Lighting
The Navy has some background data from 2002 (also linked from Data) that shows Low Pressure Sodium generating well over 100 lumens / watt (183 for the biggest lamps). Lumens is the standard measure of the amount of light emitted from a bulb. Watts are what we pay for and incandescent lights consume a lot of watts (e.g. 100W) to make not so many lumens (e.g. 1700 or 17 lumens/watt). More lumens / watt is better so here are some better-than-incandescent options.
Would you carry and trade CFLs on your next trip?
CFLs (~75 lumens/watt)
Sources & Advice
- In addition to CFLs up to 500W equivalence(!), http://1000bulbs.com/ sells some CFL types that may be hard to find locally: dimmable, 3-way, "torpedo", and globe. Now what was I reading about cold cathode fluorescents?
- TopBulb has a CFL wizard that is pretty handy-looking as well as a selection of different temperatures for each bulb option.
- Find an Energy-Saving Light Bulb from Environmental Defense looks very useful in part because they have reviews of specific models. Perhaps better than the EnergyStar equivalent search.
- Home Depot has begun selling a new line (name?) of CFLs which comes in three different color temperatures: soft white, bright white, and full spectrum. That's better than incandescents.
Disposal
- EPA fact sheet
- many lighting and hardware stores, such as IKEA and Home Depot, accept fluorescent bulbs for safe disposal
- lamprecyle.org has a state-by-state recycling contacts map
Analysis
- THE Bulb Math from the carbon-offset CFL folks
- EnergyStar requires that bulbs light up quickly. According to all anecdotal evidence, IKEA's CFLs are good on many fronts (e.g. color temperature & size) but are severely lacking in terms of coming up to full brightness promptly.
- Among other reasons EnergyStar labels on CFLs are good:
Must [...] Identify the light color. (Qualified bulbs are available in designated correlated color temperatures (CCT): 2700K (warm white), 3000K (soft white), 3500K (white), 4100K (cool white), 5000K (natural), or 6500K (daylight). Provide a color rendering index (CRI) of 80 or more. Incandescent light bulbs have a CRI close to 100. (Learn about color rendering index and correlated color temperature.)
- thebulb.com's about page includes an explanation of color temperature:
Color Temperature
The color temperature of a light bulb can best be described as how the light compares to “natural” sunlight. Outdoor sunlight has a color temperature of around 5,500K. Bulbs with a higher color temperature (closer to 5,000K) will produce light that is more “cool” or blue. Bulbs with a lower color temperature will produce light that is more “warm” or yellow. The color temperature of a light bulb is usually described by how “white” a bulb is, like soft white, bright white, etc.
The color temperature of a light bulb can best be described as how the light compares to “natural” sunlight. Outdoor sunlight has a color temperature of around 5,500K. Bulbs with a higher color temperature (closer to 5,000K) will produce light that is more “cool” or blue. Bulbs with a lower color temperature will produce light that is more “warm” or yellow. The color temperature of a light bulb is usually described by how “white” a bulb is, like soft white, bright white, etc.
| Description | Color Temperature |
| “Warm white” or “Soft white” | < 2700 K |
| “White”, “Bright White”, or “Medium White” | 2900 - 3000 K |
| “Cool white” | 4000 K |
| “Daylight” | > 5000 K |
Source: http://www.thebulb.com/store/t-compact-fluorescent-light-bulbs.aspx
LEDs (~50 lumens/watt?)
- Brilliance Lighting has announced an 8W incandescent replacement. It produces "up to 400" lumens for 7.9W of power ... and they claim "47 lumens/watt."
- Toronto Hydro explains the potential of LEDs and highlights xmas lights, traffic signals, and EXIT signs as very practical products.
- standard size and track light bulbs you can get now. Most are pretty dim, so it's important to check the number of lumens (lumens/watt are similar to CFLs at best unless color comes into play).
- http://www.everled.com/ sells 4' tube replacements ($149!) and links to interesting resellers of their $40 flashlight replacement LED bulb and $20 mini MagLite LED bulb.
- http://www.theledlight.com/ (new products) sells pretty much everything LED-related including a maybe-60W equivalent LED bulb and under-sink options (longer).
- http://www.ledsupply.com/ sells interesting parts for building your own lights, including EverLED's tubes.
- http://www.ledtheway.com/ sells floodlights, including colored stage lighting!
- http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/ also seems pretty comprehensive
- http://www.carmanah.com/uk/ does solar LED lighting
- http://www.galliumlighting.com/ talks about some of the first products to emit as much light as incandescent or CFL. Unfortunately, lumens/watt isn't yet above that of CFLs (no mercury, 20 year life is a good start, though):
"The GS6 LED downlight has a system efficacy of up to 35 lumens per watt, which is comparable(??) to compact fluorescent downlights, and more than three times the efficacy of a bare 65W incandescent reflector lamp." This story indicates that portablelight.org's solar-powered LED lamp gets 80 lumens/watt. Take that, GS6.
- PG&E used LED lights for their solar billboard in SF.
Novelty
- ECOutlet sells a fancy solar-powered glow brick for only £19.99 including VAT!
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