The "last major GE factory making ordinary incandescent bulbs in the United States" is set to close later this month. Most incandescent bulbs will be banned from sale in the US in 2014, and many other contries have enacted similar bans on incandescent bulbs within the next few years, as well. But while the deadline has been set, and the manufacture of incandescent bulbs is set to end in a couple of years, there is a growing market for specialty incandescent bulbs.
Against all reason though, bare filament light bulbs are spreading as a trendy fashion in restaurants, as was noted in the New York Times earlier this summer:
...they hover in groups of two and three. ...they snake through the cafe, restaurant and patio. ...they cluster near the entrance as an enticement.
They are not the latest cliques of beautiful people, but something quite old and plain: exposed-filament bulbs, energy-guzzling reproductions of Thomas Alva Edison’s first light bulb. And despite the escalating push to go green and switch to compact fluorescents — or perhaps because of it — their antique glow has spread like a power surge.
Incandescent bulbs are like fireplaces, a vestigial remnant from an earlier time. They can be appealing, certainly. For some they are a symbol of luxury, but they are wildly less efficient than contemporary alternatives. While they may contribute to the ambience of a space, their operating costs are huge, and much of the desired effect can be obtained from other sources, without resorting to the use of a lapsed technology.
If you are looking for a warm, romantic, old-fashioned light source, you might consider the suggestion of one enlightened restaurant owner: "Just light real candles, you know?"
image: CC 2.0 by Jack Newton
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written by Nathan Schock, September 10, 2010
Consumers need to be convinced of the need to change light bulbs and the benefits of doing so. To convince them, we need good stories: http://recycledglue.blogspot.c...story.html
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written by Tom Konrad, September 11, 2010
Have you considered the embodied energy of candles? They're worse than incandescents. Consider an LED candle... they're so realistic most people can't tell, and they'e not a fire hazard.
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written by Doc Rings, September 11, 2010
I've probably switched over 75% of my bulbs to "warm" colored CFL's. The warm color reproduces incandescent bulbs, at 1/5 the wattage.
About the only bulbs still incandescent are outdoor security flood lights, and some enclosed ceiling fan lights that would overheat CFL's.
I, too, hate the sickening blue glow of "cool" colored CFL's and regular fluorescents... but the "warm" colored CFL's are great.
Most last forever, but some have died particularly early deaths, mainly higher wattage ceiling lights in recessed cans... probably overheating. They also take 20 seconds to come to full brightness, which takes a bit of getting used to (higher wattage CFL's in the ceiling only).
Overall, I probably save $50 a month in electricity due to CFLs', and they have paid for themselves in a year.
@Dave: They are no more dangerous than just about anything else in your house: natural gas, electricity outlets, power tools, knives. You take more risk driving your car every day (1:500 chance of death PER DECADE of driving), than a slight chance of a whiff of mercury exposure from a broken CFL. You still drive, don't you? Sweat the big stuff, not the little stuff. It's the "big stuff" that kills ya! I should know, I see death all the time in the Emergency Department... and so far, no CFL deaths.
Dr. Rings, MD
About the only bulbs still incandescent are outdoor security flood lights, and some enclosed ceiling fan lights that would overheat CFL's.
I, too, hate the sickening blue glow of "cool" colored CFL's and regular fluorescents... but the "warm" colored CFL's are great.
Most last forever, but some have died particularly early deaths, mainly higher wattage ceiling lights in recessed cans... probably overheating. They also take 20 seconds to come to full brightness, which takes a bit of getting used to (higher wattage CFL's in the ceiling only).
Overall, I probably save $50 a month in electricity due to CFLs', and they have paid for themselves in a year.
@Dave: They are no more dangerous than just about anything else in your house: natural gas, electricity outlets, power tools, knives. You take more risk driving your car every day (1:500 chance of death PER DECADE of driving), than a slight chance of a whiff of mercury exposure from a broken CFL. You still drive, don't you? Sweat the big stuff, not the little stuff. It's the "big stuff" that kills ya! I should know, I see death all the time in the Emergency Department... and so far, no CFL deaths.
Dr. Rings, MD
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written by NCJ, September 11, 2010
A more than half of the CFL bulbs I have installed have died in short order, far sooner than their expected lifespan. Restaurants fold in 4-5 years on average here in Canada.. who wants to invest in incandescents? Smart businesses?
