Spending money to save money is, sometimes, one of those concepts you really have to wrap your head around. And, let’s face it, that can be as painful as it sounds, especially when you’re talking about light bulbs. Walk into any home improvement store and you can find regular incandescent light bulbs for $1 each or less. When you consider the fact that the average American household has 40 or more light bulbs inside, even on the cheap end of the scale, you’re spending a lot more than just pocket change to illuminate your home. So why in the world would you willingly spend 4 or 5 times more to purchase the green, tree-hugging compact fluorescent lights?Now before you start chasing me down with tar and feathers, let me explain that I AM one of those green tree huggers. Almost every bulb in my home is a CFL, because I already know those cheap incandescent bulbs aren’t quite as cheap as you think. If you ever get the chance, get one of those really cool point-and-shoot digital thermometers and take a few readings of the bulbs in your home. It’s shocking at how much heat they produce. Just in case you’re wondering, I have done that. I got a reading of 229° on a simple 60-watt incandescent bulb! If you knew how hot an indoor flood got, you might have an anxiety attack! This heat can create havoc on your cooling costs, and, can be a potential fire hazard. In addition, incandescent bulbs just don’t last that long in the overall scheme of things. This is particularly true for lights that are used on a daily basis. When I looked at the cost of the bulb (cheap as it was) in addition to the energy consumption, the added heat build-up and the potential safety hazards; I realized I could actually save money by purchasing a more expensive CFL.
The CFL
The one thing I never liked about CFL’s is the shape. It always reminded me of those curly fries you get at Arby’s. As long as they were tucked neatly away, no big deal; but most bulbs are plainly visible in ceiling fans, of which I have six in my home. Thankfully, recent designs have placed those curls inside a traditional-looking dome, so they don’t look as odd at first glance. Compact fluorescent bulbs are 3-4 times more energy efficient than an incandescent and about 75% cooler, plus they last, on average, five times longer. CFL’s also now come in different shades of white (cool, warm, daylight) plus bug-busting yellow. The biggest outcry from the environmental community is the fact that CFL’s have mercury in them. To be honest, while I do recognize the concern, I really don’t have a problem with that. What the CFL bashers don’t tell you is that there’s barely enough mercury in a CFL to fit on the tip of a pencil, usually less than 5 milligrams. Compare that to a full gram that’s inside your typical medicine thermometer…OMG, call the EPA, stat! Nonetheless, the mercury content does pose a few problems for some people and, when the time comes, you have to provide a proper disposal. I’m particularly fond of a solution by Waste Management. They have postage-paid containers you can use to collect any burnt-out or broken CFL’s and ship them straight to WM for proper disposal. Even better, The Home Depot is accepting your spent CFL's and will recycle them for you! Way to step forward, Depot! Yes, it’s true, I spent over $150 on light bulbs, but I think it was a good investment, and definitely green….until….LED Lights
I’m the first person to admit when I’m wrong. The CFL is old news when it comes to energy efficiency. The Light-Emitting Diode (LED) bulb is starting to really make its mark on the green light sockets of the world. In the past, LED’s weren’t even a contender. They were okay for dim accent lights, low-voltage landscape lights or for strings of lights on the Christmas tree, but not for fixtures like recessed lights. As technology continued to develop, you started seeing LED bulbs for your light fixtures that cost about $100 each. I don’t know about you, but a hundred bucks a pop for one bulb is positively ludicrous. They’re finally coming down in price, though. I saw one by Philips the other day for just under $50. That’s still a little rich for my blood, but the numbers add up better. Here’s what I mean: An LED bulb lasts about ten times longer than a CFL. That means I can spend about the same amount of money for one LED over its lifetime as I would for the same amount of incandescent bulbs I would use for the same fixture. LED’s produce virtually no heat, so I’m also saving on my cooling costs and I have no fears of a surprise bonfire. Does it make sense, then, to make the switch to LED’s right now? My wallet’s not convinced yet. Think about it this way: If I had purchased LED’s last time, I would have spent about $1800… JUST FOR LIGHT BULBS. I realize that on paper, it makes perfect sense, but for now I’m still sticking to CFL’s until technology catches up with my budget. At $50 per bulb, if I happen to move and do have LED’s in my home, I’ll negotiate leaving the appliances and lawnmower, but the bulbs are coming with me. And I don’t think cheaper bulbs are a pipe dream either. In fact, I got wind of a really good LED bulb developed at Cambridge for less than $3 each. Hey, share the wealth, college boys! LED’s are, without a doubt, the most energy-efficient bulb on the planet, but don’t make me decide between them or my mortgage payment. The mortgage wins every time.
No comments:
Post a Comment