GE frees CFL lighting from the tyranny of ugly
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted Dec 11th 2008 10:32AM
posted Dec 11th 2008 10:32AM
Was it Arthur C. Clarke who said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic? If he was correct, it would follow that GE's new Energy Smart CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulb is most magical. A true product of "ecomagination" (their word), the imagineers (Disney's word) at GE have taken the their tried and true CFL hardware and housed it in the form factor of a traditional light bulb. Of course there are already a vast number of options for homeowners wishing to go green on the lighting front, but we're hard pressed to find something that works across the board in traditional lighting fixtures (at least without looking awful as it does so). The product gets its national outing at Target on December 28, and starts popping up at more retailers over the coming months. To tide you over until then, we've provided some earth shattering video after the break.
I thought there were some out there already like this? I always see oddly shaped, but enclosed bulbs in the CFL area.
They do have CFLs shaped like regular bulbs but they usually have a large external ballast while this one has everything inside the bulb enclosure.
or...if you need more brightness, switch to H.I.D's in your home.
Marijuana growers swear by them.
There are some like this without the outside ballast. I have had them for the last 3 years. To to Ikea and get them. They also do a great job of making the light warmer versus the horrible light that comes from most CFL's
CFL lights are a$$!, the light that it generates changes the color of everything, hurts your eyes and makes fresh steak look like rotten puke...
I will be hording regular light bulbs until LED's are available
didnt know i could like a light bulb design!
gotta admit...it does look kewl.
for a split second i thought that said 'tranny'
oh no, the tranny of ugly is taking all the lights!
@ iCandy:
There are different kinds of CFLs that provide different outputs. You may want to try one of the others. Some are more like daylight, some are more of a "blue" and some are just normal. Look around a bit.
Most of my house is CFL's and they look great. I notice no flicker or weird coloration or anything -- and I'm the kind of person who can see the rainbow effect on DLP TVs very very easily.
Only problem with the CFLs is they take a minute or two to warm up full, but they hit 90% as soon as you flip the switch so I don't consider it really a negative -- just an interesting note.
the only innovation here is the innovative marketing that got free publicity from engadget. bravo pr team.
Couldn't someone (like "Billy Mays here"), sell some cheap plastic thing that you could snap around these CFL bulbs (like a condom) to make them look "antique", yet be reusable when the bulbs go out? That would be the cheapest route and most "green".
"Even though the incandescent bulb measured slightly brighter than the equivalent CFLs, our subjects didn’t see any dramatic difference in brightness. And here was the real shocker: When it came to the overall quality of the light, all the CFLs scored higher than our incandescent control bulb."
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/home_improvement/4215199.html
Regular bulbs are less ugly than CFLs? When was this decided, I must know!!!
For me personally, I can only live with 5000K 93 CRI T8 4' fluorescent tubes in an electronic ballast housing. The best color rendering, the closest temperature to daylight and the most efficient (even more than most LEDs). And when they're in an enclosure they blend in.
Also, to dumb haters: fluorescent tubes are available in more versions than the cheapo ones installed in your office. The better ones don't make everything look green.
Yeah, IKEA has had some like this for years. Look almost identical to regular light bulbs on the outside, but have the curly CFL on the inside. They are frosted glass and fit perfectly into any normal light socket. I have about 8 of them in my house. Maybe these are brighter, though? The IKEA ones only seem to come in pretty low wattage-equivalents.
Yeah but Ikea is foreign. Just like the whole idea of saving energy.
;)
@ack154: You can tint the thing to any color temperature you want, and it does help a little bit. However, if you look at the light generated by any CFL through a spectrograph, it's all blue and green. It's hard on your eyes and everything's always just a little "off".
Until full-spectrum LED lighting is cheap and done right, it's halogen for me... much more light per watt, and several times the life of conventional incandescents.
Expect a call from the Disney family about "your" word.
I was just going to say...
damn damn damn!
I gotta learn to type quicker, or at least how to more efficiently procrastinate this "job" thing.
Are you new? This is Engadget... They LOVE Apple, and Steve Jobs is Apple. And Steve is Pixar. And Pixar is Disney. They are all under the same family tree in my opinion.
Just add some frosted glass and warm colors then it'll definitely be suitable as a replacement.
It says in the video he holding a clear glass model. Products in store will be frosted. No word on colour in models though.
Here you go.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50060609
The ones on the market are larger and do not fit all normal bulb applications. GE has made one that does for the most part. The height of the bulb is a primary issue.
