🚀 go-pugleaf

phil@brahms.amd.com (Phil Ngai) writes:
> I can not see any reason to use incandescents anymore, unless
> you are getting free power.

	I have a one of those draftsman type desk lamps that has written on
it in big black magic marker, "2.8%".  That's what me and my college
roommate figured out the conversion efficiency from electricity to light
was; Watts in vs. Lumens out with some E=h*Lambda (I hope that's the right
formula, it's been a while) for a mid-visible-spectrum wavelength thrown in
to convert to Watts of light out.  As I remember, that was for a smallish
(40 or 60) Watt bulb; I suspect the larger sizes are more efficient.

	Anyway, much as I think the compact flourescents are a good idea, I
can see two reasons not to use them.  First, the light is ugly.  I have
found that about a 1:1 mix by wattage of incandescant and flourescent
lights give the most pleasing illumination; much nicer than either alone.
Second, the compact floursecents just aren't compact enough.  Con Edison is
having a promotion now; you can buy up to 10 CFs for $3-5 each depending on
wattage.  The flyer they sent around has the dimensions of each bulb.  I
carefully measured most of my lamps and ceiling fixtures and there just
isn't enough room for the CF's unless I'm willing to use the smallest sizes
and get substantially less light out.  What's the prognosis for this in the
future?  Any chance better technology will shrink the CFs another 20% in a
couple of years?  That's about what it would take to do it.

	Personally, I save energy by being a lunatic about turning off
lights when I leave a room.  Drives my wife nuts when I nag her to do the
same.  I do suspect, however, that the power I waste by leaving my Sun
workstation in the office on all the time far exceedes what I save by
living in the dark ages at home :-(
--
Roy Smith, Public Health Research Institute
455 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016
roy@alanine.phri.nyu.edu -OR- {att,cmcl2,rutgers,hombre}!phri!roy
"Arcane?  Did you say arcane?  It wouldn't be Unix if it wasn't arcane!"