Rural Missouri - February 2011 - (Page 24)

lthough many consumers have heard of compact ﬂuorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and other energy-efﬁcient lighting options, traditional incandescent bulbs still represent the bulk of the residential lighting market. That may soon change. Under the federal Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, new standards will require light bulbs to generate more light with less power. All general-purpose light bulbs that produce 310 lumens to 2,600 lumens of light must be 30 percent more energy efﬁcient than incandescent models. As a result, incandescent bulbs, starting with 100-watt varieties, will be phased out beginning in 2012. While there are exemptions, by 2020 most bulbs will be required to produce 45 lumens per watt. As a result, more efﬁcient bulbs will replace today’s 40-watt, 60-watt, 75-watt and 100watt general service incandescent bulbs. (Responding to continuing consumer resistance against CFLs, Congress is considering repealing the incandescent ban.) “Up to 12 percent of your monthly electric bill pays for lighting, so removing energy-wasting bulbs from the market will have a big impact on America’s energy use,” explains Erik Sorenson, a project manager with the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), which represents companies that fashion products used in the generation, transmission, distribution, control and end use of electricity. A 60-watt to 100-watt incandescent bulb produces around 15 lumens per watt, with much of the energy wasted as heat. A standard CFL, however, can produce as much as 100 lumens per watt. CFLs aren’t the only lighting alternative — consumers also can save energy by using halogen bulbs and solid state bulbs, commonly referred to as light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. A by Megan McKoy-Noe mailbag@ruralmissouri.coop What’s Watt Power Consumption Comparisons of Equivalent Lighting (in watts) Incandescent Halogen CFL LED 100 W 75 W 60 W 40 W 70-72 W 53 W 43 W 28-29 W 23-26 W N/A 18-20 W N/A 13-15 W 12 W 10-11 W 8-9 W LEDs are beginning to pull ahead of CFLs in lighting output. Cree (www.cree.com), a leading manufacturer of LEDs headquartered in Durham, N.C., announced a year ago that a laboratory prototype achieved 208 lumens per watt. The transition to more energy-efﬁcient light bulbs will take place over the course of three years. California residents have a head start, with the manufacturing of 100-watt bulbs terminating this past January. In 2012, other states join the transition, with the manufacture of 75-watt bulbs ending in 2013. The 60-watt and 40-watt incandescent light bulbs will disappear a year later. As an added bonus, the replacement bulbs will be required to last longer. “For the ﬁrst time, federal law sets a minimum rated life of 1,000 hours for bulbs — the amount of time at least half of all tested bulbs must operate successfully,” says Sorenson. Some consumers have already made the switch. Since 2000, incandescent lamp shipments dropped from 1.7 billion to less than 1.2 billion annually, while the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Star program estimates that CFLs shipments reached 400 million in 2010. Currently, CFLs have captured 30 percent of the lighting market. “New bulbs use less energy while providing the same amount of light,” emphasizes Sorenson. “Consumers should start shopping for bulbs based on the amount of light or brightness needed.” For example, a 43-watt halogen bulb, 15-watt CFL or 12-watt LED offers light comparable to a 60-watt incandescent bulb. Learn more about lighting changes at www.nemasavesenergy.org. McKoy-Noe writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Source: National Electrical Manufacturers Association, Enlighten America WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP 24 http://www.cree.com http://www.nemasavesenergy.org http://WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - February 2011

Rural Missouri - February 2011
Table of Contents
Comments
Columns
Life Behind Bars
A Powerful Idea
Mail Bag
Angels Among Us
Out Of The Way Eats
The Store Time Forgot
Hearth and Home
News Briefs
For the Birds
Out With the Old...
World Wide Wood
Marketplace
Around Missouri
Neighbors
Just 4 Kids

Rural Missouri - February 2011