The Philips Softone ones I have used for years do have (roughly) the same size and shape as a traditional bulb. Only difference to the GE Model: The split between CFL tube and electronics (which are encased in solid plastic) is visible from the outside.
Of course, compared to the huuuge old GE CFLs it's a big step forward.
The one pictured in this article is not the shape of a normal lightbulb. I can tell just looking at it that it won't fit in my lamp, which requires exactly standard shaped bulbs; the socket on mine is deeper than one would normally expect, and so the way that the neck of this bulb suddenly flares out would likely prevent it from fitting in my and other lamps.
Isn't an Imagineer the title of Disney's Engineers?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_Imagineering
It would be nice if they found cheaper LED lighting solutions for me though. CFL lights create too much of a strain on your eyes. That's not to say I haven't already made the switch so that I can afford a few more video games though.
The things people will go through so they don't have to change... Making cf look like old incandescent? Why? What purpose does it serve other than being able to clip that cheap lampshade on it?
HEY!?!?! Why are you calling my bodacious party hat cheap? Besides, on top of the lighbulb is the easiest way to store my hat.
A large issue is actually size-- many CFLs are too large to fit into older light fixtures, especially at higher outputs. If they've really managed to make the bulb smaller, this actually would let me use them in my bathroom and kitchen, for example, where I've got permanent fixtures in the ceiling.
Granted, they don't say what wattage this one is.
how is it less ugly? it looks exactly the same, except covered in clear glass
that's like trying to paper bag a chick, but using a ziplock...totally ineffective
i shouldn't be laughing...
ahh, clear glass prototype, guess i should have watched the vid first...oh well, low ranking time
in the video , they say the commercial version will be covered with frosted glass. Also, the new thing here is that every component fits in the same volume as a traditional bulb, http://img.diytrade.com/cdimg/396151/3134647/0/1167657740/12V_DC_Fluorescent_lamp_CFL_lamp.jpg they get rid of that tumor at the bottom.
@ Josh
Well, unless the color blue looks better on her?
Well Josh, it all depends on what your intentions are with said chick.
hahaha, now that's just sick...
Welcome to last year GE, there have been CFL bulbs like that on the market for at least a year, I have some in my bathroom.
so you have a bulb with the balast inside the actual bulb rather than in a large plastic case?
The point of this is that it is the same form factor as a traditional bulb. They have had enclosed cf tubes for a long time but the balast is enclosed in plastic casing outside of the bulb.
I actually like the twisted cf tubes better than normal bulbs although I do welcome the reduction of the ballast size.
We have had these in the UK for several years now. Not sure why this needs a post?
Looks like an even more expensive light bulb. They need to skip CFL technology to LED. The mercury in CFL light bulbs is a pain in the neck to dispose of and LED technology is more efficient.
...Except for the MUCH higher energy required for manufacture, and the MUCH MUCH higher overall acquisition cost.
LED for general lighting is simply not ready for primetime. 5-8 years away.
Everyone who gets their electricity from coal burning plants should use CFL sources without concern... There is a net reduction in mercury released, just by the fact that coal plants release mercury, anyway.
Overall, ESL could prove to be a much better lighting source for residential applications, anyway: www.vu1.com
@ladderless: I think that estimate for public adoption is a little high. Years yes, but not 5-8. Maybe 2-4.
The cost has a lot to do with economies of scale. Once they are mass produced like CFLs are now, they will decline dramatically in price.
As for the mercury I would rather not have it from the bulbs or the energy plants.
Pragmatically, you are right, CFLs are the way to go now. I have been using them exclusively for more than a year now. Yes, they are cheaper and realistic today.
My main point was related to GE's new bulb. That too is for a bulb for a later day. I would rather see these companies invest their efforts into producing a cheaper LED bulb and CFLs that will be obsolete (IMO) in only a matter of years. Wasted resources if you ask me.
Actually, 5-7 years is fairly close. I'm in contact with experts in the LED industry many times each week, and need to know what's going on.
There are many problems with LED that really haven't been solved yet. The biggest is heat -- And the fact that the LED drivers are VERY sensitive to that heat. It is NOT cheap to try and solve this.
To give you an idea, there is one company that has effectively solved it: LLF, which was purchased by Cree late least year (For $107 Million... Not bad for a company that did under $3 million in sales, but that just goes to show you how difficult the R+D problems are with LED). http://www.creells.com/lr6.htm -- Check out the product. It's HUGE, expensive (around $125 each), and puts out the light equiveland of a 60 watt flood... Not enough light for most people spending $125 per bulb.
