Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy Monkey
Depends on how efficient they are... What's the electricity difference?
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Seven times less electricity for the same light.
Fluorescent technology is not new. Before Edison developed an incandescent bulb, fluorescents had already been developed and demonstrated. Yes, the technology is that old. In one early experiment, that scientist was trying to determine how long a fluorescent tube could be. He had a tube many tens of feet long before his cat overturned his experiment.
Lightning industry made a big push in the 1960s to make incandescents as efficient and long lasting as possible. By 1970s, incandescents were considered as good as they would get. Eventually some of those better ideas appeared as 'new technology' such as halogens.
CFLs demonstrate again why, for example, the Macintosh could be developed in early 1970s and yet sit stifled for almost 10 years. Why Unix could be developed in late 1960s and early 1970s - and yet remain stifled by AT&T until rescued by AT&T self destruction and by Linus Torval. Why electric motors could be developed in the 1800s and yet not cause massive productivity gains until what we now call the Roaring 20s.
CFLs have been suddenly 'discovered' by Sylvania and Wal-mart. And yet still so many 'fear change'. Minor 'tactical' problems (noise, startup time, color) will become even less so as we finally reject our fears and innovate.
CFLs demonstrate how many of us fear innovation as we did computers in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
LEDs for lights? I was putting them into my mid 1980s designs to eliminate switch failure and (worse) failure of mission critical warning lights. Companies such as LEDtronics have been making LED incandescent replacements for maybe 20 years now. LED replacement for essential lighting such as Fire Exit signs are that old, that long available, and still some refuse to use the technology.
Opposition to CFLs is mostly silly as was my opposition to broccoli. Wrestling taught me to make broccoli one of my favorite foods. Logic prevailed. There are some situations where obsolete technology incandescents will still be necessary just as there are still places where horses are preferred.
CFLs are perfect example for the post-baby boomers here to learn and appreciate how opposed so many are to innovation - new ideas - change. That has always been a problem in America. The more widespread that fear, then recession occurs.
Light bulbs that use 1/7th the energy - and yet so many are still opposed. Watch the opposition that Wal-mart has from others, such as GE and Home Depot, when trying to promote innovation in America.