CFLs Causing Utility Woes 859
dacut writes "We've seen compact fluorescent lamps start to take over shelf space at the local hardware store. Replacing a 60 watt incandescent with a 13 watt CFL seems like a great savings, though many consumers are disappointed with the slow warm-up times, lower-than-advertised lifetimes, and hassles of disposing the mercury-containing bulbs. Now EDN reports they may use more energy than claimed due to their poor power factor. Mike Grather, of Lumenaire Testing Laboratory, 'checked the power factor for the CFLs and found they ranged from .45 to .50. Their "real" load was about twice that implied by their wattage.' The good news: you're only billed for the 13 watts of real power used. The bad news: the utilities have to generate the equivalent of 28 watts (that is, 28 VA of apparent power for you EEs out there) to light that bulb. Until they fix these issues, I'll hold on to my incandescents and carbon arc lamps, thanks."
RTF.... (Score:2, Funny)
Hard to dispose of? (Score:5, Funny)
Only if you have a conscience.
spectrum (Score:3, Funny)
For some reason, my skin looks, I don't know, pale green under CFLs. I'm sticking with incandescent lights in my bachelor pad. Can't look bad in front of the ladies...
Idea (Score:5, Funny)
I think have a great idea as to how to solve this.
But unfortunately I'm still waiting for the CFL bulb above my head to light up.
Re:No surprise (Score:0, Funny)
Re:Oh Please (Score:5, Funny)
The whole point is not the amount of power consumed by either bulb, but the fact that the profit-per-bulb for the utility companies is lower for CFLs than incandescent. This isn't about efficiency or conservation, its about the bottom line. Not only do CFLs use less power to begin with, some of what it does use isn't even billable. Its almost like stealing. I like it!
Re:That pretty bad (Score:3, Funny)
Imagine a car hanging by a spring from the end of a stick.....
Canadian Football League are terrorists!!! (Score:5, Funny)
ARGHH!
Those pesky Canadians causing trouble again, next they will try to burn down Washington...again. But I have news for them, the next time they try it, we will help them!
Re:Power factor compensators (Score:5, Funny)
This is /.!
No thinking!
Re:Canadian Football League are terrorists!!! (Score:4, Funny)
We'll have to wait for that...there's someone bashing in my front door right n
Re:Still... (Score:5, Funny)
"What's going to be the next scare over -- the radioactive americium in smoke detectors?"
Now I need a lead foil hat...
Re:Still... (Score:3, Funny)
Yes. Look at the mortgage crisis. Lots of folks bought huge-ass houses that in reality they had no business buying. After all, real estate is a never-fail, never-lose-money, get-rich-quick thing, right?
Re:I'm still confused. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Still... (Score:3, Funny)
1) Coal power plants, which make up half of our electricity production, are the prime emitters of mercury in the world, and emit more, straight into the air, powering an incandescent bulb than a modern CFL would emit if you took all of its contents and vaporized them straight into the jet stream.
That's funny considering the original article is talking about the low power factor of CFLs meaning that power plants have to produce MORE power due to loss on the grid.
Re:Still... (Score:5, Funny)
Just move to Canada. Our smoke detectors use radioactive canadicium instead.
Re:LED is a viable option in 40 Watt replacement (Score:4, Funny)
I appreciate your post - it is interesting and informative, and has been modded appropriately. I still found it amusing, though; besides having better grammar it is written like a science report you'd make in sixth grade or something :)
Re:Still... (Score:5, Funny)
Chemical symbol: Eh
Re:Still... (Score:3, Funny)
Personally, I used to go through 4-5 globes per year, in each socket. Never mind the financial savings (which are certainly there), the big benefit is not having to stuff around on ladders changing light globes all the time.
CFL globes have lasted very well and I don't regret switching one bit. I couldn't imagine going back to those primitive tungsten things that expended more heat than light and were, in practice, designed with predetermined obsolescence more in mind than quality (ie, made so as to break regularly to ensure greater sales).
It amazes me that Americans would be resistant to CFL globes. They simply make so much sense. (But then, I guess the USA is the country still desperately grappling to cope with that old 19th century debate on Evolution in the 21st century and clinging to Imperial measures when everyone else abandoned them in the mid-20th. Hope you all catch up someday, guys.)
Re:LED is a viable option in 40 Watt replacement (Score:5, Funny)
Making it lit with light of a different tonnality just stresses you.
Right. The flipside of that is a fire. Whenever I go to a bonfire, I'm astounded at how everyone is instantly hypnotized by the dancing flames.