There are a whole bunch of knock-offs coming to market right now, but they all didn't go through what it takes to solve the issues... And early reports are REALLY bad -- Most of my reps won't sell the knock-offs, because they fail so much.
The other thing about LED is the directionality of the light -- It's a VERY narrow beam. This makes it hard to work with, especially for general lighting (And why LED flashlights make so much sense). By the time you diffuse the narrow beam, you've lost a lot of efficiency.
For years, LED has made sense for signals, accent, signage, and color lighting. For general, white lighting, it's still a ways off... More than 2-3 years.
These lights aren't expensive anymore. A six pack of regular 60 watt equivalent CFLs from GE are usually less than $10 in stores. Considering they are supposed to last about 5 years a piece, that's pretty cheap if you ask me. Three ways are still a little pricey (about $13 a piece), but regular 3-way bulbs are more expensive anyways and you still need to consider they last longer and are cheaper to keep on.
My mercury's in retrograde
merc-merc-mercury's in retrograde
HID lighting for all then!
But seriously, you could just make new homes have high-voltage light sockets or something that'll take HID bulbs.
Okay, so they've freed it from the tyranny of ugly, opting for the mediocrity of dullness, instead.
But can it connect to a dimmer? That's the big one keeping me from migrating 100% from standard incandescents. Need dimmable bulbs in my home-theater.
No CFL can be connected to a dimmer switch!
Incandescent bulbs can. I don't know if LED's can.
@kjb434
Some CFLs are dimmable. To identify them, look for the word "dimmable" on the box.
I have a couple of these dimmable CFLs. The range on them is very narrow and while they can be dimmed it is not even close to the same as a regular light bulb. For the price I would not recommend them.
Phillips makes a line of dimmable CFL's but I've only ever seen them in spots and floods, not as normal bulbs you'd put in a desk lamp. The dimming range on them is limited but I have six installed in the recessed lighting in my kitchen and they work very well. My only complaint is they are on the orange/pink side in terms of color output and there's no option for a dimmable version in other color temps.
I heard the P word... ("patents"), sad how even for a frigging light bulb they try to stump competitiveness
Yes. I'm glad we can move forward with new technology while still clinging to the looks of old.
I have personally crafted a 20lb laptop w/ the latest & greatest, but housed in a casing from 1982. Plus you should see my Civic Hybrid after I reconfigured it to fit in side a covered wagon.
Or- to be more blunt- who gives a s**t what light bulbs look like so long as they light?
Hear hear!
Oh good! Now my Hello Kitty lampshade will clamp onto the bulb correctly!
It isn't the shape of the CFL lights that's preventing me and most people to switch to completely. It is their characteristics, i.e. being a fluorescent bulb (gives me headaches), and being not dimmer friendly.
So even if they put the damn thing in a sheep skin, it would not change anything other than cosmetic looks of it.
I never thought CF Bulbs to be ugly. They do seem a bit more fragile though.
When the bulb is lit you aren't going to be able to tell the shape that much. I just tried staring at one now and it looks close to a regular round bulb shape.
The only problem now is that I am seeing stars from looking at the light for too long.
The point about how the CFL bulbs look is a gimmick to justify making an enclosure.
The tiny circuit board at the base.. what's that for?
Do the current bulbs on the market all have that but you just can't see it?
Its a ballast, all CFLs have one, this just does a better job of hiding it when in the bulb socket.
Fluorescent lights need a choke aka ballast, aka inductor, to regulate the current flow through the tube's conducting elements. Early CFLs, and many non-compact fluorescent lights used a magnetic ballast, an actual inductor. Worked fine, but it was heavy, expensive and bulky. Luckily inductors can also be simulated using an electronic circuit, which is cheaper, lighter and more compact, but has a few of its own issues which these days have more or less been overcome, minus the fact that CFLs like many electrical loads, introduce distortion into the electrical supply they use.
I have low ranked you just to teach you a lesson. It is for your own good....
That was meant for josh above. Stupid engadget system
I have low ranked you just to teach you a lesson. It is for your own good....
Thanks, it was for the best.
PICNIC
I guess I don't get it. I've been 100% CFL for a while now and I never thought the bulbs were unsightly. Mine are all covered by shades anyway, and the few that aren't (in the bathroom vanity) already look just like regular bulbs.
Well the sad thing about these bulbs are the Mercury content...
I at one time had them all over my house, then I read an article where a kid broke one, and a guy had to spend a few GRAND to have his house cleaned for Mercury...
