SEP 04

I love the angle that Panama’s “Operation Light Bulb” takes. Rather than add more power to the grid (which would take the form of yet another power plant), Panama is spending $13 million to buy and distribute CFLs to its citizens to ease the strain on the grid.

The move would provide an average of two CFLs per citizen, push back the need to add 60 MW of power, and costs about one tenth of setting up another power plant.

This initiative underscores the notion that we it’s not that we as a species need more energy, because we don’t – we need to use the energy we have more efficiently, and at the same time, find renewable ways to gather the energy that we do need.

We’ve just discussed the idea that it’s not the light bulbs themselves that make a difference; so while the exact move itself is interesting but relatively small time, combining this with a whole lot of consumer education about the need to make smarter decisions about energy use could make a real difference. Of course, the real difference would come with the US and other developed/ing nations fully embracing the concept.

Via Reuters via TreeHugger; Photo via Steve Levi

Comments (6)

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written by Clinch, September 04, 2008

I still think CFLs suck compaired to LEDs, and that the main problem with lighting isn't residential (>3% national energy usage), it's industrial/commercial (~19%).

But it will be interesting to see if Panama comes close to saving as much energy through this as they predict they will.

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Would never happen in the US
written by Bandraginus, September 04, 2008

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but this kind of initiative would be much harder to make work in the US because the privatized power industry would not take too kindly to officials "doing them out of revenue".

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Perhaps it did
written by gianni, September 04, 2008

For a while last year in the Puget Sound area CFL's were selling for about a buck a piece, courtesy of Puget Sound Electric. I guess the did the math and figured out it was cheaper to subsidize CFLs than try to build or replace a dam. So, it can happen here in the US, when someone is smart.

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Puget Sound?
written by Clinch, September 06, 2008

How did it go for Puget Sound last year then?
Did they significantly reduce their energy consumption, or did it not go quite how they planned? (my guess is the latter).
And did they end up having to do some dam work after all?

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Eco Luxury 5 * resort powered by 100% Hy
written by Simon Hurst, October 16, 2008

This project that is in the construction phase in Bocas Del Toro, just of the caribbean coast of Panama in Central America. Will boast the 1st zero carbon footprint in the world for a luxury resort.

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Emerald Monkey
written by Simon Hurst, October 16, 2008

Here is the project website for more information:

www.emerald-monkey.com

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