFLs in future and are motivated to do so by energy savings.
Yet about 75 percent said they are not aware of the impending federal requirement for greater energy efficiency that will lead to the phaseout of less efficient lighting.
Osram Sylvania found that 74 percent of the people it surveyed had switched to an energy-saving light bulb in the past year and almost 75 percent were unaware of the upcoming changes affecting lighting.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 calls for a transition to more energy efficient lighting starting January 1, 2012, when 100-watt incandescent bulbs will no longer be sold. Seventy-five-watt traditional bulbs are the next go in 2013. Sales of 40- and 60-watt bulbs become a thing of the past in 2014.
"We're not sensing a rush by consumers to comply with the looming federal standards," Kathy Sterio, GE Lighting's general manager of consumer marketing said in a prepared statement.
"There's a major shift to CFLs but it's clearly is a matter of educated consumers choosing CFLs for their strengths," she said. "Our marketing, advertising and packaging have espoused the value of energy-efficient CFLs for over a decade."
CFLs use much less energy and last longer than standard bulbs. GE says its Energy Smart CFLs use a quarter of the energy consumed by incandescent bulbs, last as much as 10 times longer and gives off less heat.
People responding to the company's survey said that economic constraints have influenced where they now buy light bulbs. Twenty-six percent said have changed their habits and now favor low-price retailers, dollar stores and club stores.
Images courtesy of GE.
What about lamps and fixtures?
No one has yet commented on this: what about all the lamps and fixtures we have which will not hold a CFL? Have the lamp and fixture manufacturers paid someone (Congress?) under the table so they can sell more lamps and fixtures? Is it environmentally sensible or otherwise intelligent to throw away lamps and fixtures which work and are safe, just because you won't be able to buy bulbs to fit into them? It would appear prudent to buy a lifetime supply of incandescent bulbs rather than end up with lamps and fixtures one cannot continue using.
Mercury
I venture to guess that an even higher percentage of Americans that aren't aware of the incandescent phaseout are ignorant of the mercury dangers inherent with CFLs. If they knew, there would be hell to pay... and rightly so.
Not perfect, but better
CFL's are not the answer to the lighting efficiency problem. They are just the next step.
It's like any form of technology-it needs time to develop and, of course, people will reject it at first. LED's are the more efficient choice, but if businesses can't get people to pay $1 more for a light bulb, how would they ever get them to pay $30 more?
The technology of CFL's has developed rapidly to mimic the behavior of incandescents, and while using only 20% the amount of energy. The majority have defaulted to a "soft white" light with instant-on illumination. Most manufacturers site operable temperatures with a minimum of -27degrees Fahrenheit. Two years ago, the appearance of the bulb matched their names: fluorescent. The government and the manufacturers must be aware that any large-scale mandate of CFL usage will fail unless these bulbs can work just as the incandescents do--people don't always adjust so well to rapid change.
It's true that many types of lighting fixtures either are different sizes than the most economical CFL's, or are a style that simply does not fit a bulb with a larger ballast. The dimmable bulbs are not perfect and their functionality is situational. Any electrical work predating 1950 is most likely going to be a bit finicky with a CFL bulb, and even with modern wiring there is still a slight hum and not nearly the range of dimming light that an incandescent produces.
The mercury in a CFL bulb is 1% of that inside of a dial thermostat found in the majority of homes. And do consider that the majority of people over age 40 used to play with mercury in school when they were children. If your biggest concern for chemicals is a trace amount of mercury inside a light bulb, you haven't looked too close at the rest of the products in your life. The mercury in these bulbs becomes an issue when it's not disposed of; thus, consumer education has to be incorporated into any mandated change of lighting and access to disposal facilities must be readily available.
The new technology and designs in lighting will never catch on through sheer market popularity (sans government intervention) unless they can mimic the size, style, and behavior of incandescent bulbs. The behavior modification required across the spectrum of society is too great to occur on its own in a period of under 10 years--and we can't afford to wait that long. That's why the government is stepping in. It's kind of like recycling: 30 years ago, no one did it. Now there are bins at every house. But these days, who knows if we have that long, or where the so called "point of no return" is in our environment.
The CFL's aren't the end-all-be-all answer. But they're a step in the right direction.
CFL's are a deal with the devil
New Zealand recently repealed its phase out of incandescents due to unrelenting pressure from Kiwis who were suffering from the effects of higher electromagnetic interference and EMFs emitted by the bulbs. Added to this is the fact that every bulb contains toxic mercury and yes they do break easily and then create a nightmare for proper cleanup and disposal...I doubt we will see the repeal of the phase out here in the US, but as people become more aware of the electrosmog and dirty electricity issues that these CFLs cause we may have to deal with a public outcry for a mandated gov't program that was not well throught out...nothing new there...stock up on incandescents and just turn them off when not in use! Now there is a concept!
CFL's are a dead end. They
CFL's are a dead end. They take forever to warm-up; the light output is poor and they don't last any longer than the incandescent bulbs in actual use. As CFL's fail I have started replacing them with incandescents. It's cheaper.
Black Market
Never thought I'd see myself going to the black market to buy light bulbs.
oh really..
oh really,
Government has nothing better to do than to mandate that people buy silly hippie bulbs. how about the the market make these kind of decisions. If people want chinese made, 10$ bulbs that don't work with dimmers or when it is cold outside let them buy them.
CFL's are already out-dated and out-moded
There are two reasons I won't switch to CFL's exclusively, number 1 is they are not dimmable and the ones that claim they are, do it poorly. I shouldn't have to buy all new dimmer switches to make them work, the bulbs should work with the technology that was available when they were created. Number 2, the light output is awful compared to halogen and incandescent lighting. Both the color spectrum and lumen output are below average at best.
LED lighting is where these companies should be investing their money. True the light output of these is a bit harsh as well, but there are more rewards for going this route over CFL. Dimming I believe will still be some what of an issue, but not nearly as bad as with the CFL's. They run cooler, last a lot longer and can actually be made "compact". But they will never catch on if the cost doesn't come down soon, prior to phaseout in 2 years. $20-30 for a standard size light bulb is outrageous and a deal killer for pretty much everybody.