On 10/1/2005 at 10:25 AM Fred Cisin wrote:
If you're paying $1 each for them, the ROI is
substantial.
Again, it depends on the application. I've got a 60w incandescent installed in the
utility closet that holds my A/C, pressure tank and water heater. It sees maybe an hour
of use per year (if that). I won't live long enough to see any ROI for that $1
spent.
And how long will it be before something better (i.e. more efficient) comes by to replace
it? Technology is really the joker in the deck. A neighbor built his large house in
1992, taking adavantage of a $2K energy credit to use fluorescent fixtures for every one
of his 60 or so recessed lighting "cans". This was before solid-state ballasts
had become widespread, so he's got iron-core ballasts in all of the fixtures. Lots of
them buzz like crazy now--since these fixtures were installed before the sheetrock, with
the ballast external to the can, replacement is involved and costly. All in all, probably
a negative ROI if he can't live with the buzz. He would have been much better off
installing conventional fixtures and relamping when screw-in CFL's reached a good
price point--the screw-ins probably exhibit better efficiency than his existing setup,
too.
OB_SUBJECT_LINE: does anybody make a USB powered CFL?
:-)
This looks like one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Brand-new-High-quality-USB-desk-Lamp-light-4-Laptop-PC_…
"Gentle ray, bright, without frequency change, benefit from preventing eyesight.
By using lowest work vnltages: 5v, safety & reliability High effciency, saving
energy.
It makes 20 times long life than normal daylight by placing exeed ages cold light tube.
The lamp which not only can form a comlete set with usb computer soket, but also can
directly set with city power supply.
Connect lampshade & lamp base in soft tube. economic, beauty. Convenience on easy
handle light direction."