And since i've noticed that GE, and other Manufacturers have been making the Mercury warning, extremely TINY, and in hard to find places on the box....
BUYER BEWARE!
Oy, can we not indulge in Snopes-worthy panic stories? Excerpt from Popular Mechanics article on the subject of mercury in CFBs:
Each bulb contains an average of 5 milligrams of mercury, “which is just enough to cover a ballpoint pen tip,” says Russ Leslie, associate director of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “Though it’s nothing to laugh at, unless you wipe up mercury [without gloves] and then lick your hand, you’re probably going to be okay.”
Whoever spent a grand cleaning up the mercury from a broken bulb got scammed, pure and simple. Vacuuming up the dust and cleaning the area around the broken bulb throughly is sufficient hazmat containment for these things.
Yes, LEDs would be sweeter, but until they show up, I'm glad to have CFBs in nearly every light in my house.
It was Carl Sagan, not Clarke who said that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
No, it was Clarke.
Whoa, looks like GE's taking it to the HNL!
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cfl.asp
Sorry, URL for the referenced article:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/home_journal_news/4217864.html
I, for one, would be perfectly fine with a clear bulb like that.
Geeky, but practical.
Uninformed, you must not A - never had kids or B- have never been a kid....
So let me put it this way... they have this unusually strong desire to see what makes things work, and what's inside things...
Now if you have found a way to get your kid to wear gloves for every curious experiment, I would appreciate if you would share it with us all..
And if they are not a threat, why has GE moved, and shrunk the label?????
There is a reason Mercury thermometers are not long sold..... well cept in 3rd world countries, where we setup huge organizations that receive large donations to fix the ailments such things cause....
Hmm, though I did spring fully grown from my mom's uterus, I do have a kid, so you're only half right there.
Mercury thermometers contain a few grams' worth of mercury, plus you put them in a kid's mouth, so the dangers of "bite, crack, sip" far outweigh those of a broken lightbulb containing about .001 that amount of Hg. I was incorrect on the vacuum bit, as that can stir a bit of vapor further into the air, but the literature out there still lands overwhelmingly in my favor on this one.
To your question on the labeling, I'd venture that the warnings have been moved/shrunk because, if mis-interpreted, they can cause minor hysterics and a general aversion to using a technology that saves large amounts of energy.
As to how to keep your kids safe, if you're looking for that advice on Engadget, well then you're a few standard deviations to the left at present, and I fear I may not be able to help you.
Please read the Snopes article kelraine linked, and I wish you well.
Loremaster
I have kids - and I remember being one myself. However, there are plenty of other hazardous things in the house - bleach, ant poison, dishwasher tablets etc. - and we keep them well out of our children's reach.
Standard linear tubes have had mercury in them for years without huge problems. I think the health/safety risks are small.
My biggest concern with CFLs is the horrible light they produce and the time they take to warm up - and apparently they have a large power factor, which means that they don't necessarily give the reductions in CO2 that you would imagine just by looking at the wattage. This doesn't seem to be discussed very much.
Well your right Kelraine, however when was the last time you saw a Ant bait break open?
As far as bleach, you would have to be really determined....
Lamps get knocked over all the time, bulbs "do" break.....
All's I am saying is, don't ignore the danger, just as they did with Lead paint... and you can not say that the Mercury products used in the past had no effect. Alzhiemers, and other new diseases we just can't trace the sources of. What we do know is that Mercury is one of the most toxic metals.... Poison is poison, and just because you don't drop dead today, does not mean there are no long term effects
Really, about damn time. I'm glad GE is on top of this. Mostly because I'd be pretty stoked to see the stock price get about $20 again (not that this bulb will help with that)
Until the cleanup of a broken bulb doesn't require a hazmat suit, I will stick to the energy-saving halogen bulbs philips makes.
Halogen bulbs are nowhere near as efficient. Not even close.
Bet you like your room looking like its illuminated by car headlights though.
Doesn't seem that different to what's already out there.
http://www.ebulbshop.com/acatalog/Smooth_Dimmable_Edison_Screw_Energy_Saving_Light_Bulb.html
Nobody has figured out why they did this yet. I am really surprised. It has nothing to do with getting rid of the plastic ballast.
It has everything to do with making the CFL bulb look exactly like a standard bulb so regular folks will think they are buying standard bulbs when they take them off the market next year.
There are a lot of people that won't buy a compact CFL because it doesn't look like a lightbulb. With frosted glass adn the same form factor you won't be able to tell the difference. Yes the CFL bulbs will be a bit heavier, but people think heavy means better quality.
