WyBlog

Congress just banned the incandescent light bulb

A little noticed provision in the massive Energy Bill just signed by President Bush requires that the use of incandescent light bulbs is to be phased out starting in 2012. First to go are 100 watt bulbs with the goal of total elimination of incandescent light in the United States by 2020.

If you thought the whole 1.6 gallon toilet mandate was nuts, this will really get your blood boiling. The most likely replacement for incandescent bulbs are compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. The problem is, they cost 6 to 10 times more than a similar wattage incandescent bulb; and even more if you want one that can be used with a dimmer or in an enclosed fixture. Special high efficiency halogen or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs cost even more.

The perceived benefit accrues because these bulbs use up to 70% less energy and are supposed to last anywhere from 2 to 5 years. All of that depends though on how they are used. In office buildings and department stores it makes sense because they leave the lights on for hours at a time. In homes we tend to turn lights on when we need them and turn them off again when we're done. Each on/off cycle reduces the life expectancy of a CFL bulb. In fact, if you regularly leave a CFL bulb on for less than 15 minutes it will significantly decrease the bulb's usable life. How many people pop into the bathroom for a minute or 2 -- are we supposed to just leave the bathroom lights on all the time?

And what about speciality bulbs? CFL bulbs may work well in a table lamp but what will your dining room chandelier look like with 8 or 12 ugly twisty tubes in place of those candelabra bulbs you have now? Yup, it'll look ridiculous.

For outdoor applications, most CFL bulbs will not even operate at temperatures below about 10 degrees Farenheit. The ones that do cost even more than a regular CFL bulb.

The eco-warriors pooh-pooh these shortcomings. They've convinced Congress that energy efficiency trumps any lack of convenience or cost issues that might arise. When Congress mandated the 1.6 gallon toilets there was an upsurge in junk yard toilet sales as people sought out discarded 3 and 5 gallon toilets because they simply worked better. I'm going to stock up on incandescent light bulbs. Who knows, maybe I can make a killing on Ebay after 2012 rolls around. Pssst buddy, wanna buy some GE soft whites? I've got a truckload around back....

Posted at 15:13 by Chris Wysocki   [/rants]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet