Lights go out (was Re: [LINK] Here's one that will snag a few)

[rchirgwin at ozemail.com.au]

Picking off one-by-one...

Jan Whitaker wrote:

> At 04:27 PM 20/02/2007, Howard Lowndes wrote:
>
>> I couyld survive without my computer for one day, but the saved power 
>> would be redirected to the telephone and support to handle calls from 
>> my clients who can't.
>
>
> And today Turnbull came out with making incan. lamps illegal! The 
> calls on talkback were enlightening:
>
> they don't fit all fixtures

Neither do incandescents. Try an Edison screw in a halogen fitting!

> they interfere with remote controls for tv

Never seen, but vaguely plausible.

> they cause epileptic reactions and migraines in some people

Plausible.

> the light levels are 1/4 of the incans used in LV downlights, so you 
> need more to get similar light levels

Silly and ignorant. LVs don't use incandescent; they use halogens. 
They're energy *hogs*; people typically install heaps of them. And the 
transformers can "stay warm" even when the lamp is off (I have had, and 
since ditched, two halogens, both of which put the transformer before 
the switch and were warm all the time) (Also halogens can scare the s**t 
out of you if they decide that catastrophic failure is the colour of the 
day!).

> dimmer switches need to be fitted with balasts at costs of a lot of money

Yes. But it's a once-off cost. Many/most dimmers waste energy themselves.

> the sales pitch about length of life is not always reliable, and at up 
> to 200 times the cost of incans, there will be a lot of unhappy campers

200 times?? In which planet? Let's see: at Woolies, a dollar per 
incandescent, five dollars per compact fluoro.

> they contain toxic elements like mercury, so will require special 
> disposal

Needs investigation.

> the minister had no answer for having businesses turn out office 
> lighting that is unneeded rather than punishing individual consumers 
> (again)

Well ... yes to business, but one idea isn't exclusive of another idea.

> they claim savings that are outlandish on electricity bills - rubbish!

It's easy to test the savings claims. The energy consumption on the lamp 
is in Watts. You're charged by the killowatt-hour. Get a calculator.

On balance, it's not such a bad idea. Not "the" solution but there isn't 
a single perfect solution.

RC

>
> Another example of policy on the run. I'm going to stock up on incans 
> while I can.
>
> Better solution: turn off the damn switch!
>
> Jan
>
> Jan Whitaker
> JLWhitaker Associates, Melbourne Victoria
> jwhit at janwhitaker.com
> business: http://www.janwhitaker.com
> personal: http://www.janwhitaker.com/personal/
> commentary: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
>
> 'Seed planting is often the most important step. Without the seed, 
> there is no plant.' - JW, April 2005
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