Getting rid of standard bulbs is a PR nightmare. People that still don't know that they are going off the market are going to freak out when they can't find a 4 pack of lightbulbs for $1. See we have been conditioned for over 100 years that a lightbulb looks a certain way. Just like we have been conditioned to a lightswitch. Any change from that conditioning is rejected. We did a cool experiment in college where we installed regular lightswitches sideways, instead of the up and down motion. People freaked out and many of them stood there dumbfounded. All of a sudden they had to think about how to turn the lights on and didn't like it.
CFLs look wrong and that is why people hate them.
Awesome, I just hope they are mercury free because if so, I'll grab a bunch.
I have a bunch of LED lights, they replace many kinds of halogen potlight bulbs like GU10s, MR16s, PAR20, etc...but they are all a little lacking in the brightness area yet and the ones I have all are 'pure white', aka a "nice" institutional and sterile blueish light(since buying them, they have released a 'warm' version too). My mom hates them, and most people aren't crazy about them, but since I only have them in my washroom right now, I really don't mind the colour of the light. They're only 3 watts each, and considering I can now accomplish in 12 watts what I was accomplishing in with 200, I think I can deal with it. Only problem is they're still too expensive to be cost effective up-front - only in the long term. I bought them from this place, which also sells pre-built 9 watt potlights...
http://www.insaini.com
They've had CFL's that look like regular incandescent bulbs for awhile now:
http://www.1000bulbs.com/14-Watt-Compact-Fluorescents/34619/
For those commenting on the ugly light CFLs produce, I would recommend daylight CFLs. The light is amazing and much better than even daylight incandescents in my experience. Of course, they are much more expensive, but not bad at Walmart.
I would think this would be particularly good in certain areas, like bathrooms where you have high moisture from a shower. I've switched over to CFLs, but have some big issues - such as dimmables that make a horribly loud buzzing noise, or lights crackling because of moisture in the bathroom (took them out there cause I figured at best it will probably kill the bulbs way early, at worst it'll burn my house down).
OK, I get it Loremaster, you won't buy them. Here's some fun info for you from the EPA regarding mercury, though:
"What are mercury emissions caused by humans?
EPA estimates the U.S. is responsible for the release of 104 metric tons of mercury emissions each year. Most of these emissions come from coal-fired electrical power. Mercury released into the air is the main way that mercury gets into water and bio-accumulates in fish. (Eating fish contaminated with mercury is the main way for humans to
be exposed.) Most mercury vapor inside fluorescent light bulbs becomes bound to the inside of the light bulb as it is used. EPA estimates that the rest of the mercury within a CFL – about 11 percent – is released into air or water when it is sent to a landfill, assuming the light bulb is broken. Therefore, if all 290 million CFLs sold in 2007 were sent to a landfill (versus recycled, as a worst case) – they would add 0.13 metric tons, or 0.1 percent, to U.S. mercury emissions caused by humans."
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf
The numbers above track well with the figure of 5mg mercury per bulb, by the way.
So, you can refuse to use them, but how does the subsequent need for excess coal-generated electricity, and the mercury that its generation releases into the air and water we all breathe/drink, make you feel about the relative safety of your choice? I figure if a bulb breaks at home, I can effectively contain and clean up the residue, mitigating the impact. If I continue to use only incandescents, well, then I'm poisoning everyone by degrees, aren't I?
Let's keep this in perspective. We live surrounded by things that can harm us, and care should always be taken. I don't leave carving knives lying on the floor for this very reason. I'm not saying that mercury isn't harmful, because it has been proven to be so, but, as with most things, if handled correctly, even in the case of an accident, the danger is much less than what you are making it out to be.
Still wishing you well.
Yes, but will it blend?
Now can they keep the bulbs from flaming out at their end of life ?
I've seen 1 flame out in front of me, the remains of one when I got home, and a neighbor had one flame out on them also.
So after 3 confirmed flameouts of these "better" CFL's I pulled them all from the house.
While regular bulbs might use more electricity, I've never seen one shoot flames.
Who the hell wants these things anyway? God help you if one of them ever breaks. Here's the cleanup instructions - directly from the US Enviornmental Protection Agency's website:
Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room
Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.
Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces
Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug
Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding and Other Soft Materials
If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.
If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.
Disposal of Clean-up Materials
Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.
Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.
Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming
The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.
Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.
source: http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm
I am stocking up on incandescent lightbulbs. I will NEVER put a CFL lightbulb in my house.
Seriously, not all CFL bulbs are equal, and its difficult to know what kind to buy so you don't get that freaky blue light. So, let me make it easy for you. Go to Wal-Mart and buy the following light. It has the same quality as the GE reveal bulbs. Look fantastic.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=6051760&sourceid=1500000000000003260370&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=6051760
If I hear a word like "ecomagination" again I'll blow my brains out.
Grabs a Video Camera.
ecomagination ecomagination ecomagination ecomagination ecomagination ecomagination ecomagination ecomagination
I think some of you are missing the point .
"Of course there are already a vast number of options for homeowners wishing to go green on the lighting front, but we're hard pressed to find something that works across the board in traditional lighting fixtures".
I have a couple lamps that wont take regular CFL's because they are too wide at the base. All of the links given to other bulbs of the same shape are also too wide at the base. This is a solution for those lamps, not for aesthetics.
I'd switched 3-4 of our houses to almost all fluorescent lighting. Had scoured various Home Depot, Lowe's, and other local stores as well as online (1000bulbs.com, elightbulbs.com, etc). Had tried out (and ended up discarding) *a lot* of CFL bulb replacements, as well as replacing some incandescent fixture with linear (and circline) fluorescent fixtures. Had started with magnetic T12 ballasts, then moved to electronic T8's in the newer houses, and thinking of T5's for the future. 18", 2ft, 3ft, 4ft lengths...
I wish I can find a steady supply of CFLs with extra high 90+ Color Rendering Index, offered in various color temperatures (3000-3100K, 3500K, 4100K, 5000K) and various lumens (equivalent to 40/60/75/100/120W incandescents). It's more probable to find fluorescent tubes with 95+ CRI, although they're often only offered in the 5000K-6500K "full spectrum" models and not in the lower color temperatures. Also note that higher CRI comes at the expense of lower brightness (lumen per watt).
Strangely I find my color preference have shifted over the years. I used to like the 5500-6500K "white-blue" daylight stuff as it had been popular outside the US where I grew up, and I liked their advertised health benefits for SAD, etc. I really hated any kind of "yellow" lighting... Then my preference shifted lower to 5000K "neutral white" 90+ CRI full spectrum tubes and I became obsessed with it, trying out every model I could find to buy in stores and online.
But these days I guess I'm more used to warmer lighting, as even 5000K can look a bit stark (depending on the brightness and room color). Now I prefer as low as 4100K for my "white" lighting areas, and 3500K and even 3100K for my warmer lighting areas -- for both CFLs and tubes.
Other than color, my preference and perceived light quality are also affected by the brightness (lumens) and Color Rendering Index. I still search in vain to get all my lights with high CRI :-( I also tend to like brighter lights than other people. Being in a room with dim lighting (especially dim 2700K yellow lighting) used to make me feel suffocated, like there's a haze and I can't see anything... Unfortunately my wife is the opposite -- she likes dim, warm lighting and needs it to relax!
P.S. Many CFLs and linear fluorescent tubes advertise extra low mecury content these days, under 3-4mg (I've seen some with 1.5-2mg).
I like that Lowe's now carry Bright Effects CFLs and fluorescent candelabras and floodlights (R20/R30/R40/PAR38) in 3500K, as well as 2700K and 6500K that I don't need. Too bad they stopped carrying the Sylvania CFLs at 3500K and 5000K, which I consider to have better quality. Some of the Bright Effects stuff also start out too dim when you first turn on the light, as opposed to starting out with ~90% brightness as someone else had mentioned.
BTW it's strange that 3500K CFLs from Bright Effects (Lowe's) and n:vision (Home Depot) with similar lumens look quite different. The n:vision actually looks warmer/yellower than the Bright Effects, which makes me think that one of them is not accurate with their Kelvin rating?
So far I think I've had pretty good luck with CFL and fluorescent tube longevity, compared to some other people. That is, not too high a rate of early failures and burnouts. The ones that did happen I guess can be attributed to manufacturing defect, bad luck, or improper usage/installation. Anyways I like the latest micro-twist "T2" CFLs like those from Sylvania with 12,000hr life. Too bad CFLs can't match the better linear tubes with 24,000-36,000hr life. Savings from longer life and less wattage consumption are great, not to mention the convenience.
P.S. At my last round-up I did end up with over 100 CFL bulbs that I had bought but didn't want to use for one reason or another (color-wise, or I'd found something else brighter). I guess that negated my overall savings...