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The History and Future of Fluorescent Lighting

UC Davis Energy Efficiency Center
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back_ache Avatar
back_ache
Posts: 7
Posted: 06.24.09, 03:45 AM
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.
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Rdallas1 Avatar
Rdallas1
Posts: 44
Posted: 06.24.09, 11:06 AM
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!
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SPFLDtv Avatar
SPFLDtv
Posts: 2
Posted: 06.24.09, 11:29 PM
My fluorescent lights don't appear to last much longer than my other lights, plus they contain Mercury. How do you dispose of them properly?
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Rdallas1 Avatar
Rdallas1
Posts: 44
Posted: 06.25.09, 11:40 AM
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
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greenlaserboy Avatar
greenlaserboy
Posts: 2
Posted: 08.01.09, 12:32 PM
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.
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OAKside Avatar
OAKside
Posts: 1
Posted: 08.07.09, 02:17 PM
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."
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