Michael Siminovitch, director of the California Lighting Technology Center at UC Davis, discusses the history of fluorescent lighting.
Siminovitch, as well as fellow experts Michael Neils and Timothy Tutt, discuss the growing popularity of CFLs, as well as the obstacles that could challenge widespread CFL adoption.
Bio
Michael Neils
Michael Neils is President of M. Neils Engineering, Inc., a Sacramento-based electrical engineering consulting firm, which is active in the design and specification of lighting systems. Mr. Neils has over 37 years experience in the engineering design of a wide range of electrical systems.
He is co-founder of the National Council on Qualifications for Lighting Professions, (NCQLP) a non-profit organization established to serve and protect the well-being of the public through effective and efficient lighting practice. From 1982 through 1991, Mr. Neils was a member of the California Energy Commission Professional Advisory Group, as liaison representative of the Illuminating Engineering Society.
He has served as Chairman of the Professional Advisory Group lighting subcommittee and in 1989 conducted "An Investigation of School Lighting Standards and Design Practice" for the California Energy Commission. From 1987 through 1993, he served as Chairman of the Commission's Advanced Lighting Professional Advisory Committee (ALPAC) that was responsible for establishing the scope and review of the Advanced Lighting Guidelines, which earned a U.S. Department of Energy publication award.
Michael Siminovitch
Michael Siminovitch is Director of the California Lighting Technology Center and Professor of Design at UC Davis. His work entails research and development in new residential and commercial lighting technologies.
Dr. Siminovitch works with manufacturers, utilities, and state agencies to test and demonstrate next-generation lighting systems. He has developed many successful lighting products, such as the Berkeley Lamp, which saves three-quarters of the wattage used by traditional lamps.
Dr. Siminovitch has also developed an innovative fluorescent down lighting system for commercial and residential spaces, high performance torchiere, high efficiency sulfur lamp, and fiber optic illuminators.
Timothy Tutt
Timothy Tutt manages the Appliance and Process Energy Office at the he California Energy Commission. Formerly, he was Advisor to Chair Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, served as the Technical Director of the Renewable Energy Program, and worked for five years on energy efficiency, air quality and demand forecasting issues.
Prior to joining the Energy Commission in 1990, Tim was at Southern California Edison for eight years and at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for 3 years.
The mandated use of CFL bulbs is yet another meaningless, possibly harmful, nanny state intrusion into our homes and an infringement of our freedom. 2012 is coming soon and we will be forced to abandon the incandescent bulb, one of the greatest inventions in human history, and for what? So politicians can pay back the "environmental" lobby, whose primary goal is self-congratulation.
Think about this - the United States Congress spent time debating and legislating which lightbulbs we will use. I would love to hear the Constitutional support for this tyranny.
I was excited about CFL's at first... now, not so much. They were much more expensive (3-10x) than the incandescent bulbs AND died surprisingly fast. (Despite advertisements claiming up to 10 years, mine averaged 1-2.) To top it all off, the total energy savings was unnoticeable. Perhaps next time, with higher-quality bulbs and a few tweaks (longer on/off cycles, etc.) they'll fare better for me.
"The life of a CFL is significantly shorter if it is only turned on for a few minutes at a time: In the case of a 5-minute on/off cycle the lifespan of a CFL can be up to 85% shorter, reducing its lifespan to close to that of incandescent light bulbs."
Every CLF I have seems to burn out in less than a year. Sometimes they smell like electronic parts burning, because they ARE. I hate these things give me old fashioned lights any day. I would try LED's but they are still to expensive.
According to gelighting.com, the mercury isn't released when your using them as long as they are used properly, so you just have to be really careful when you replace them. Try not to drop or break them. Always take them out or put them in by the base not by the glass tubing. Here is an article on how to properly dispose of them: http://www.gelighting.com/na/home_li...t.htm#disposal
I recently put one in almost every light in my home and I definitely prefer them, much brighter than the bulbs I used before. One of my friends said it lowered the cost of her electricity bill, I am waiting to see if I have the same turn out...Very interesting video!
If you're a lighting geek like me, the history is somewhat interesting however I would have liked to have seen some more impacting ideas presented or even just some "call to arms" to the lighting industry to raise their games and answer the consumers needs they have identified.
member. 
