Quote:
Originally Posted by
patrickBOOTH 
Emissions and waste is a problem with almost any energy source that isn't 100% renewable. There is no argument that cfl bulbs do not benefit consumers financially by reducing the amount of energy consumed. Obviously the environmental benefit in lower consumption can depend on the mix of electricity generation. If it is pure hydro, solar, wind than yes environmentally it might be mute. However lower demand at peak times lowers supply costs to all utility customers as well as defers utility capital expenditures. So basically it costs you less money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
patrickBOOTH
Emissions and waste is a problem with almost any energy source that isn't 100% renewable. There is no argument that cfl bulbs do not benefit consumers financially by reducing the amount of energy consumed. Obviously the environmental benefit in lower consumption can depend on the mix of electricity generation. If it is pure hydro, solar, wind than yes environmentally it might be mute. However lower demand at peak times lowers supply costs to all utility customers as well as defers utility capital expenditures. So basically it costs you less money.
He's probably right that there are issues with higher production and disposal resource requirements...but everything else is true. They use less energy when running and last for far longer (not sure how long they need to last to make up for the increased input costs though).
I replaced every overhead bulb in my apartment with CFLs when I moved in in january 2010. I tried to to pick some that had decent color and honestly it has not been a problem I have noticed. Power company was doing instant rebates so I basically paid less than normal bulbs for them.
3 years later, I haven't replaced a single one.
I have a couple of 60w GE Reveals hanging around. One in a dimmable torchiere and the other in a table lamp on my dining table...I'll turn those on if I am having a nice dinner or want to watch TV in dimmed light. The light is much nicer (but that's only half because of the better light color...the rest is because ceiling lamps don't make great shadows) but its certainly not a dealbreaker.
By some incredibly rough calculations, I imagine this has saved me $60 or so per year*. Its not a ton of money, but it makes the bulbs more than worth it and also helps alleviate a change between peak-offpeak usage.
*Based upon 8 60w bulbs with 6 hours of daily burn time at my local electricity rate of about 8c/kWh compared to 8 17w CFLs with the same burn time. Number goes up if you assume use of 75w (or even 100w which I don't think I have ever owned) bulbs.
