Europe: The light bulb is dead; long live the LED

[UK-Corlett]

Now the planet is heating up Europe has joined Australia and banned the light bulb.

There was a world conference on global warming and CO2 emissions which led to the "Tokyo Accord" which incidentally the US was the only one not to sign ( I do not mean to make any political point here, it's just a fact thats all).

Any how; Australia has had a ban on incandescent (hot) bulbs for some time which answers the question "how come the Auzies have a better selection of LED bulbs than anyone else.?"

Now Europe has agreed a plan to phase out the conventional light bulb.

The details of when this will be have not been worked out but probably sooner than we think.

Clive

[brian_bp]

A European ban.. really? Various web sources describe the decision to invite proposals for a ban; given what I have heard of EU negotiations, this will take a while, although they are hoping for an effective date in 2009. Even the Australian ban doesn't take effect for that same three years, and only affects new sales, not use of incandescent bulbs.

Nevertheless, it's interesting news; these efforts are generally in the right direction and should help the availability of better lights for any purpose.

I just hope they don't get silly and have us replacing a bulb which is used for a couple hours a year in some closet with a vastly more expensive device which takes far more energy and other resources to make. Will all cars be required to use HID or LED headlights and LED marker, turn, and tail lights? That should go over well in the economy car market!

And a final note: in some articles, "halogen" lamps are listed as a high-efficiency alternative to incandescent bulbs. Halogens lamps are incandescents (they're just bulbs with halogen gas in them), and not significantly more efficient than ordinary light bulbs. They are good for focused lamps, so they have their uses, but they're not comparable to gas discharge lamps (such as fluorescents) or LEDs.

[halfdome, Danny]

I don't care what the excuse is for banning the incandescent bulb, it's time has come and gone. It just makes good common economical sense not to use them. I have been using fluorescent bulbs in all my home lights exclusively since they first came available in the 1970's. It's said that if everyone in the USA would replace one incandescent bulb for a compact fluorescent bulb they would not need one power plant. I guess that is the reason for the global warming thing going around lately with regards to incandescent bulbs. There is talk that the LED will replace the incandescent bulb in our homes in the near future. Danny

[UK-Corlett]

brian_dp

The agreement has to be ratified by member governments and legislation passed. But the UK governmet was one of the main advocates for it, so its going to happen.

European cars have been using LEDs for some time, particularly break and side lights have clusters of LEDs. I don't know how they will replace the main beam head light.

Replacement only. Yes it will only affect new sales. but if you can't get a new bulb you will have to get a new light fitting. The only up side is that LED's last 10 to 100 times longer.

Danny

I have tried fluorescent lighting and although I work in my office light with them at home everything looks a little yellow and dull. Also the LED bulbs I have seen are a little blue and people look ill.

Lets hope the R+D boys improve the technology before 2009.

[bobhenry]

Won't the winters be colder if we all turn off our incandesent lights ?


Then we'll need more fossil fuel to heat our homes which causes global warming. While mother nature can handle the off gasses caused by wood fires somewhat better it probably also contributes to global warming.
Oh No say it ain't so no more bonfires ! In the imortal words of Susan Powters " STOP THE INSANITY "

[halfdome, Danny]

brian_dp


Danny

I have tried fluorescent lighting and although I work in my office light with them at home everything looks a little yellow and dull. Also the LED bulbs I have seen are a little blue and people look ill.

Lets hope the R+D boys improve the technology before 2009.

I use "kitchen & bath" fluorescent tubes in those rooms as the light is more natural and brings out all the colors. The compact fluorescent bulbs sold here in the USA look very sylimar to a incandescent bulb in color, I even use them for outside lighting and the cold doesn't affect them. As far as this global warming alarm from Al Bore he is saying " our civilization has never experienced any environmental shift remotely similar to this" From an article in today's paper Don Easterbrook an emeritus professor of geology at Western Washington University said that in the past 15,000 years there have been 10 large swings, including the medieval warm period that were 20 times greater than the warming in the past century. We had better start digging to find the cars and factories & light bulbs they were using back then. Danny

[Gerdo]

LEDs in out household fixtures. I would like to see a website for those bulbs. I'm a gaffer in the film business and I can't stand the light from fluorescents. There has also been some LEDs making there way into the Biz, so far I'm not impressed.

[Leon]

So far I'm using LEDs in my desk lamp and bedroom light. The problem I'm having is that I use X-10 controls to switch some of my lights and when I try to use an LED light on an X-10 controller, the light will not completely turn off because of the leakage current through the module. The answers I've read for a fix is to add a load so the module works properly, but that defeats the purpose of the LED light in the first place. I'm going to crack a module open soon and see what I have to do to it to get it to work right.

[Gambam]

The compact fluorescent bulbs sold here in the USA look very sylimar to a incandescent bulb in color, I even use them for outside lighting and the cold doesn't affect them.

I have replaced my three outside bulbs with compact fluorescents and they have been burning non-stop for three years. When I changed my bill dropped almost $5 or so a month.

You can't use them in a fixure that comes on auto when it gets dark. I had one like that on my porch and it killed the CFB in a week.

[IndyTom]

We went all fluorescent about a year ago. There are only 2 or 3 incandescent bulbs left in places where I can't get a CF to fit the fixture. I believe that our bill has dropped about $20 a month on average. And you hardly ever have to replace one.

Tom

[halfdome, Danny]

"Gambam" You can't use them in a fixure that comes on auto when it gets dark. I had one like that on my porch and it killed the CFB in a week

My outside lights ( 3 ) are controlled by a photo cell I installed in a separate box above the garage door about 16 years ago. It dosen't have any adverse effect on the compact fluorescent bulbs. I buy mine at Costco & they last for years. Danny

[asianflava]

I put compact flourescents in the recessed can lighting in my kitchen. One fixture always burns out first, can't figure out why. They are supposed to last a long time but they didn't last any longer than the regular incandescents. I've installed 2 sets of CFs and got the results with both sets.

[halfdome, Danny]

I put compact flourescents in the recessed can lighting in my kitchen. One fixture always burns out first, can't figure out why. They are supposed to last a long time but they didn't last any longer than the regular incandescents. I've installed 2 sets of CFs and got the results with both sets.

I've noticed the CF's that are installed with the bulb up last longer than in the down position & I don't have a clue why. Danny

[Arne]

Heat......

[Leon]

They do make CFL that operate in a downward position but you have to look for them. They are usually labled for use in fans and on the box it will include a base-up operation as OK. I found some and they are in use for years so far.