Also, CANDLES ARE WORSE THAN INCANDESCENT LIGHTS! They cause indoor air pollution, produce much less light and use more energy - it's just not 'grid' energy, but grid energy is cleaner and emits fewer GHGs per unit of energy. The petroleum (or hey, beeswax) could be used for other things. Bring on the incandescent mood lighting by all means!!
Also, CANDLES ARE WORSE THAN INCANDESCENT LIGHTS! They cause indoor air pollution, produce much less light and use more energy - it's just not 'grid' energy, but grid energy is cleaner and emits fewer GHGs per unit of energy. The petroleum (or hey, beeswax) could be used for other things. Bring on the incandescent mood lighting by all means!!
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written by psrby, September 12, 2010
I say ban all the bulbs! Who needs 'em?!? Get up with the sun, go to bed with the moon... so much simpler!
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written by Tiptheplanet, September 12, 2010
I'm just hoping that they ban them. It should be sooner than later, though. A fluorescent bulb is a much better choice. Over its lifetime, a fluorescent bulb will save $30 - $50.
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written by Belgrave Trust, September 13, 2010
I AGREE that we need to convince consumers and businesses because energy efficient lightbulbs actually save you money and if the argument is that they are using these lightbulbs for their appearance the hue they emit, now energy efficient light bulbs can do the same thing too.
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written by James, September 14, 2010
Incandescents aren't going anywhere...The efficiency standards everyone is hyped up about are only stringent enough to ban the regular filament type bulbs. All the major manufacturers are (or will be) producing slightly more expensive Halogen-IR bulbs that barely pass the federal standards and are only modestly more efficient than the old bulbs. Incandescents won't truly be "banned" until 2020 when the efficacy requirements jump to a flat 40 lm/W.
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written by Ed, September 16, 2010
If the restaurant using filament lamps is in a cold area and needs heating then there is no wastage as the heating requirement will be reduced by using filament lamps rather than fluorescent or LED.
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written by Andy, September 18, 2010
At least the workers at the GE plant have plenty of time to absorb the reality of the loss of their plant, and jobs. Even though these changes provide progress in energy conservation, there always seem to be unfortunate side effects resulting from them.
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written by lighthouse, March 25, 2011
CFLs certainly have their advantages -
but the "switch all your lights and save lots of money" campaigns are like
saying "Eat only bananas and save lots of money!"
It is indeed a "ban":
Yes, energy efficient halogen incandescent replacements are allowed, but still have some constructional and appearance differences, a whiter light output etc compared with regular bulbs, apart from
costing much more for the small savings, which is why neither consumers or governments really like them, since they have been around for a while now without being sold much.
No light bulbs should be banned:
There is no present or future shortage of energy sources for electricity
justifying telling what paying consumers can use,
especially since the overall USA energy savings from light bulb regulations are less than 1% anyway,
based on the US Dept of Energy's own statistics ( http://ceolas.net/#li171x )
-remember the politicians keep including non-incandescent street and
industrial lighting in the usual high US usage percentages quoted.
Much greater, and much more relevant, energy waste savings arise from effectively organized electricity generation and grid distribution, and from reducing the unnecessary use of appliances:
rather than from stopping people in their choice of what appliance to use.
but the "switch all your lights and save lots of money" campaigns are like
saying "Eat only bananas and save lots of money!"
It is indeed a "ban":
Yes, energy efficient halogen incandescent replacements are allowed, but still have some constructional and appearance differences, a whiter light output etc compared with regular bulbs, apart from
costing much more for the small savings, which is why neither consumers or governments really like them, since they have been around for a while now without being sold much.
No light bulbs should be banned:
There is no present or future shortage of energy sources for electricity
justifying telling what paying consumers can use,
especially since the overall USA energy savings from light bulb regulations are less than 1% anyway,
based on the US Dept of Energy's own statistics ( http://ceolas.net/#li171x )
-remember the politicians keep including non-incandescent street and
industrial lighting in the usual high US usage percentages quoted.
Much greater, and much more relevant, energy waste savings arise from effectively organized electricity generation and grid distribution, and from reducing the unnecessary use of appliances:
rather than from stopping people in their choice of what appliance to use.
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